Electronic Arts (EA) has taken a bold step toward integrating generative artificial intelligence into its video games. During a shareholder meeting on September 17, 2024, the company unveiled an innovative concept that could change the way games are developed. Geoff Keighley, host of The Game Awards, shared a four-minute-plus video showing this technology in action, presented by Mihir Vaidya, EA's strategy leader.
Creating video games through voice commands
During the panel titled From Imagination to Creation, Vaidya demonstrated how users can build video games simply by using voice commands. In the demonstration, Vaidya created a floating maze made of cardboard boxes on the sea, which became more complex with various routes and floors as he progressed. He also added armed characters to the environment, all controlled by voice commands.
This changes gaming forever.
EA's AI tools allow you to create and launch immersive games in seconds, making development faster and more accessible than ever. pic.twitter.com/PJl8h7wEgL - De Vinci (@DeVincisX) September 23, 2024
The video game, designed in first-person, became a First Person Shooter (FPS) in which players could fire guns and throw grenades, which caused the destruction of the maze. As the walls and floor were destroyed, players faced the risk of falling into the water, increasing the game's challenge.
Divided opinions on AI in video games
EA's presentation generated mixed reactions. While some members of the press and analysts praised AI for simplifying the video game creation process by eliminating the need for coding, others noted that this could be asignificant move toward software customization. However, not everyone greeted the news with enthusiasm. Artists and designers expressed concern about the potential threat AI poses to their jobs, arguing that human creativity should not be replaced by algorithms. In addition, some criticss questioned the lack of originality of EA by showing a maze of cardboard boxes as an example of the potential of this technology. Despite this, the concept video titled From Imagination to Creation highlighted how two players could quickly create a complex game world and its rules using only voice commands.
