Video games development is undergoing a seismic shift as the vast majority of the world’s gaming studios embrace generative artificial intelligence as a tool that can aid in the creative process.
The change is measurable, with a recent report by Google exploring how AI tools are touching every stage of game development, from the original concept art to the virtual world design process and even testing for bugs. On Steam, the digital game distribution platform that enables players to purchase and download games over the web, almost one in five new releases last year were developed partly with generative AI tools.
The result of this rapid adoption is that studios are publishing more games and doing it faster than ever, while simultaneously introducing richer environments and more personalized experiences.
Adaptive dialogue and unique interactions
Generative AI isn’t new to gaming, but its role was previously much more limited. It began with the arrival of non-playable characters or NPCs, which would engage with gamers via scripted chats, making the experience more immersive and unique. But now, that kind of thing is entry-level stuff, for AI is building entire games from nothing.
AI development has evolved, and games no longer feature predictable layouts but context-aware environments that can adapt based on the choices made by the player. The narrative can change dynamically, and even respond to emotional cues – in Fortnite, for example, AI-powered characters will alter their combat style and dialogue for each user.
Some of the gaming industry’s biggest titles have embraced AI. In No Man’s Sky, we see regular AI-assisted updates that make each planet feel more alien, while Baldur’s Gate 3 has played around with adaptive dialogues, with NPCs reacting differently depending on what the player does. In-game narration is also improving, with AI-powered story engines capable of creating intricate subplots on the fly, ensuring a fresh experience every time the player starts anew. It makes games become more appealing, with new scenarios keeping them fresh and replayable.
AI-generated graphics and assets
It’s not just stories that are changing, but also in-game assets. Asset creation has long been one of the major bottlenecks in game development, but generative AI has torn that barrier down by enhancing the speed at which artists can work. Whereas before, it might have taken a human expert up to a week to develop an original, high-resolution character or prop, that process now takes just a few hours. Artists simply describe what they have in mind, the AI creates it, and then they polish up the look and style through additional natural language prompts.
What’s great about generative AI tools is that developers can achieve the same consistency for multiple assets by locking in visual style guidelines to ensure they replicate the game’s DNA.
Sometimes, AI is even used to develop full games. Stake.com’s SlotGPT is a new creative tool that allows the platform’s users to develop their own slot machine games simply by outlining their desired concept. Users begin with a simple prompt that outlines the theme and the types of prizes people can win, as well as their desired win probability, and SlotGPT will do the rest. Once the game has been created and edits are made, users can begin playing, or alternatively publish the game on Stake.com so others can access it, using real money to win real prizes.
It’s a great example of how AI is changing the game and breaking down barriers to access, enabling anyone to become a game creator, even if they lack coding skills. All the user has to do is describe what kind of game they want to make, the platform they wish to make it for – be it mobile or desktop or something else.
Smarter testing
AI is also transforming the quality assurance process in games development. The technology is able to simulate thousands of different scenarios in practically any game, which makes it a great tool for detecting bugs and other flaws. One example of this is Candy Crush, which uses AI algorithms to test new versions of the game and tweak their difficulty to ensure the balance is right. At the same time, it also tests the game for stability and performance.
This kind of capability is especially useful for cross-platform games that will be released on PCs, mobile, consoles and even virtual reality platforms. The AI can adapt its automated testing for platform-specific quirks, ensuring that the experience is consistent no matter where the game is played.
The future of games development
Some people have raised concerns that AI might one day replace human creators entirely and automate the entire game development process, but the reality of what we’re seeing today suggests that’s unlikely. In most cases, AI is being used by the creators themselves as a way to augment their skills and accelerate productivity by performing the most mundane and laborious aspects of their work, and that’s a really good thing. Even with platforms such as SlotGPT, which can generate entire games from scratch, it’s the human creator that remains the most important piece of the puzzle, for it’s their imagination that makes all the difference.
In conclusion, AI isn’t replacing human developers, but rather, it’s empowering them to be even more creative and bring more of their ideas to life. The future of games development will be based on human and AI partnerships, with machine intelligence accelerating human creativity, raising the ceiling for what’s possible.
