Imagine a world where there were no game delays and developers could release titles or DLC packs more often to meet the needs of their audience. It’s hard to imagine, but that’s what Activision Blizzard is trying to do with its AI tests.
Most games already have some form of AI, which is often used to help NPCs react or make decisions in games. However, Blizzard is taking things a step further by trying to speed up its creative process with its own image generator, which development executives say will revolutionize the way games are made.
This internal tool is called Blizzard Diffusion, New York Times reports
By submitting assets from their names, for example Diablo, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch, Blizzard developers can supposedly create images and concept art that can then be used to speed up the creative process in an industry that is so often riddled with delays.
Publishers also believe that these tools will help eliminate repetitive steps in the creative process and help simplify the work of creators. They say it can help with intelligent NPCs, level design, game coding and voice cloning, and help prevent toxicity in their titles.
While there may be positives to this, especially if it means less lag for games, there is a debate surrounding AI and whether it will lead to job losses, as well as how these concept images could cause copyright issues.
Because of these issues, AI is still a gray area. But the benefits of meeting requirements, releasing games and content on time or even writing stories can outweigh the negatives.
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