Summary
The use of generative AI is still a very hot topic in the gaming industry, with the vast majority of people on the outside against the whole idea. Heck,the entire voice acting union SAG-AFTRA is currently still on strikefor protection against generative AI and publishers using an actor’s voice without permission. Whether it beartwork,voice acting, or game development, generative AI is typically looked down upon.
That makesXbox’sdecision to proudly announce its new generative AI model Muse all the more perplexing. Earlier today,a blog introducing Muse was published on the Microsoft website, which explains this generative AI model was designed byMicrosoft, with help from Xbox studioNinja Theory, and can “generate game visuals, controller actions, or both.”
Microsoft uses a lot of fancy jargon in its blog, but to break it down to its pure basics, this is a generative AI that can essentially take a snippet of gameplay from a human, and then generate a gameplay sequence of how events would play out afterward. It’s claimed that this is a tool that will help developers with “gameplay ideation”, and uses generated clips of Bleeding Edge (remember that game) as examples.
Xbox Is Being Roasted Over Its New Generative AI Model
However, it’s generative AI, which means people have already decided that this is something that they want absolutely no part of. Xbox is already getting a thorough roasting on social media as a result, and in the replies to a tweet about the AI from Wario64, you already have people claiming that this is going to contribute to Xbox making games that are “soulless” and “AI slop”.
The roasting continues in the comments ofa now unlisted YouTube video, which sees Xbox head Phil Spencer and two others speaking about how Muse will be used. Not only does that video have a whopping 1.5k dislikes, compared to its current 18k view count, but the comments are full of people taking pot shots at Xbox for even using generative AI in the first place.
How about you replace those expensive, good for nothing executives with AI and give the millions you saved to the employees who actually put their blood, sweat, tears and passion into their projects?
Most of the comments come down to worries over Xbox using AI in game development, arguing that the company should use the money to help developers make games. Then you have more general roasts, threats to pirate Xbox games, people hoping that Xbox will drop out of the console market, and so on. A user called TechV02 puts it best when they say “We just wanted Banjo Kazooie man”, and boy do I feel that one.
