The Future of Video Games: How AI is Changing the Gameplay
AI for videogame development
The past year has seen buzzwords like ChatGPT, GPT4, and OpenAI explode into the gaming industry’s mainstream. As these advanced artificial intelligence technologies sweep across the sector, we can’t help but wonder: Will the future of games be written by AI?
The idea may seem far-fetched, but imagine this scenario for a moment—what if you could incorporate AI into your next game design? What if each non-playable character (NPC) in your virtual world had a unique personality, each reaction was unique, or if every dialogue was dynamic? And what if each gaming experience was tailor-made for each player? It sounds impossible, right?
But not only is it possible, but it’s also something that you can do yourself today! I’ve created a free demo with LLama2 and Unity to demonstrate this reality, and you can get started with it right away.
But before I dive into this exciting new project, let me introduce you to another game I am working on—Gossip & Potions: Tales from the Witch Shop. It’s a multiple-ending game with beautiful art and pleasant music. I’m confident that you’ll enjoy it, so please add it to your wishlist!
Revolutionizing the Gaming World with Advanced AI
Now let’s dive back into the future of gaming. You might be wondering how AI fits into the current gaming landscape and what it can really do. With recent game productions, NPC behavior is largely dictated by pre-defined decision trees. Each NPC has a set of specific rules that determine their reaction to any action initiated by the player. However, this approach is limited, and even vast open-world games like Grand Theft Auto struggle with this. The gaming experience can often feel somewhat rigid and mechanical.
Luckily, there’s a solution on the horizon—advanced AI based on LLM algorithms. This type of AI can learn from interactions, adapt, react more autonomously, and be unpredictable. This gives you the opportunity to create far more unique and rich gaming experiences.
So, how can you bring this revolutionary concept to life? I have prepared 3 projects for you that will show you exactly how AI works in games and how you can implement it in your work.
AI-Powered Gaming Projects to Try
1. Unity + Llama2: This project lets you create NPCs that respond like humans, each with a unique personality that you can define. You can create an entire city filled with dynamic NPCs who engage in different dialogues and interactions with each player. What’s more, it’s 100% free and open-source, meaning that you can use it in your commercial projects without any restrictions.
2. Unity + Neural Networks with Genetic Algorithms: This project allows the creation of a game that learns to play itself and becomes more challenging and enjoyable over time. In other words, the game adapts to your moves and develops a higher level of intelligence. As with the previous example, you can download this project and use it as you wish.
Unity + Neural Networks with Genetic Algorithms Project
3. Godot + Reinforcement Learning: If Unity isn’t your thing, this project is perfect for you. You can create a game where NPCs learn to play independently and improve their intelligence levels as the game progresses.
Godot + Reinforcement Learning Project
Final Thoughts
While the above-mentioned technology presents several opportunities, it’s worth noting that these AI tools cannot replace good storytelling and the human touch required for compelling narratives. Video games are becoming increasingly expensive and complex to produce. This trend may favor large companies, but for indie developers like ourselves, it can be a real hurdle. However, these AI tools can help us build more lively, dynamic, and fun worlds, which is what video games ultimately need.
Despite this, Gossip & Potions, a deep and meaningful game, deliberately does not utilize AI because it doesn’t need to. Yet, if you wish to experiment with AI in your games, now you have the tools to do it.
As always, thank you for being here and for devoting your valuable time to this fascinating and somewhat crazy topic. How do you think AI will change the way you play? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Start the conversation by leaving your opinions on social media below. Until next time, farewell!
