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Artificial intelligence hype has entered many tech spheres, and the gaming industry is one of them.
Companies and game developers are working hard to follow suit and test how AI solutions can help them make better products.
This article highlights how AI is pushing the gaming boundaries and how far exactly it might push them.
Mapping out Patterns, Making Suggestions
Artificial intelligence (which also goes by the name generative AI) is nothing more than zillions of computers connected to feed databases which then establish patterns from what they’re fed on.
Sure, as the computational power of both feeder computers and digestor computers is growing, AI tools become more powerful.
Based on this, the first thing those solutions do well is mapping out users’ patterns. As you register to a gaming platform – or an iGaming one, truth be told; the principle is the same – the chatbots and analytics tools in the background start observing your behavior. For instance, they track what games you’ve played most frequently, when you usually sit down for a gaming session, whether you pay for games or not, etc.
Then you get customized suggestions that could make your playing experience more comfortable.
A gamer who has played sports games within a certain interval will probably receive a personalized up-selling or cross-selling offer for a new soccer or basketball game.
Likewise, a punter who has indulged themselves in unrestricted gambling sprees on non-Gamstop casinos could get a bonus or extra deposit as a reward.
And (i)gaming platforms are only at the dawn of implementing AI tools in their players’ daily errands. In the future, such enhancements will make online plays even more exciting.
Improving Game Engines
When you want to erect a new building, the first thing you need to do is build its foundations.
Developing a video game isn’t possible without a proper game engine – a framework that gaming engineers use to connect the code, storylines, characters, and design features into a single unit.
The rapid growth of AI solutions and their integration with game engines is already automating some parts of the game-engine building process. Some renowned creators, such as Unity and Unreal Engine, are already implementing AI game tools for developers to come up with innovative gaming features and tech infrastructure.
Creating Non-Player Characters
For a long time, video games have been aimed at people of various generations, from toddlers to pensioners. People who aren’t into gaming might not be aware of how popular characters from video games have become.
Even such renowned institutions as the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) organize polls regarding characters from video games. In this particular BAFTA survey, Lara Croft has been voted the most iconic video game character (Super Mario was the runner-up, and Hitman’s Agent 47 came third).
Logically, when you estimate and commit a significant period developing the leading figures in a game, you don’t have much budget or time left for non-player characters (i.e., video game extras, as Ricky Gervais might put it).
And this is where AI solutions come in handy – they’ve been increasingly used to help create NPCs. Developers utilize AI solutions to create initial character templates, which can then be adapted to different contexts, from strategy games and online board games to visually more demanding shooters. What’s more, they can even develop relationships between NPCs, accelerating the entire development process.
Processing Large Data Chunks
We’ve mentioned making suggestions and personalized recommendations in the first paragraph. Such in-game improvements are possible because companies that develop and maintain video games and gaming platforms quickly process data.
And quick, accurate data processing is the backbone of introducing AI features in every industry, gaming included.
As reported by the Data Science Graduate Programs portal, such applied use of AI tools is literally a game-changer. In this study, they show an example of Valve Software, the company that made DOTA and Counter-Strike (among many other titles). This gaming enterprise used the data they collected on their Steam players for the two-fold benefit: to offer customized in-game options, and track gaming habits to improve the gameplay in the following iterations of their games.
iGaming platforms, from betting websites to crypto casinos, also rely on big data processing in developing innovative, player-friendly features. That way, they quickly understand whether a newly introduced option has satisfied their users to know if they should remove it.
Accelerating Game Localization
Even if you aren’t a passionate gamer, you assume that the English language is the lingua franca of modern gaming.
In other words, the majority of the most popular games out there are originally developed in English.
However, this also means eliminating the potential global players who don’t know this language well enough to enjoy such video games.
That’s why more and more games are translated and localized to address a local target audience. This goes a bit faster for online games because you can do it in real-time.
On the other hand, when producing large-scale video games, it’s important to start with localization from day one.
Language learning models come in handy because they behave like large databases of translations. While machines don’t actually understand the languages in question, if they’re fed on proper translation equivalents, patterns get established, so that game writers and translators save some time along the way.
That being said, every game screenplay and all other textual features should be double-checked by human proofreaders and writers before the launch.
Optimizing Game Production Costs
Introducing and using AI tools in the gaming industry means getting more and more patterns that speed up the entire development process. Eventually, such enhancements reduce the game production costs.
Even though such solutions come at a certain price, which requires additional budgeting, they’re highly likely to save money along the way.
On the other hand, such innovations will lead to inevitable workforce reorganization. Some positions within companies will become redundant, meaning that certain professionals in the gaming industry should master new skills, such as using AI tools to remain market-relevant.
Conclusion
With all their pros and cons, AI solutions are already improving the gaming industry, helping develop and launch futuristic, player-friendly solutions.
In the time ahead, both stakeholders and employees working in this field will have to get accustomed to the ongoing changes. One thing is for sure: gamers will keep enjoying better gameplay and discovering new playable realms.
