News/Gaming
AI-generated game ‘Oasis’ showcases the potential of machine-created virtual worlds
AI-generated gaming breakthrough: Etched and Decart have unveiled Oasis, a pioneering AI-generated game that represents a significant step forward in the integration of artificial intelligence and interactive entertainment. Oasis is described as a derivative version of Minecraft, generating video frame by frame based on keyboard and mouse inputs. The game is currently a proof of concept, demonstrating the potential for AI to create dynamic, interactive virtual worlds without traditional coding. Oasis runs at 360p resolution, highlighting the nascent stage of this technology and the challenges still to be overcome. Technical innovations and limitations: The development of Oasis relies on cutting-edge...
read Oct 29, 2024AI model Claude was given access to Minecraft and it decided to build a mansion
AI's unexpected architectural prowess: Anthropic's Claude 3.5 (Sonnet) AI model has demonstrated an impressive ability to design and construct a complex mansion within the popular video game Minecraft, despite lacking specific training in this area. The experiment, conducted by X user Adonis Singh, utilized the Mindcraft project, which enables language models to interact with Minecraft through text commands. Claude 3.5 incorporated architectural elements such as domes, arches, lighting, color contrast, and symmetry in its mansion design. While the aesthetics of the AI-generated mansion may be debatable, it undeniably resembles a substantial residential structure. Technical implementation: The process of enabling Claude...
read Oct 28, 2024Tim Sweeney charts open metaverse course for Epic Games
The vision for an open metaverse: Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, outlines his perspective on creating an interconnected digital world that transcends individual platforms and companies. Sweeney emphasizes the need for "enlightened self-interest" among major tech companies to collaborate and contribute content to metaverse efforts, citing progress in partnerships with Fortnite as an example. The launch of Epic's Fab marketplace for digital assets compatible with multiple game engines represents a step towards unifying content across different metaverse environments. Epic's ongoing legal battles to bring the Epic Games Store to mobile platforms highlight the challenges in creating a truly open...
read Oct 18, 2024Modders are using AI to add talkative NPCs in popular games
AI-powered NPC mods revolutionize gaming interactions: Recent developments in artificial intelligence have enabled modders to create more engaging and interactive non-player characters (NPCs) in popular games like Skyrim and Stardew Valley. Stardew Valley's AI companion mod: The mod for Stardew Valley allows players to have seemingly endless conversations with their favorite farm companions. DualityOfSoul, the mod's creator, reports a surprisingly positive reception from users on Nexus Mods. The mod utilizes OpenAI's API to generate dialogue for characters. While impressive, the implementation has limitations, with characters often adopting a similar jovial personality regardless of their original disposition. Some players appreciate how...
read Oct 17, 2024This AI coach aims to boost esports teams’ championship odds
AI coaching revolutionizes esports training: PlayVS and Omnic.AI have partnered to provide AI-powered game analytics to high school students in scholastic esports leagues, potentially transforming how young gamers improve their skills and prepare for competitions. The big picture: This collaboration marks a significant shift in esports coaching, leveraging artificial intelligence to offer professional-level insights to young players at a fraction of the cost of human coaches. PlayVS, an esports platform, is teaming up with Omnic.AI, a provider of AI-powered game analytics, to enhance the training experience for high school students in competitive gaming leagues. The partnership focuses on popular esports...
read Oct 15, 2024Soon AI will turn static images into playable games
AI-generated playable worlds: A new frontier in gaming: Recent advancements in AI technology are enabling the creation of playable game environments from simple image prompts, potentially revolutionizing how games are designed and experienced. This breakthrough allows users to generate interactive game worlds based on real-world locations or imaginary scenes, opening up new possibilities for creative game design and player-generated content. Examples of this technology in action include creating platforming games from local play areas or sci-fi shooters based on everyday locations like gyms. Google has demonstrated the potential of this technology by recreating the classic game Doom using AI image...
