Importance of AI and Machine Learning in the Gaming Industry
We all are living in an era where technologies are continuously evolving around us. These technologies are revolutionizing almost all industries ranging from banking to healthcare. Some of the latest technologies like Blockchain, IoT, Machine learning, etc. have a huge impact on various businesses. But are you aware that the video-game industry is the most revolutionized industry with the arrival of these technologies; mainly Machine learning and AI?
According to the gaming market report, to understand the growth of the gaming industry, the global video game market touched almost $150 billion market value at the end of 2019, which makes it bigger than the Music and Film industry. Across different platforms, there are more than 2.3 billion gamers all over the world and that’s why now, it is considered as the biggest and most profitable form of entertainment. For example, the total revenue of the most popular GTA game is around $6 billion, which is more than most TV shows, movies, and music. The success of the gaming industry is all due to advanced technologies like AI and Machine learning which boosts the growth of the gaming sector worldwide.
Here in this blog, we are going to understand the importance of these technologies in the game development industry and why developers merged both technologies in the gaming sector.
How Machine Learning and AI Affects Game Development
Machine learning and AI is the advanced technology that can learn the system and enhance the user’s experience, without being explicitly programmed. This technology uses artificial objects to deliver real-world experience. That’s why these technologies have huge impacts on the gaming industry.
The algorithms of both these technologies help in enhancing the viewpoint of gamers in the real-world. Let’s deep dive into the importance of AI and Machine learning in the game development industry.
Image Source: https://newzoo.com/insights/articles/global-games-market-reaches-137-9-billion-in-2018-mobile-games-take-half/
- Reactive Non-Playable Characters
Right now your opponents in a video game are playing with pre-script NPCs (Non-Payable Characters), but a machine learning or AI-based NPC could let you play against unpredictable enemies. These enemies might also adjust their level of difficulty. As you learn to play the game, your foes can become clever and you can react with your actions in a unique way.
Companies are already working on machine learning NPC applications. EA SEED teaches NPCs for strong players imitated. Its NPCs learn from complex movements and acts and incorporating behavior from human players means that the algorithm learns four times quicker than the reinforcement training alone.
- Realistic Interactions
The interaction between players using friendly NPCs is another major challenge to build realistic, virtual life. You must talk with scripted characters in many games to complete your goals. However, these talks are of limited scope and usually follow the instructions on the screen.
While using natural language processing, you can interact with in-game characters and receive real-time responses, similar to Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant. Also, the games that consist of VR haptics and imaging of the gamer help computer vision algorithms to get intentions and body language, further improving the gamer’s experience of communicating with NPCs.
- Making Games More Attractive
The major benefit of Machine learning and AI towards the gaming industry is that now games look more beautiful and attractive. Now it feels like, you are playing in the real-world and everything around you is real. Recently, the biggest tech giant Microsoft also starts working with Nvidia to merge machine learning with it and enhance images or renderings dynamically.
Now you can see finer details easily, even if you are looking from a far distance and that’s why more users attract to the gaming industry after the arrival of Machine learning and AI.
- Modeling Complex Systems
Machine learning and AI algorithms can model complex systems. Currently, the developers of games continuously try to deliver more realistic and immersive games. No doubt, modeling the real world is a highly difficult task, but with the use of Machine learning algorithms, developers can easily model the player’s actions as well as things that can’t be controlled by players.
The best example is EA Sports FIFA-19 where the result and venue can affect a team’s confidence and thus affects its playing capabilities.
More Interactive Mobile Games
Mobile games are a major part of the gaming industry to generate more revenue and almost 50% of gaming revenue comes from mobile games. It is easy to play games on mobile phones, without the need of any dedicated console. When we look a few years back, we found that mobile games have limited scope due to poor processing powers and graphics.
But with the arrival of AI chips in smartphones, it becomes easy for users to play advanced games on their mobile phones. Now mobile games become more interactive, realistic, and immersive due to the implementation of Machine learning and AI.
Conclusion:
No doubt, Machine learning, and AI act as a boom for the gaming industry and that’s why the gaming industry is seeing the fastest ever growth. Most of the mobile game development companies start incorporating these technologies to enhance the gamer’s experience and provide real-world graphics. Now video games become more realistic, attractive, and immersive.
