A surprisingly high proportion of game developers are using AI in their work.
A lot of people are using AI in their workflow, according to CIST, a market research firm that conducted a survey of more than 300 participating studios and came to this conclusion. The survey was commissioned by Unity, and since that engine has caused a scandal over its monetization model (which led to Unity backing away from it), and is used by many (the other common engine is from Epic Games; think Unreal Engine), Unity is also interested in the adoption of AI on the “other side” of the gaming industry.
In its latest market report, Unity says that 62% of studios are using AI in their workflows. They use the technology primarily for rapid prototyping and concept creation, but also for asset creation and world building. According to Unity, games are also taking longer to launch, with 218 days in 2022, rising to 304 days in 2023.
While the new technology is speeding up production and development processes, it is also bringing new challenges, but despite this, 71% of studios surveyed said that AI has also improved their operational processes and delivery. 38% were somewhat afraid to start using AI, 43% were interested in the technology but did not have the time, and 24% felt they did not have the technical capability to use AI.
Recently, Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, said that in the next five years, he hopes generative AI will make the publisher’s development 30% more efficient, increase its 700 million player base by at least 50%, and increase in-game spending by 10-20% (meaning microtransactions, and knowing what EA Sports titles often include, all we have to say is Ultimate Team). That sounds scary.
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