read Oct 14, 2024How the world’s first GPU changed gaming and initiated a new AI era
The birth of the GPU: A gaming revolution with far-reaching implications: The release of NVIDIA's GeForce 256 on October 11, 1999, marked a significant milestone in both gaming and computing history, introducing the world's first Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). The GeForce 256 was not just another graphics card; it represented a paradigm shift in computer graphics technology, featuring hardware transform and lighting (T&L) capabilities that offloaded work from the CPU. This innovation allowed game developers to use more polygons, resulting in greatly increased detail and visual fidelity in games. The impact was immediately noticeable, with gamers experiencing their favorite titles...
read Oct 7, 2024Google’s AI simulates Doom without game engine in breakthrough
Breakthrough in AI-powered gaming: Google researchers have developed GameNGen, a neural network capable of generating real-time gameplay for the classic shooter Doom without using a traditional game engine. GameNGen marks the first instance of an AI fully simulating a complex video game with high-quality graphics and interactivity, producing playable gameplay at 20 frames per second on a single Tensor Processing Unit (TPU). The system utilizes a generative diffusion model to autonomously simulate the entire game environment, eliminating the need for manually programmed game logic. This achievement represents a significant advancement in AI technology, potentially transforming the $200 billion global gaming...
read Oct 1, 2024Nvidia enhances digital humans with new plugins for Unreal Engine 5
Nvidia enhances digital human realism with new Unreal Engine 5 plugins: Nvidia has released a suite of tools and plugins aimed at improving the creation and deployment of AI-powered digital human characters within Unreal Engine 5, marking a significant advancement in game development and interactive applications. Key features and improvements: Nvidia introduced on-device plugins for Nvidia Ace, a suite of digital human technologies, to facilitate easier development of AI-powered MetaHuman characters on Windows PCs. The company unveiled an Audio2Face-3D plugin for Autodesk Maya, enabling AI-powered facial animations that synchronize lips and facial movements with audio speech. A new Unreal Engine...
read Sep 30, 2024Project G-Assist from Nvidia will be a big leap for in-game AI assistants
Project G-Assist: Nvidia's AI Gaming Assistant Unveiled: Nvidia's Project G-Assist, showcased at Computex 2024, represents a significant leap in AI-powered gaming assistance, offering players real-time, context-aware support within their gaming environments. The AI assistant can identify on-screen elements and respond to player questions about the game they're currently playing, demonstrating a deep integration with the gaming experience. Nvidia's demo utilized Ark: Survival Ascended, highlighting the assistant's ability to provide immediate, relevant information to players. The technology employs both Small and Large Language Models to generate responses, ensuring a balance between speed and depth of information. Technical Underpinnings and Developer Control:...
read Sep 27, 2024Nintendo bucks AI trend, says legendary Mario creator
Nintendo's Unconventional Approach to AI: Shigeru Miyamoto, the legendary Mario creator, has indicated that Nintendo is taking a different path when it comes to artificial intelligence in gaming, emphasizing the company's unique identity. Miyamoto stated in a New York Times interview that Nintendo would "rather go in a different direction" regarding AI technology, contrasting with the industry's widespread embrace of generative AI. The game designer emphasized that this approach is not mere contrarianism but a deliberate effort to "find what makes Nintendo special" in an industry where many companies are moving in the same direction. This stance follows a more...
read Sep 26, 20245 key tech trends reshaping video games
The evolving landscape of video game technology: The video game industry is experiencing significant shifts driven by five key technological trends that are shaping game development and player experiences. Machine Learning and AI, VR/AR, Cloud Gaming, Livestreaming, and User Generation are emerging as the primary technological forces influencing the future of video games. These advancements are not only changing how games are created but also how they are marketed, distributed, and experienced by players. Machine Learning and AI: Enhancing performance and streamlining development: Machine learning and AI technologies are being leveraged to improve game resolution and streamline content creation processes....
