Sean Leyden does not believe that the future of development lies in artificial intelligence, which can only look back
Former PlayStation CEO Shawn Layden spoke with GamesIndustry.biz, once again touching on the increasingly inflated budgets of games and the state of the market.
Layden has already repeatedly said that the industry cannot operate forever according to the current model and notes that it does not make him much easier that his forecasts, based on a simple analysis of the industry, are constantly coming true.
“I can’t say that I’m delighted that I’m right. And this was not some great prediction, I was just watching trends for the last 25 years, and the numbers just kept growing. Games are not getting cheaper and shorter, they are only becoming more complex and more expensive.”.
Leyden noted that large AAA projects costing $150-250 million have become a huge burden for publishers and have brought the industry to its current state.
By According to Leiden, reducing the realism and length of games will seriously reduce the cost of the development process. end of the game. 68% of people simply don't see the whole game. Should we continue to create games that most people are unlikely to see at all?».
Short projects are faster and cheaper to develop, and this will allow them to reach the market as quickly as possible, and players will not have to explain that they will have to wait many more years for a sequel, Leyden noted.
Leiden also believes that games do not need photorealism, advanced technologies that significantly increase the development budget. The quality of the game depends on the game design, story and characters.
“I don’t think we’ll ever overcome the uncanny valley effect. So instead of chasing realism, let’s go back to exciting game design. I love good anime. I love well-realized characters. They’re exciting because they can tell a different story.”.
Leiden also doesn’t believe in artificial intelligence, considering it a simple tool for simplifying development.
“AI will remain an auxiliary technology. Some consulting company will tell you that by 2030, 50% of games will be created by AI, but that's not going to happen. AI only looks backwards. It only collects information and makes you think you're looking at the future, when in fact you're only seeing a rehash of the past. AI is like an impatient intern who you can tell, “Write me nine pages on this.” And they'll happily write, but then you'll have to double-check everything. AI is constantly going crazy.”.
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Image credit: SIE. Image Source: IGN