It’s no secret that Microsoft has been putting itself at the forefront of creating revolutionary changes within the gaming industry. Alongside its ongoing commitment to gaming hardware with theXbox Series X|S, Microsoft has been actively challenging conventions and how gaming in general can be accessed with the continual expansion of Game Pass and the large emphasis on Cloud Gaming. Now,Microsoft is set to be doing the same thing againwith its most recent gaming venture.
The reveal of Muse, a generative AI model in development at Microsoft Research,is certainly being posited as a milestone in game development. Microsoft has heavily emphasized the many possibilities that Muse possesses to actively empower and improve game development, from streamlining the general process to reviving older titles for modern hardware. However, as promising as Muse’s use in game development may seem,the model’s introduction makes me concerned about generative AI entering the spotlightwhile potentially signaling a dark future for gaming in general.
How Xbox’s Muse Intends To Improve Game Development
Microsoft’s AI Model Presents Multiple Possibilities
As detailed in the report fromXbox Wireand its complimentary interview video that can be seen above, the Muse AI model is intended to be a major assistive tool in game development. For example, the biggest impact of its implementation will be in allowing for “faster creative ideation”. This is achieved by training Muse on previous video games, notablyusing developer Ninja Theory’s multiplayer game,Bleeding Edge, to develop an understanding of game physics and controller actions,thereby enabling creators to prototype gameplay experiences and see their creative ideas come to life.
According to Xbox Wire,Bleeding Edgeis the only game that has been used for the training of Muse during research, although it is now being trained on other first-party games.
Another promising implication of the Muse AI model is to improve game preservation. The report from Xbox Wire details the ongoing issue of “countless classic games tied to aging hardware”, preventing their re-release on modern consoles. According to Microsoft’s intention, Muse AI would allow for these games to finally break free from their native consoles and become widely accessible to players on modern systems.
Muse Has Both Possible Advantages & Setbacks
Generative AI Still Comes With Huge Risks
It’s clear from the offset that Microsoft is determined to have Muse, and generative AI in general, become an integral part of the game development process. The emphasis on Muse’s multiple possible benefits serves as a showcase ofthe potential for the AI model to make certain breakthroughs that were seemingly unachievable with human application. Microsoft’s insistence on Muse serving as an assistive tool, merely streamlining the development process rather than overtaking it, presents a creator-first message that is certainly reassuring for many players who feared a potential compromise.
At first glance, it seems that Microsoft is doing everything right with the introduction of Muse. Not only does the model promise to be a powerful tool in fostering more ambitious creativity, but it could help to address several issues dominating the industry overall. Whether that’s the aforementioned implications of Muse to improve game preservationor the potential for the model to streamline the development process and directly attack the ever-growing length of development cycles, Muse is a huge step towards elevating the standards of the video game industry. That is, in theory.
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Unfortunately, despite Microsoft’s push to present Muse as a promising step for the future of gaming, there are a variety of issues with generative AI in general that could serve as major setbacks when developers use the model. While generative AI is constantly improving, it can still be extremely volatile,meaning its implementation in game development could result in many unforeseen issues. As such, the use of an AI model like Muse may require constant surveillance and human monitoring to prevent or amend these issues, failing to streamline or ease the development process.
Moreover, the early stages that Microsoft finds itself in with Muse mean it’s unclear exactly how the model will provide the improvements that have been promised. For example, despite huge emphasis being placed on the benefits of using Muse for game preservation, it hasn’t been specified exactly how the AI model will achieve this, nor how it would be a more suitable alternativeto current methods of game preservation, such as emulation.The lack of a clear path forward merely opens the door for potential issues to arise, preventing Muse from being the helpful tool Microsoft wants it to be.
Muse Lacks Human Creativity In Video Games
Its Use For Faster Creative Ideation Could Limit Developers
Aside from possible technical issues, the largest threat that Muse’s introduction poses is its potential impact on human creativity. While Muse may be able to create and generate content and ideas at a much faster rate, the end result will simply be an amalgamation of the data that the model has received previously.The final product would lack any sense of true originality and nuancethat comes from human creativity, resulting in a bevy of ideas that feel similar and uninspired.
Over-reliance on AI models could prevent developers from challenging and subverting certain ideas and conventions, a process that has allowed video games to evolve over so many years.
Even if Muse is only intended to be used as a support tool in creative ideation,an over-reliance on the model could still negatively affect human creativity in general. With ideas and content from generative AI being rooted in the past, developers who use the model may be encouraged to stick with certain gameplay conventions for their projects. Over-reliance on AI models could prevent developers from challenging and subverting certain ideas and conventions, a process that has allowed video games to evolve over so many years, potentially resulting in a multitude of passionless and repetitive projects as a result.
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It’s hard to tell exactly how Muse and Microsoft’s continued research on generative AI in video gameswill impact Xboxand the industry as a whole. While the model’s many potential applications present a lot of promise,it’s hard to deny the many issues and concerns currently surrounding generative AI that Muse itself could also face. Plus, with Muse set to play an active role in the creative process ofXboxgame development, its application paints a worrying future for gaming in general and the progress that has been made within the industry over several decades.