read Sep 25, 2024Game studios are turning to AI-powered NPCs for greater immersion
Artificial intelligence is poised to transform the gaming industry by creating more immersive and dynamic experiences for players, particularly through enhanced non-player character (NPC) interactions. The evolution of NPC interactions: Traditionally, video games have relied on scripted interactions with NPCs, but advancements in AI technology are enabling more spontaneous and realistic dialogue and behavior. Game studios are experimenting with generative AI to build environments, assist game writers in crafting NPC dialogue, and create more improvisational experiences. This shift aims to bring the spontaneity of table-top role-playing games to digital gaming environments. AI-powered gameplay innovations: Some game developers are leveraging AI...
read Sep 20, 2024EA’s Codeless Development System Generates Entire Games from Prompts
AI-powered game creation: Electronic Arts (EA) has unveiled a concept for an innovative AI system that could potentially revolutionize video game development by allowing users to create games from scratch without coding. EA showcased the "Imagination to Creation" program at its Investor Day event in New York City, demonstrating the system's ability to generate games based on user prompts. The concept video featured the creation of a Minecraft-inspired maze game, with users able to modify various aspects such as setting, character appearances, and gameplay mechanics in real-time. The system promises to make game creation accessible to those without technical skills,...
read Sep 18, 2024Twitch Boosts Stream Quality with AI-Powered Broadcasting Tool
Twitch revolutionizes streaming with AI-powered Enhanced Broadcasting: Twitch, the popular gaming-focused streaming platform, is launching a new feature called Twitch Enhanced Broadcasting that leverages AI technology to improve streaming quality and accessibility. Key features of Twitch Enhanced Broadcasting: Allows streamers with modern NVIDIA GeForce RTX or GTX GPUs to broadcast up to three resolutions simultaneously, with a maximum of 1080p Supports HEVC (H.265) encoding, offering 25% improved efficiency and quality compared to H.264 Launching in beta this month, with sign-ups available at twitch.tv/broadcast Future enhancements for beta testers: Higher input bit rates Up to 4K resolutions Capability to stream up...
read Sep 17, 2024EA is Going Deep on AI for Game Development
AI-driven game development: Electronic Arts (EA) is embracing artificial intelligence across its game development processes, as revealed during the company's recent Investor Day presentation. EA's COO Laura Miele highlighted AI's role as a discovery tool for the company's vast library of 100 million assets, aiming to streamline asset sharing and utilization between development teams. The company plans to use AI to "supercharge" development by making it easier for teams to find and repurpose existing assets, potentially reducing redundant work and accelerating production timelines. EA Sports and real-world data integration: The gaming giant is leveraging AI to enhance the realism and...
read Sep 11, 2024Quantum Gaming Startup Moth Raises $3M to Transform Industry
Quantum computing meets gaming: Moth, a startup at the intersection of quantum technology and gaming, is poised to revolutionize the industry with innovative applications in procedural generation, character AI, and graphics. Moth has secured over $3 million in funding to develop quantum-enabled solutions for game developers and creative industries. The company's focus areas include leveraging quantum computing for advanced procedural generation, enhancing character AI, and improving graphics and visuals in games. Moth aims to make quantum technology directly accessible to game developers, potentially transforming how game content is created and experienced. Key appointment and scientific leadership: James Wootton, a renowned...
read Sep 11, 2024AI Agents Form Complex Society in Groundbreaking Minecraft Experiment
Groundbreaking AI experiment creates virtual society in Minecraft: Altera.ai's Project Sid has successfully populated a Minecraft world with 1,000 autonomous AI agents, resulting in the emergence of a complex virtual society. Project overview and key findings: Dr. Robert Yang and his team at Altera.ai designed Project Sid to explore the potential of AI agents to form a civilization from scratch within the popular sandbox game Minecraft. The experiment involved deploying 1,000 AI agents into a Minecraft world and observing their interactions and behaviors over time. Remarkably, the AI agents demonstrated sophisticated social behaviors, including forming alliances, establishing trade networks, and...
