AI is one of the hottest topics related to gaming. Though the concept of AI is being discussed globally as it relates to a variety of industries, it’s actually been part of the gaming landscape for decades. Stretching all the way back to the 1950s, some of the very first video games were powered by rudimentary AI software.
Today, the tradition is continuing—and it’s evolving quickly. AI isn’t only being used to help create video games but also gives greater meaning to NPCs, ensures randomized outcomes, and can even be used as a programmer for AAA and indie teams. Let’s take a closer look at these three use cases related to AI and gaming, along with three developing intersections between the two.
The Casino Case: Random Number Generators
Within the realm of the casino industry, the most important type of technology is focused on ensuring randomness. This ensures randomized outcomes within every game, from blackjack to slots to roulette. In fact, random number generators in casinos are a critical component of the virtual experience.
Most casinos employ independent RNG software which is rigorously tested and regulated. But do they use AI? After all, AI software is always deterministic, which means that the process employed is repeatable. From the outside looking in, it almost sounds like an oxymoron for AI to be involved with RNGs.
However, RNGs aren’t new. They’ve been used within the casino industry since it moved online in the early 2000s—but other scientists have relied on RNGs for much longer. This means that even AI-driven software can be used to create a highly robust RNG that’s too chaotic to be predictable.
The RPG Case: Non-Playing Characters
Currently, AI is being used to revolutionize the world of NPCs. For decades, non-playing characters have been an important part of longer-form games, particularly RPGs. That being said, few NPCs have hit the mark. They’re clunky, nonintuitive, and they often get in the way. Though necessary, many players have thought of them as necessary evils.
But that’s now changing thanks to AI programs that can more faithfully replicate characters. These NPCs evolve as the game advances and, at their most robust, change in direct tandem to a player’s preferences. Viewed in this way, they’re not only interactive characters but also helpful and engaging.
Already, there are dozens of companies that are tinkering with the perfect AI-driven NPC models. Generative AI, in particular, is being used to improve the NPCs’ actions but also its ability to dialogue with players. Slowly but surely, AI is becoming the total sidekick package for players—in RPGs and beyond.
The Developer Case: Procedural Generation
Generative AI has many use cases within the context of gaming. Along with powering a more meaningful NPC, they’re also being used to create critical in-game infrastructure. This takes a load off of smaller studios that might struggle with programming, which means that AI isn’t only simplifying the job but also opening up the industry.
Over the last ten years, more and more indie developers have left their mark with hit releases. The same is true for AAA studios. However, these releases aren’t common because of the meteoric efforts necessary to put together a solid video game. There simply isn’t enough time or resources on the table, which means only legacy developers are steering gamer interest. The same goes for developers outside of gaming hotspots in North America and East Asia.
When it comes to AI, it’s enabling innovation at a deep level within the gaming world. Similarly, AI is being used to help generate new content in metaverse projects, along with helping build tools for other gamers to use when creating their own worlds.
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The User Case: Games within Games
It’s not only AAA studios and indie creators who are benefitting from the rise of AI-assisted development. Globally, metaverses like Roblox and Minecraft have tens of millions of active users. One of the primary reasons that a gamer gravitates towards these ‘sandbox’ titles is to take charge of creating their own worlds.
Players can create unique virtual plots and landscapes, craft their own highly personalized avatars, and create virtual products for others to use and enjoy. Some metaverses are even equipped to allow players to create mini-quests and games.
Behind it all are AI programs that put creative power into the players’ hands. While this technology is still in its infancy compared to others on this list, it’s likely to grow exponentially in the coming decade—especially as more players choose a metaverse and start to immerse themselves.
The Open-World Case: Never-ending Maps
When it comes to multiplayer games, the sky’s the limit—at least, in theory. Open-world multiplayer games are incredibly difficult to produce and maintain. That’s because the maps are designed to grow infinitely, pushing into new territory as players continue to explore an endless virtual world.
AI is now able to assist in expanding open-world maps so that players aren’t penned in with finite worlds. This points back to the growth of procedural generation via AI in gaming—just like AI can help create a new level, it can also expand an existing map and take pressure off developers to expand in-world territories and landscapes.
Using AI, developers can instead allow the software to generate new virtual territory as players delve deeper into the game. This type of technology balances virtual spacing and mapping with graphic generation.
The NIL Case: Profound Likeness in Simulations
Lastly, one of the coolest new applications of AI in gaming relates to what’s called NIL: name, image, and likeness. NIL clauses are what allow game developers to use real-life images, likenesses, and names of real-life people. The most common usage is in sports simulations, such as FIFA’s former collab with EA Sports or the NBA’s contract with 2K Studios.
AI tends to miss fewer details than human counterparts and particularly excels in recreating images digitally. Though it’s not foolproof, developers are now leaning on AI to bring to life the visages of some of the world’s most famous athletes. It’s also helping developers refine other celebrity images, like Keanu Reeves’ appearance in Cyberpunk 2077 or Norman Reedus in Death Stranding.
