AI is the current buzzword in the video game world, as the technology continues to take hold and make an impact in the industry. AI has long been used in gaming, but the recent developments in the technology has seen it take a bigger role in the production of games, something that often rubs fans the wrong way, especially when generative AI is used.
To this end, as part of our recent discussion with Myrkur Games’ CEO Halldor Snaer about Echoes of the End, where we discussed how the studio brought the game back from the brink and also about what’s next for the series, we inquired about their stance on AI as a whole.
“There’s different levels of how AI can be used. But I think in the end, you’re making the game for the gamers,” Snaer began. “You have to listen to what they have to say because they’re the ones who are going to buy your game and play it.”
Snaer then continued to discuss AI in greater depth: “So I think if there’s a big push for that not being used, we wouldn’t intend to make AI models, try to make 3D AI models, or something like that. I feel like that’s also just… games are so, there’s such a handcrafted experience as well. It’s like, even in a movie, if a line is slightly wrong or an expression is slightly wrong, immediately that can spoil the entire movie for you. In a game, it’s very similar. I feel like if something slightly janky or weird, even the tiniest bit, it can spoil the experience for you.
“So I think inevitably they are crafted for gamers to enjoy and so I think the use case of AI in games is very isolated from the rest of the world who is wholly embracing it because it is an entertainment product. That being said, I feel like we’re going to see a lot of projects in the industry that do keep bringing more and more AI on board. But purely AI during games, or very, very high AI usage in games, I don’t think that’s going to be perceived well by players.”
You can check out the full and locally subtitled interview below.