read Sep 10, 2024How Will AI Impact Game Development? Current Trends Offer a Glimpse
AI's potential to transform game development: Artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionize the video game industry, potentially addressing long-standing issues like the notorious "crunch" culture while also raising concerns about job displacement and creative integrity. The "crunch" in game development, once seen as a rite of passage, is now recognized as a form of exploitation that can lead to mental health issues and burnout among developers. With increasing game development costs, companies are incentivized to maximize short-term profits, often at the expense of their employees' well-being. Current AI applications in game development: Many studios are already leveraging AI tools to...
read Sep 7, 2024New AI Video Tool Recreates (Glitchy Version) of Super Mario Bros
AI's foray into game recreation: MarioVGG takes on Super Mario Bros.: A new AI model called MarioVGG, developed by Virtuals Protocol, demonstrates the potential for artificial intelligence to recreate classic video games based on simple prompts, albeit with significant limitations. Training and capabilities: MarioVGG's development represents a significant effort in AI-assisted game recreation, showcasing both the progress and current limitations in this field. The model was trained on an extensive dataset of over 737,000 frames of Super Mario Bros. gameplay footage, providing it with a comprehensive visual understanding of the game. MarioVGG's current capabilities are limited to two basic actions:...
read Sep 7, 2024MSI Unveils 8-Inch Lunar Lake AI-Powered Gaming Handheld for 2025
Intel's latest innovation in gaming handhelds: MSI unveils the Claw 8 AI+, the world's first Windows 11 gaming handheld powered by Intel's new Core Ultra Lunar Lake processors, at IFA 2024 in Berlin. The Claw 8 AI+ succeeds the Claw A1M model, which initially faced criticism for performance issues but improved after BIOS updates. MSI aims to deliver optimal performance from the start with the new Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) Lunar Lake processors, promising significant improvements in performance, power efficiency, and AI computing capabilities. Key hardware upgrades: The Claw 8 AI+ features several notable improvements over its predecessor, enhancing...
read Sep 6, 2024Roblox to Unveil AI Tool that Generates 3D Game Environments
Roblox unveils groundbreaking generative AI for 3D environments: The popular online game platform is set to launch a tool that can create entire 3D scenes from simple text prompts, revolutionizing game development on the platform. The new AI tool will allow developers to generate complex 3D environments by typing commands like "Generate a race track in the desert," significantly reducing the time and effort required for scene creation. Users will be able to modify and expand existing scenes, such as changing a daytime scene to night or altering the landscape from desert to forest, providing greater flexibility in game design....
read Sep 6, 2024Union Agreements over AI Allow 80 Video Games to Resume Production
Video game actors' strike update: SAG-AFTRA has announced that 80 video games have agreed to the union's proposed AI terms, allowing actors to work on these titles during the ongoing strike. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) made the announcement on Thursday, September 5, 2024. These games are now temporarily exempt from the walkout, provided they adhere to the union's artificial intelligence rules. Companies that have entered AI agreements with SAG-AFTRA include Little Bat Games ("Vampire Therapist"), Studio Wildcard ("Ark: Survival Evolved"), and Lightspeed L.A. ("Last Sentinel"). Key terms of the agreements: The AI agreements...
read Sep 5, 2024Microsoft’s AI-Powered PCs Struggle with Gaming Performance
AI-powered PCs face gaming challenges: Microsoft's new Copilot+ PCs, designed for AI tasks and long battery life, are encountering significant issues with gaming performance due to their Arm-based architecture. The Copilot+ PCs use Qualcomm Snapdragon chips that combine CPU, GPU, and Neural Processing Unit capabilities, but this Arm-based design is incompatible with many popular PC games built for x86 architecture. Microsoft developed Prism, a translation layer similar to Apple's Rosetta 2, to enable x86 apps to run on Arm-based Windows machines, but its effectiveness for gaming has been limited. In a test of 1,300 PC games, only half ran without...
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