It has long been speculated when the time would come for generative AI models to be widely used in game development to actually create gameplay, and it seems like that time is coming with Muse, an Xbox one-of-a-kind AI model that was unveiled today.
Presented today on Nature, Muse is a generative AI model that can essentially generate gameplay based on visuals or players’ controller actions, understanding a 3D game world and physics and reacting to how players interact with a game. The model was trained on human gameplay data from Ninja Theory’s Bleeding Edge, giving it access to the equivalent of seven years of human gameplay, a close collaboration that gave Microsoft Research the chance to understand what needs to be in place for the model and how to access a large amount of gameplay data.
However, Xbox’s Muse AI model is still in the early stages of development. It can only generate gameplay visuals at a very low resolution of 300 x 180, so it will be some time before it can be used for anything practical. At the same time, Microsoft stresses that it will never be used to replace actual game developers but only empower them, as it can be used, for example, in the early stages of development. Something that is really hard to believe, given the sad state of the video games industry.
In addition to aiding in new game development, Xbox’s Muse AI model could also be used to improve classic games and bring them to modern consoles, according to Phil Spencer. These models and their ability to learn how a game plays without the necessity of the original engine running on original hardware will provide new opportunities for game preservation, according to the Microsoft Gaming CEO.
More in-depth information on the Xbox Muse AI model can be found on Microsoft’s official website.
