Some Games Can Be Overwhelming To Newcomers, And One Gaming Veteran Believes AI Can Help

Artificial intelligence is a major talking point these days in many circles, and gaming is no different. Now, Amazon Games president Christoph Hartmann, who also founded 2K Games and worked on the early GTA games, has weighed in with his thoughts on the hot-button issue. Speaking to Variety, Hartmann said advancements to AI in gaming will help games become more tailor-made to the user.

“Everything is about customization in the world. And we really want to put the gamer in the center and make games where you can customize the game in a way where it feels very personal. It could be simple things from art style or story, but there’s a lot of other things,” he said.

Hartmann went on to say that modern games today can be difficult for newcomers, and AI can help in this respect through things like AI bots that teach you the ropes.

“Imagine using AI to get trained up, having an artificial mentor who helps you, who learns your playing behavior, and guides you so you can compete, you actually can play,” he said. “So it will enable us to bring new consumers to gaming who may be afraid to play those more sophisticated games. And I think it will be a huge, huge transition.”

Some games already do a version of this, allowing players to train up their skills against AI bots, for example. For decades, players have been able to play multiplayer games against AI-controlled enemies, or opposing teams in sports games. But Hartmann seems to be saying that something more sophisticated could take the concept even further.

Also in the interview, Hartmann said he thinks software will grow gaming in the future, as opposed to the way it used to be when a new console came out and upped the ante in terms of graphics and power.

“So far, the gaming industry has been driven by hardware. Every new console generation enabled us to make games, but the driver really was the hardware. I think they’re shifting now. The hardware will get better and better, but the improvement is a little bit slower than it was between PlayStation and PlayStation 2,” Hartmann said. “I think the new improvement is going to be on the software side. AI will define your game in the future. And we at Amazon as a company are perfectly set up to go and become a major player in that space.”

Amazon is not the only gaming company interested in new AI technology, as Microsoft, EA, Take-Two, and others have spoken positively about the technology as well. Hartmann did not, however, discuss how AI might impact or displace developers, which is a key concern for many.

As for Amazon Games, the company has a number of games in the works, including a Tomb Raider game from Crystal Dynamics and a Lord of the Rings MMO, among others.