Video game developers are always looking for the next big thing. With a clear objective to make games more engaging, entertaining and visually stunning. Game developers employ technology that will give them the leg up. From all appearances, Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises to be a boon to video game developers in the not-too-distant future. In what may prove to be one of the most consequential changes to video games in the years to come, AI is slowly finding its way into video game framework and is being used to generate responses, and elicit intelligent behaviors from non-playable characters. However current AI implementation delivers few glimpses into the possibilities. Here is what is up ahead for the implementation of AI into gaming.

Affordable voice overs - AI makes it easier to improve spoken dialogue for all characters. In no small way, voiceovers help make games more realistic as actors act out every emotion. However, while necessary, adding voiceover to a game can be an expensive and time-consuming affair, which can be a barrier for smaller outfits. Attempts to record a response for every possible player action can be exhausting and expensive. Unleashing AI to tackle these necessary issues can aid developers, especially smaller ones, allowing them to divert capital elsewhere.

More authentic dialogue - The costs associated with voice overs place limitations on the flexibility of in-game dialogue. It is simply too expensive and time-consuming to prepare responses for all the possibilities of in-game communication. Pre-written dialogue, while serving an important function, can be wooden. AI would allow game developers flexibility with responses. This would mean that speech-to-text capabilities would give the game the capability to analyze communication. In turn, the game would craft an appropriate response delivered by a non-playable character.

Better VR hand tracking - VR technology, once fantasy movie fodder is now everywhere. More VR content is being produced and also technology companies such as clovr.com gives many games VR capabilities. Yet, the ability for proper hand tracking becomes a crucial feature of VR games. However, one sticking point of VR is that users lose the ability to feel sensations such as touch and tension, tactile sensations that are critical for total game immersion. This is an issue that can be addressed by more extensive use of AI. Through the development of better wearable technology such as electronic skins and gloves, gamers would be able to enjoy a better tactile experience while gaming.

Text and Sentiment analysis - AI can also improve gaming by analyzing user-submitted text and also by analyzing the sentiment. These can be very useful tools in the game arsenal as they allow for an ever-improving gaming experience. Computers understanding speech and processing requests is not new to us, especially with the proliferation of Google Assistant and Alex devices. However, future advances in AI technology will allow games to process text to understand the sentiment behind utterances. In this way, computers can understand if these utterances are positive, negative or neutral. Deploying this technology on in-game chats will deliver real-time game reviews to game developers, allowing them to make necessary improvements.

Authentic environments, improved visuals - AI will give game developers the tools to create game environments that respond to your in-game choices. This will allow the game’s plot to unfold in several different environments, all a product of the user’s actions. This means that the user will be able to play the game several times without replaying scenarios. AI will also allow developers to deliver visuals that do not require thousands of hours of costly work. Incorporating landscapes into games can be as simple as scanning them into the game. Users will then be able to use familiar landscapes and environment as a backdrop for their games.

AI has already brought vast improvements to the gaming experience. However there is much to indicate that we have seen merely the tip of the iceberg. AI has much to offer and changes are already on the horizon.