What Impact Has The Introduction Of AI Had On The Gaming Industry?

Despite its relatively brief history in the gaming industry, AI's impact on gaming is enormous. The introduction of AI has forever changed how games are developed, experienced and perceived – and this has all happened within a timespan of just a couple of years. The incredible part is that AI is still nowhere near its true potential. We can expect to see some considerable changes in the future.

However, when it comes to the present, what impact has AI had on the gaming industry? Well, let's take a look. Here are a few of the effects that the introduction of AI has had on the gaming industry:

Enhancing game development

The most notable way AI impacts the gaming industry is by enhancing game development. As you may know, some AI models can create code and proofread code. This technology needs to be perfected, and human involvement is still required. However, under the proper guidance, AI can save game developers hundreds of hours of work.

This means that AI in game development can allow developers to focus on other, more creative aspects of game development while AI focuses on simple but time-consuming tasks. In theory, this should lead to better games – although recent years are not necessarily an excellent example of the power of this technology.

The variety of tasks that AI can handle is also huge. From creating realistic cities to building an entirely new game engine, there is no limit to what it can do.

And this is happening right now. Almost all game studios use AI to speed up certain parts of game development or take care of specific sections. Furthermore, it will only play a more significant role in game development in the future as AI becomes more advanced and we learn how to use it better.

This all goes without mentioning the money that AI can save developers. Developing companies can potentially save millions by using AI to tackle some of the more time-consuming projects. This money can then be spent on other areas of development, giving game developers more resources to work with and improving profit margins.

Reduced costs are a massive deal – I'm sure you can imagine many ways a company would benefit from having more resources to spare. It's a complete game changer that will yet again allow developers to create better games.

AI is taking the way we develop games and turning them on their heads, and in a few years, the process of making a game will look drastically different from what it looks like today.

Revolutionising iGaming

When most people think of how the introduction of AI may have impacted the gaming industry, very few look at iGaming. However, the iGaming industry leverages AI much more than regular gaming for several nifty reasons.

Of course, AI helps with game development in the iGaming industry, just as it does with regular gaming. All the same points apply, and many upcoming titles are created partially by AI.

But what's interesting about how the iGaming industry uses AI is how developers use it for personalisation. Both in regular gaming and iGaming, personalisation has never really been possible before now.

Tailoring the experience to each player was impossible when you factor in the sheer number of gamers and players, and only essential aspects of personalisation were included, like offering multiple choices or allowing players to dress their characters how they want.

However, now that AI has entered the fray, personalisation has been taken to a new level. With AI, iGaming developers can offer tailored bonuses to individual players – they can even change the layout of a casino to match a player's preferences and lead them to what they will enjoy.

In the future, casinos may even have tailored experiences where each game leans into a player's preferences and wants.

These tailored aspects still need to be prevalent across most establishments. Still, some of the more advanced online casinos in the UK have already begun experimenting with personalised bonuses and recommendations.

And this is just one of the many ways AI affects the iGaming industry. AI also enhances security, reduces costs and helps with customer support.

The last point is particularly notable, as customer support is usually a significant drain on online casinos, being a money sink that is only partially utilised. AI costs nothing to run, and it can help players with almost all tasks that a human can.

Regardless, AI and iGaming go hand in hand, and the impact they are already having on the industry is staggering.

Smart NPCs

NPCs have lagged behind other technology in recent years. While we now have the opportunity to explore beautiful worlds, dive into tough, mind-bending topics and play with hundreds of different game players, NPCs have mostly stayed the same since the early days of modern gaming. There are exceptions to this (with Red Dead Redemption 2 being a prime example). Still, NPCs in most games have fundamental coding and cannot interact with the environment meaningfully.

Now, things are different. Using AI to create NPCs or even giving NPCs a basic form of AI can bring this outdated concept into the modern era. Non-playable characters can now have fully-fledged routines that they perform, regardless of whether or not the player is around; they have unique characteristics and traits, react to events happening around them, and even have fulfilling conversations with players.

Imagine loading up the latest game and deeply discussing philosophy with a random NPC. Or, perhaps you want to chat with someone about recent world events. With AI, both of these could be possible.

That goes without mentioning voice cloning, which could enable developers to give every NPC a unique and realistic voice.

While this technology isn't yet used on a broad scale, it has been shown in specific projects and demos (like the Matrix Awakens – we would highly recommend giving this a try if you want to get a glimpse of the power of AI).

Once developers leverage AI to handle more than just basic coding, NPCs will become more advanced than many of us could imagine.

Conclusion

So, were you surprised to find out just how much AI has already affected the gaming industry? Remember that this is within just a few years and with a relatively primitive form of AI – imagine what the industry will look like in five, ten or even 15 years. Likely, we cannot even imagine how much AI will impact specific industries. Regardless, it's exciting to think about.

Even now, AI is advancing gaming at an unprecedented rate. From cutting costs to allowing developers to create better games, the gaming industry's technology is better than ever before. While this might not directly translate into better games (it's no secret the industry has been in shambles for the last couple of years), at least the tools are there.