Power of AI & machine learning in game design & development

The machine learning algorithms are reshaping every industry with its unimaginable ways. Its potential impact over the human race and its world is monumental and hence it is obviously a prevalent topic of discussion nowadays in tech. As far as the gaming world is concerned, machine learning development has still a long way to go. 

The video gaming industry is overwhelmingly huge and shows no signs of slowing down. While there were almost two billion video gamers across the world in 2015, this figure is expected to rise to over 3.24 billion gamers by 2023. (Source: GAMEFID) With the mentioned statistic, it is quite evident that there is a large population that is dependent on the peculiar industry for their source of entertainment.

It was in 1952 when Arthur Samuel created a computer program that could learn from itself, and it is since then that the propensity for a machine learning game model has been to learn and improve from its experience without any human assistance. In recent years, machine learning in video games has boomed to a higher tier of triumph. And, the humongous data produced everyday and the improvements in the GPU processing speed are the major reasons for the growth of this technology.

Other than that, altogether there is a lot that together makes the game designing and development process multifaceted and tedious. The game environments, the storyline, the plots involved, the game characters, their features, and so forth. Over the time, the game development process has evolved and so has the technologies that contribute to making it an intelligent development process. Through video gaming and machine learning, game app developers have been creating softwares that work like humans do and develop virtual worlds on their own from scratch without any human support.   

From our very own traditional games to today’s modern strategic games, artificial intelligence has been used in video games since a long time now. And, it’s subset, Machine learning has made a huge difference in how video games are developed. Not just that, but the gaming experience of the user is also not like it used to be. It has evolved with machine learning algorithms. Machine learning based games learn from the player’s behaviour and howsoever react and respond accordingly. Also, the content, storyline, characters, challenges have transformed the game’s look and feel entirely.

With machine learning, it is just not about crafting games that are intriguing, propelling, and immersive but the idea behind the amalgamation is to bring intelligence and astuteness into softwares, and the virtual world of gaming. There are several issues that a machine learning model addresses and it brings methods and strategies on the table for advancement. It has become of great value to game designers and developers if they know how to make the most of it. It would not be wrong to say that Data is driving the industries today and other technologies especially machine learning that primarily runs on data in making the most of it. Whether it is working with behaviour trees to manipulate non-player characters or developing ML programs that are capable of beating humans at their own games. These innovations and systems are improving game environments, assets, and behaviours in all kinds of games, be it strategy games, shooting games, or even racing games. They are making games better, smarter, and interactive.

As of 2019, the market worth of the gaming industry was close to 150 Billion dollars. With the introduction of technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, the numbers are set to cross more than 250 billion by 2021-2022.

Source: Insidebigdata

Data-driven game design and development

Data analytics and algorithms allow developers to make informed design and development decisions. These data driven techniques are used to study gamer’s behaviour at different levels. As it is, Design involves creativity but along with that when AI in games provides data-driven design rules, this takes designing to another magnitude. The data that is put to use reflects what players expect and that evidently works in favour of any digital game by serving the purposes of learning and assessment. Understanding data and embedding it to the game development process impacts the overall enjoyment of the players and the qualities and efficiency of the game. 

They say “The more the merrier” and the phrase can be very aptly put for data. The more the data is provided to a machine learning model, the more it learns and gets better and improved. Thus, Data can never be enough and is used itself to generate more data which is collected, processed, and used to produce results that caters to gamer’s concerns and expectations. 

The design of a game impacts the performance of the player and their engagement. Data oriented games operate and are optimized on the input data provided which is then transformed into output in a productive way. Plenty of data is available that is used to provide an excellent design that is smart and constructive. Once the design is out, the response and feedback by the users is collected by the machine learning model and considered to make improvements and produce a final design that provides an improved experience. Not to mention, artificial intelligence and machine learning are leveraged so that reinforced outcomes are produced with data-driven game designing.

For the most part, Machine learning in game development endows the gaming business with real-world experiences. ML algorithms that run on data can be used to enrich a gamer’s experience by creating a virtual environment where characters don’t just exist but perform actions and behave in a certain manner that they are expected of. All the abundant data and information is used to design and develop characters that are realistic and natural. And, hence ML algorithms are trained with organized data that comes from humans to build systems and models that will outsmart humans itself. With time, the in-game characters are evolving as they learn more with time and with the more data that is provided to them. And moreover, the games are changing with the responses that come from the players and the observations that a machine learning model makes by itself.

All things considered, there are numerous AI game companies that are at the vanguard of bringing to the world some advances and breakthroughs for the expansion of the gaming industry. One such company is Logic Simplified, an Artificial intelligence development company in Dehradun. We boast a team of skilled programmers and game designers and use cutting-edge technologies to craft unique, immersive and fun games. They work on creating algorithms with predictive analysis to identify and understand the language and behaviour of characters, the whole purpose being to design an accommodating and friendly gaming environment for the players. And, a game that is exemplary in every measure.