On May 11, 1997, World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov, one of the greatest chess players of all time, faced off against IBM’s supercomputer Deep Blue. In a first-ever match between man and machine, the supercomputer emerged victorious.
It’s been over two decades since that groundbreaking match, and humans are still playing games against and alongside intelligent machines. While Deep Blue was pre-programmed software designed to analyze millions of chess moves within seconds, today’s Artificial Intelligence systems are even more advanced.
Various industries, including the gaming industry, have leveraged recent advancements in AI technology. In this post, we will explore the multiple ways Artificial Intelligence is changing interaction dynamics in Multiplayer games, reshaping the future of the gaming industry as a whole.
Intelligent Non-Player Characters
Non-player characters (NPCs) have long been essential to video games, enriching gameplay with unique interactions. In single-player games like the Royal Spins slot, you experience the action solo, diving into worlds crafted entirely for individual enjoyment. However, in multiplayer settings, NPCs play a different role, blending with real players to create a lively, interactive environment. These intelligent NPCs are designed to enhance the experience, adding depth and challenge to every session.
These pre-programmed characters make games more immersive and realistic. AI-powered NPCs are fast becoming a regular part of multiplayer games. These characters are trained on simulated data from top players, which allows them to behave more realistically within the games, to give players a more enjoyable experience.
For instance, enemy characters or level bosses can use AI-powered pathfinding to detect a player’s location and figure out ways to attack or interact with the player. This makes the game more realistic and raises the complexity of the interactions with these non-playing characters.
AI Upscaling
AI can be used to improve the visuals of multiplayer games through a process known as AI Upscaling. Companies like NVIDIA are at the forefront of AI advancements like this aimed at improving the resolution and frame rates of game graphics so they look better and play smoothly. AI-driven upscaling has been adopted in newly released games such as “Cyberpunk 2077” and “Control.”
Content Generation in Games
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini have become popular in recent years due to their ability to generate written content based on well-written prompts. While t
hese are language models, the same principles are being applied to generate procedural gaming content in some multiplayer games.
Multiplayer games typically have well-crafted virtual worlds with various elements. These may include:
- 3D objects
- Game characters
- Props
- Music
- Maps
- Quests
- Stories and other elements
While these assets are typically pre-built into the game, the use of Artificial Intelligence can expand their scope. Procedural content generation with artificial intelligence can allow the creation of dynamic gaming worlds where assets are generated intelligently based on past storylines, user behaviour, demands, or specific game level. Games like AI-Dungeon 2 already use AI to generate interactive storylines.
This technique can also be expanded with more interesting applications. With rising gamers’ appetite for engaging in metaverse adventures, AI will be used to generate entire virtual worlds within which players can interact with NPCs, in-game assets, and other real-world characters.
AI content generation can also be used to give characters more words and expressions. Most multiplayer games today use dialogues pre-recorded by voice actors, which are often limited in vocabulary. With AI and synthetic voices, dialogues can be generated in real-time within the game based on the ongoing game action, which can make the game more captivating.
AI-Powered Player Experience Modeling
This refers to the use of artificial intelligence to analyze a player’s skill, competence, and current emotional state to adjust their gaming experience. This is achieved through Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment (DDA), which uses AI to tailor the complexity of a game level in real time. AI can be used to increase or decrease the complexity of a game. This has several benefits, including preventing frustration or boredom and making the gaming experience more enjoyable.
DDA is a pivotal advancement in multiplayer gaming, leveraging AI to tailor challenges to individual player skills. This approach enhances player engagement and mitigates frustration and boredom, creating a more enjoyable gaming experience.
Similar to this, AI-powered matching can help improve the fairness of multiplayer games by matching players with similar skill levels and experience. Many multiplayer games now come inbuilt with AI algorithms to help players find suitable opponents.
Cheat Detection in Multiplayer Games
In multiplayer games, some players may use illegal software or hacked tools to boost the speed, skills, or energy level of their players. Cheating this way can ruin the experience for other players in multiplayer games.
While software providers have tried different measures to prevent cheating, one of the most effective ways to curb this behaviour is through the use of artificial intelligence. AI tools built into the game can analyze player movement patterns and their abilities to determine whether they’re cheating or not.
AI is also valuable for testing and debugging games to identify potential flaws or vulnerabilities within the game code that players can leverage to gain an unfair advantage over others. The table below summarizes various AI-powered features in modern multiplayer games and their potential impacts:
Conclusion
AI has made remarkable progress over the past few years. Thanks to AI, today’s video games have grown more advanced, with the capabilities to predict player moves, create interactive experiences, and generate content that makes them more interesting than ever. By helping developers create more intelligent and responsive gaming environments, AI will enhance player engagement and satisfaction, ensuring multiplayer games remain as enjoyable as ever.
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