In the ever-evolving landscape of video game development, Capcom is exploring innovative ways to harness the power of generative AI to streamline its creative processes. With rising development costs pushing publishers to seek efficiency, Capcom's approach involves using AI to generate the "hundreds of thousands" of unique ideas needed for in-game environments. This move comes at a time when other industry giants like Call of Duty and EA are also turning to AI to enhance their operations. Call of Duty, for instance, reportedly sold an "AI-generated cosmetic" for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in late 2023, while EA has declared AI to be "the very core" of its business.
In a recent interview with Google Cloud Japan, Kazuki Abe, a technical director at Capcom with experience on major titles like Monster Hunter: World and Exoprimal, shed light on the company's AI experimentation. Abe highlighted the challenge of generating vast numbers of unique ideas, particularly for everyday objects like televisions, which require distinct designs, logos, and shapes. "Including unused ones, we ended up having to come up with hundreds of thousands of ideas," Abe noted (via Automaton).
To address this, Abe developed a system where generative AI can analyze various game design documents and produce multiple proposals for thousands to tens of thousands of objects per game. Each proposal includes illustrations and text to effectively communicate the ideas to art directors and artists. This AI-driven approach not only speeds up the development process but also allows the AI to provide feedback and refine its outputs continuously.
Abe's prototype leverages multiple AI models, including Google Gemini Pro, Gemini Flash, and Imagen, and has garnered positive feedback from Capcom's internal development teams. The implementation of this AI model is expected to "reduce costs significantly" while simultaneously enhancing the quality of the output.
Currently, Capcom's use of AI is confined to this specific system, with other critical aspects of game development such as ideation, gameplay, programming, and character design remaining the domain of human creativity. This strategic use of AI underscores Capcom's commitment to balancing technological innovation with the irreplaceable touch of human artistry in game development.
