We’ve talked extensively about AI on this website, from AI images to music to even tech. But it seems we’ll be seeing more AI in AAA games or at least related to it moving forward, with Square Enix leading the charge.
Square Enix’s President and Representative Director, Takashi Kiryu, stated in his New Year letter that the company will be “aggressively applying” AI in terms of content creation and publishing functions. He also emphasised that the company will be using AI’s “cutting-edge” technology to enhance productivity and marketing.
“However, the introduction of ChatGPT, which allows anyone to easily produce writing or translations or to engage in text-based dialogue, sparked the rapid spread of generative AIs. Its release made it apparent that the applicability of generative AI was by no means limited to text, and the subsequent months saw a quick succession of launches of new services and content that expanded generative AI into a variety of domains with close ties to digital entertainment, including images, video, and music. I believe that generative AI has the potential not only to reshape what we create, but also to fundamentally change the processes by which we create, including programming.
With a focus on comics, our publication business provides content spanning a wide range of genres in both digital and printed formats. Our Amusement business meanwhile provides real-world entertainment, primarily through its TAITO STATION amusement facilities. Both businesses enable us to reach broad customer segments beyond those that engage with our Digital Entertainment business, thus bolstering awareness of our Group.”
Beyond the address, there was no explicit mention of AI being used to generate content for games, such as characters, voices, level design, or others. It seems as though the company has plans on using this technology on a wider scale than previously imagined and applying it wherever possible.
This move isn’t all that surprising either, as Square Enix announced an NFT game last year and has even doubled down on the block chain in the company’s 2023 New Year’s letter. It is quite unfortunate for a gaming juggernaut such as Square Enix to rely heavily on AI rather than its experienced staff to create content. Sadly, this is another glaring example of the company chasing trends, and Kiryu isn’t really different from former president Yosuke Matsuda.
(Source: Square Enix)
