As the costs of video game development continue to soar, publishers are increasingly turning to controversial AI tools to streamline processes and reduce expenses. A notable example is Call of Duty, which reportedly sold an "AI-generated cosmetic" for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 towards the end of 2023. Fans also accused Activision of employing generative AI for a loading screen the previous year. Meanwhile, EA declared in September that AI is "the very core" of its business operations.
In a recent interview with Google Cloud Japan, Kazuki Abe, a technical director at Capcom who has contributed to major titles such as Monster Hunter: World and Exoprimal, discussed the company's experimentation with AI in game development. Abe highlighted the challenge of generating "hundreds of thousands" of unique ideas, which is one of the most time-consuming and labor-intensive aspects of game creation. He pointed out that even objects like televisions require distinct designs, logos, and shapes, leading to the need for numerous proposals and detailed illustrations to communicate these ideas effectively to art directors and artists.
To address this, Abe developed a system that leverages generative AI to analyze various game design documents and produce ideas. This approach not only speeds up development but also enhances efficiency. The AI system provides feedback to itself, continuously refining the output. Abe's prototype, which integrates multiple AI models including Google Gemini Pro, Gemini Flash, and Imagen, has garnered positive feedback from Capcom's internal development teams. Implementing this AI model is expected to "reduce costs significantly" compared to manual processes, while also improving the quality of the output.
Currently, Capcom's use of AI is confined to this specific system. Other crucial aspects of game development, such as ideation, gameplay mechanics, programming, and character design, remain the domain of human creativity and expertise.
