The global video game industry has evolved significantly since its initial introduction to the public. This transformation is supported by various factors, such as the increasing appetite of gamers for challenging adventures, increasing competition between developers, and the adoption of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Artificial intelligence, or AI in the gaming industry, drives effective game development and delivers more adaptive experiences, ushering the industry into a new era full of innovation, experience, and limitless possibilities.
In 2020, online gaming saw a significant surge due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, which forced gaming enthusiasts to stay home and look for new ways to satisfy their gaming appetite. Even though growth trends have normalized, online gaming is still popular, with more than 2.5 billion active players worldwide. AI is used to create more intelligent NPCs and promote a more realistic gaming experience. This article explores how AI in the Gaming Industry, optimizing gameplay, presenting intelligent challenges, and creating living worlds.
Seeing the unprecedented growth and popularity of online games, game developers are proactively creating various casual, mid-range, and AAA games that can keep a large audience hooked. AI is acting as a transformative catalyst. And as technology advances AI in the Gaming Industry, we will likely experience more innovative AI gaming solutions.
The role of AI in the Gaming Industry world
AI in the gaming industry has come a long way since world chess champion Garry Kasparov lost to IBM’s Deep Blue. For nine days, the man competed against the machine, and the machine won. How? With its ability to analyze millions of movements per second, Deep Blue has a wealth of data to make decisions. Which, in the end, can defeat humans.
After that, AI in the Gaming Industry took this approach further by utilizing generative AI in business that can learn independently and adapt its actions. This trend of AI in gaming is advancing, redefining the gaming landscape and attracting new players.
Therefore, many new startups and large companies are entering this virtual world with innovative AI gaming solutions and platforms. For example:
In January 2021, Latitude, a company specializing in AI-generated infinite stories in video games, raised $3.3 million in venture funding.
Osmo, an interactive gaming business, secured a significant investment of $32.5 million, strengthening its growth prospects.
Gosu Data Lab, a Lithuanian AI gaming company, has raised $5 million in funding. The main focus centers on game data analysis. This aims to improve player skills through AI-based information.
All these examples of great AI in the Gaming Industry demonstrate the growing dominance of this technology trend in the entertainment industry. Highlighting its advantages and how this trend will continue to change the gaming industry.
AI use cases in the gaming industry
The impact of AI in the gaming industry is immeasurable and even unstoppable. Substantially change many aspects of the game by making it more engaging, adaptive, and responsive. Next, let us explore the various areas where the use of artificial intelligence in gaming is extraordinary, thereby pushing the industry to greater heights.
Non-player characters (NPCs)
One of the main aspects of using AI in games is creating more intelligent and realistic NPCs. These non-player characters behave intelligently as if real players controlled them. They can make more complex decisions, adapt to changes in the game, and communicate with players more naturally.
However, they are pre-programmed, and all their actions are determined by automatic rules that the game player cannot control. These characters can interact with players more realistically. This can undoubtedly add to the immersion and dynamism of the game, where each player experiences the game differently.
Many gaming companies, such as SEED (EA), are harnessing the power of AI-enabled NPCs trained by simulating top players.
Improved graphics via AI
Another fantastic application of AI in the gaming industry is to enhance visuals through “AI Upscaling.” The core concept of this technique is to convert a low-resolution image into a higher-resolution image with a similar appearance. This technique breathes new life into classic games and allows players to enjoy cutting-edge visuals and improved resolution, even on old hardware.
NVIDIA’s DLSS technology shows an excellent example of AI in image enhancement. NVIDIA researchers implemented AI-based improvements in games like “Cyberpunk 2077” and “Control,” to deliver higher-resolution graphics and better frame rates. Thus allowing players to change views or scenes.
Procedural content generation (PCG)
Video games have many 3-D objects, characters, clothing, music, graphics, levels, maps, etc. Producing these game assets is complex and time-consuming, requiring significant investments and resources. AI can be a solution to this problem. By using AI in PCGs, game developers can create more prosperous and diverse worlds. Simplifying the complex process of producing game assets at an accelerated pace to meet user demand. Apart from that, AI can also generate interactive narratives based on past storylines.
For example, AI Dungeon 2, an innovative text-based adventure game, uses OpenAI’s GPT-3 language model to offer endless adventure and possibilities. In AI Dungeon 2, players can progress the game by providing relevant clues and directing the AI to create unique storylines for their characters to interact with.
Real-time data mining and analysis
The 2.5 billion gamers worldwide generate around 50 terabytes of data every day. This makes it a massive challenge for companies to monitor this data and take proactive action before opportunities are lost and players leave the game. This is why gaming businesses increasingly leverage AI and machine learning in live streaming for data collection and extracting actionable insights.
DemonWare, an online multiplayer game, is the best example of AI in a game that uses real-time AI data analysis.
Player-experience modeling (PEM)
PEM is one of the most popular AI in the gaming industry that mathematically models the player’s experience. Pem can also anticipate player preferences in liking or disliking a game. AI in PEM analyzes the user’s competence and emotional state to adjust the game mechanics. According to the player’s skill level, AI can increase or decrease the game’s complexity in real time. Making it more interactive and adaptive according to user interests.
Cheat detection in multiplayer games
Cheating has become a significant challenge in multiplayer games that negatively impacts player experience and has severe repercussions for gaming platforms. Due to the increasing risk of cheating in games, players worldwide feel insecure against their opponents who play malicious tactics to gain unfair advantages. So, AI is urgently needed to analyze player movement patterns and detect whether users are cheating.
Many popular online games, such as PUBG, already use AI to analyze player patterns and prevent cheating. This game has made headlines, banning even professional players from cheating on PUBG.
The future of AI in the Gaming industry
AI has dramatically impacted all industries, and gaming is no exception. Over the years, AI in games has emerged as a transformative force, continually pushing the boundaries of what is possible in virtual worlds and changing how we develop, experience, and enjoy games.
Another extraordinary impact of AI on this sector is its impressive potential to offer more interactivity, high-level graphics and visuals, infinite combinations of stories and landscapes, more realistic NPCs, and personalized experiences. In addition, gaming companies are increasingly utilizing AI capabilities to analyze player behavior that has the potential to commit fraud.
