As if EA didn’t already make bland, derivative games…

  • EndlessApollo@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Honestly, if there’s ways that machine learning and the like can make AAA game development cheaper or faster I’m all for it, and I’m pretty against most use of ML in art. Modern AAA games aren’t economically viable. You have to overwork and underpay the shit out of developers to make your average AAA game, and even with that they still nickel and dime users for all they’re worth. The obvious solution is obviously to stop paying execs so much and stop endlessly, pointlessly pursuing better graphics (ie more polygons and shaders and RTX), but that’s not gonna happen any time soon bc capitalism and shit. Theoretically ML can be used in a way that doesn’t result in people being laid off and instead just reduces the workload and allows more to be done in less time, while everyone gets paid more. It certainly couldn’t make EA games any more generic or sloppy than they already are. That would be perfectly fine imo, but chances are they’ll just lay off half their devs and voice actors and shit, again bc capitalism and shit.

    Tldr AAA game devs could use ML to make AAA development more ethical and economical, but probably won’t be bc that’d make less money for the shareholders :c

    • dephyre@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I think there’s a lot of new and innovative ways ML can be used in development. Maybe to help create quests or NPC dialogue that could react to things you’ve done in-game.

      But this EA we’re talking about, they’ll probably just use it for micro-transactions.

    • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Modern AAA games aren’t economically viable.

      Bullshit! Gaming is the sixth most lucrative industry in the world and, with the possible exception of mobile game money farms like Zynga, the AAA studios are the most profitable.

      You have to overwork and overpay the shit out of developers to make your average AAA game,

      You don’t HAVE to overwork developers. It’s a toxic and unnecessary standard practice. As for overpaying developers, that’s the OPPOSITE of the truth. Unless they’re also the publishers like Larian, developers get an absolutely miniscule fraction of the profits of any given game.

      and even with that they still nickel and dime users for all they’re worth

      Not because they have to. Because they’re allowed to. It’s not need, it’s greed.

      Theoretically ML can be used in a way that doesn’t result in people being laid off and instead just reduces the workload

      That’s how it SHOULD work, but never how it DOES work. Especially with amoral companies like EA.

      It certainly couldn’t make EA games any more generic or sloppy than they already are.

      It can and it most likely will. ML produces the best results when guided and corrected by actual humans with actual expertise. That’s not how EA are going to use it though, they’re going to use it to REPLACE actual humans with actual expertise in order to maximize profits.

      chances are they’ll just lay off half their devs and voice actors and shit, again bc capitalism and shit.

      No fair doing a 180 after I’ve already corrected you! 😁

      Tldr AAA game devs could use ML to make AAA development more ethical and economical, but probably won’t be bc that’d make less money for the shareholders :c

      Again, how DARE you pivot to being right after I’ve gone through so much effort pointing out how wrong the majority of your comment was? 😤😄

      Not gonna go back now, I’m far too lazy to do all that and just delete it 😉

      • EndlessApollo@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Oop I didn’t mean to say overpay lmao, I know that’s not the case.

        I honestly had no idea the games industry was so lucrative, I assumed they made less money than movies but that’s not even on the list. That’s extra evil, I knew they have rich execs ofc but I didn’t know just how badly distributed that wealth was. Maybe they make more profit bc of how horribly they treat everyone Idk, or maybe bc there aren’t as many celebrities with massive paychecks as there are in Hollywood.

        You’re right, I thought it wasn’t a very profitable industry but it’s just that publishers are evil and choose not to pay studios enough or treat them like people. Nvm I hope AI bullshit doesn’t end up in these games (my hypothetical magical christmasland scenario of devs working less and not being laid off by it wouldn’t be too bad in my book but that’s not at all likely)