Developers “hate” AI but it’s a necessary evil, says veteran designer

Veteran game designer Raph Koster has shared his thoughts on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in game development, revealing that “developers hate it”.

• READ MORE: If you care about video games, care about the people who make them, too

In an interview with Edge Magazine, Koster said that, in spite of the criticism of AI, it’s necessary in these times where games’ budgets are bigger than ever before.

“Developers hate it, many players dislike it, there’s a general current against it, and the money is still going to drive absolutely everybody to do it, because otherwise the cost curves are not sustainable,” explained the game designer (via PC Gamer).

A hand with a mechanical hand superimposed onto it Credit: This Is Engineering via Pexels

Koster was the lead designer of Ultima Online and its expansion The Second Age, then he stepped into a position as a chief creative officer at Sony Online Entertainment.

There, he worked on Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, EverQuest 2, Champions: Return to Arms, Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade, GripShift, Frantix and Field Commander. He is now the CEO of California developer Playable Worlds.

Edge Magazine also spoke to Jade Raymond, the producer of Assassin’s Creed, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Watch Dogs, for her thoughts on AI.

“AAA games have gone from taking teams of 50 people two years to make to now sometimes taking teams of hundreds of people more than ten years to make,” said Raymond.

A person with code projected onto their face Credit: This Is Engineering via Pexels

“[We believe] these technologies will eventually help game developers reverse that trend, and unlock more creativity from developers and players alike.”

After leaving her role as the vice president and head of games and entertainment at Google, Raymond founded Haven Studios in Montreal in 2021.

Haven Studios was then bought by PlayStation and the team is currently developing the heist game Fairgame$ for PS5 and PC.

In other gaming news, FaZe Clan has been bought by GameSquare and will aim to “reestablish authenticity” with the return of the founder into executive roles.

The post Developers “hate” AI but it’s a necessary evil, says veteran designer appeared first on NME.

Developers “hate” AI but it’s a necessary evil, says veteran designer
Source: Pinas Mabuhay