LogInThe toolset will include instruments for creating characters and writing dialogues.
Image Credit: Microsoft/Inworld AI
Microsoft has announced that it is partnering with Inworld AI, a platform for setting up AI-driven virtual characters, to create a toolset for Xbox developers that would enable them to build AI-powered characters, stories, and quests.
As stated by Xbox's General Manager of Gaming AI, Haiyan Zhang, the partnership emphasizes the combination of Inworld's expertise in generative AI character development, Microsoft's advanced cloud-based AI solutions, and Xbox's proficiency in creating accessible tools for all developers. The ultimate goal is to provide a user-friendly and responsibly designed multi-platform AI toolkit to aid and empower creators in designing dialogues, stories, and quests.
"As with all creator tools we make at Xbox, our goal is to deliver state-of-the-art AI tools for game developers of any size, anywhere in the world, and on every platform where players want to play," reads the announcement. "We want to help make it easier for developers to realize their visions, try new things, push the boundaries of gaming today, and experiment to improve gameplay, player connection, and more. We will collaborate and innovate with game creators inside Xbox studios as well as third-party studios as we develop the tools that meet their needs and inspire new possibilities for future games."
The toolset will include an AI design copilot that assists and empowers game designers in exploring more creative ideas, effectively converting prompts into detailed scripts, dialogue trees, quests, and other game elements.
Additionally, it will feature an AI character runtime engine that can be seamlessly integrated into the game client, enabling the creation of entirely new narratives through dynamically-generated stories, quests, and dialogues for players to experience.
It is also worth noting that the toolset in question is said to be optional, with Microsoft allowing the developers themselves to decide whether or not they want to use generative AI in their future games.
"AI has long been an integral part of game development, with applications ranging from enemy AI to procedural generation," commented Inworld AI CEO Ilya Gelfenbeyn. "The emergence of large language models and generative AI has unlocked new opportunities for storytelling and character engagement within games."
If you would like to learn more about Inworld AI, we recommend reading our 2022 interview with the company's Ilya Gelfenbeyn and Kylan Gibbs, who told us about the tech behind their developer platform, shared how to integrate their solution into games, and spoke about various use-cases for the platform.
Speaking of integrating AI in game development, it was discovered in late October that Embark Studios, the developers of the new multiplayer PvP shooter THE FINALS, decided to use AI for voicing most of the in-game characters, a decision that raised significant controversy among many in the gaming community. You can read the full story by clicking this link.
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