Games publisher Square Enix recently announced that it would be using the benefits of AI in its upcoming games in order to leverage any advantage possible and it looks like one of the first examples of this is about to pull into view in the shape of PlayStation exclusive shooter, Foamstars.
The move is controversial as gamers and employees rail against the use of AI in game production as it means a reduction in working opportunities. GTA V actor Ned Luke was the latest to call out AI this week in a much-publicized rant about an AI chatbot with his voice.
Square Enix’s Foamstars producer Kosuke Okatani confirmed to VGC that the game’s dec team had used Midjourney to create in-game icons relating to in-game album covers for the music.
Okatani says the vast majority of the game was hand-crafted and AI use represents just a tiny proportion of the end product, “All of the core elements in Foamstars – the core gameplay, and the things that make the game enjoyable – those are all made by hand. However, we did want to experiment with AI as well.
“In terms of the content in the game, this makes up about 0.01% or even less, but we have dabbled in it by creating these icons in the game.”
Square Enix later sent a statement to VGC saying: “AI was used in the creation of the in-game album covers for the music featured in the FOAMSTARS’ soundtrack. As developers, we’re always looking at new technologies to see how they can assist with game development.
“In this instance, we experimented with Midjourney using simple prompts to produce abstract images. We loved what was created and used them as the final album covers players will see in the game. Everything else was created entirely by our development team.
Featured Image: Square Enix
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