The Role of AI Summarization in Video Game Development
by Waseem Ahmad on Jun 12th, 2023
The Role of AI Summarization in Video Game Development
Introduction
In the past decade, video games have grown to become more popular and more easily accessible than several other forms of entertainment. The recent COVID-19 pandemic, which limited in-person social gatherings, also encouraged many people to download and play online video games with their friends to substitute for their lack of in-person interactions. In fact, some studies suggest that nearly half the U.S. population will identify as a video game player by the end of 2023, and that the number of users who play video games is expected to amount to 3.1 billion by 2027. As the number of individuals playing video games increases rapidly, and artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT, become more refined and streamlined into our daily lives, it’s only a matter of time before AI is used to aid game developers in creating the next jaw-dropping video game.
Using AI to Review Game Design Documents
Aside from automating and assisting us in online shopping, finding transportation, and completing schoolwork, AI can be used to summarize large sets of data and obtain the most valuable information in a matter of seconds. When developing video games, there are design documents that outline the key mechanics, features, and goals that will be part of the video game. Oftentimes, these design documents are very detailed and lengthy, taking multiple hours to completely read and comprehend. In a market where delaying the release of a game by even a day could result in the loss of millions of dollars, game developers often lack the time necessary to read through these piles of documents. That’s where artificial intelligence comes into play. With the use of AI tools, developers and stakeholders could condense the key features, mechanics, and goals outlined within design documents to a mere one page. This saves time for developers and stakeholders during the initial stages of game development, allowing them to quickly grasp the core concepts, and giving them more time to work on developing and pushing their video game into the market.
Analyzing Player Reviews with AI
In addition to summarizing the key points and ideas in design documents, AI tools can be used to analyze player reviews and provide a list of the most recurring suggestions made by players. For instance, imagine this scenario: you’re a video game developer and you have just released a beta version of your game for players to test out. After a month of testing, you have the players write a review, detailing what they enjoyed about the game, what they disliked about the game, any bugs they encountered, and any features they would like to see implemented in the final version of the game. The video game market, especially on mobile phones, is very competitive and fast paced, so developers need to sift through thousands of lengthy reviews within the span of a few days to ensure that they do not fall behind their competition. With the use of AI algorithms, developers can quickly process and summarize bug reports submitted by players or testers. This enables developers to identify common issues, prioritize bug fixes, and improve the overall quality of the game. Additionally, AI algorithms could be used to filter positive and negative feedback into subcategories, showcasing the suggestions that show up most often.
Let’s use these four hypothetical player reviews as an example:
- Hi! I've been hooked on this game for days! The open-world and captivating storyline keep me engaged. However, I have found a frustrating bug when walking near rocks that often slows down my character's movement. Devs, please fix this ASAP! On the other hand, I'd love to see more customization options and a wider range of weapons to spice up the gameplay. Overall, this is a great game with lots of room for improvement, and I am excited to see what the future holds for this game. I will definitely recommend this game to my friends.
- I can't put this game down! The adrenaline rush from the intense battles and strategic gameplay is addictive. However, I've encountered a bug near rocks that makes my character lose health and slows down my movement. I think the game is good considering that it is still being tested, but I hope to see more customization for my character and more weapons to kill monsters and gain experience faster. Overall, I think the game is worth playing, and I think I will download the final version.
- I regret wasting my time on this game. The gameplay is riddled with numerous issues that ruin the entire experience. The character movement near rocks is an absolute nightmare, and there are so many other bugs that make the game unplayable, such as the constant lag and glitches. It's clear that the developers didn't invest enough time in fixing these problems. Moreover, the lack of customization options and limited weapon selection is a huge letdown. Save yourself the frustration and steer clear of this poorly executed game.
- This game has been a source of immense frustration and disappointment. Not only is the gameplay plagued by numerous technical issues, but the overall progression system is incredibly unforgiving. Gaining experience feels like an uphill battle, making any sense of accomplishment minimal at best. The character movement near rocks is lackluster, plagued by glitches and bugs, further adding to the frustration. Also, there is no customization whatsoever and there are very few weapons to choose from. It feels like you cannot progress in this game unless you spend a ton of money, so I would recommend you save your time and find some other game to play.
Using OpenAI’s famous chatbot, ChatGPT, we can ask AI to instantly analyze these four reviews and list the pros, cons, suggestions, and common bugs the players mentioned in their reviews. In fact, for the purposes of this small simulation, ChatGPT didn’t even need any instructions whatsoever! Simply pasting the reviews and running was enough information for it to return a list of the common bugs and suggestions present in the reviews.
This may not always be the case, however, so developers could simply provide instructions, such as “analyze and list the common bugs and suggestions mentioned in these game reviews,” to pull out the necessary information much quicker than if they were to read each review themselves. This would not only allow game developers to understand what their players want to see implemented in the upcoming updates, but it would also allow game developers to make improvements effectively and accordingly, ensuring that no time is wasted reading lengthy reviews or creating features that their players will not enjoy.
Monitoring and Summarizing Market Trends and Social Media with AI
Alongside giving game developers the ability to efficiently analyze player reviews and design documents, artificial intelligence tools could be used to monitor and summarize social media platforms for mentions, discussions, and feedback about a particular game. By summarizing and categorizing these conversations, developers can gain insights into player sentiment, identify emerging trends, and address concerns in a timely manner. Furthermore, by having AI summarize articles and social media forum discussions related to competing games, developers could better understand market trends, identify the strengths and weaknesses of their own game, and make informed decisions about game design and marketing strategies. For instance, the list below was generated by asking ChatGPT to summarize “the top 10 most desired features in Call of Duty by Reddit users” at the time.
- Improved matchmaking algorithms to ensure fair and balanced matchups in multiplayer modes.
- Better hit detection and hit registration to enhance the accuracy and consistency of gunfights.
- More frequent and meaningful updates addressing community feedback and bug fixes.
- Dedicated servers for smoother online gameplay and reduced latency.
- Increased map variety, both in terms of aesthetics and layout, to keep the gameplay fresh and exciting.
- Expanded weapon selection with a wide range of firearms, attachments, and equipment options.
- Enhanced communication tools, such as improved in-game voice chat and messaging systems.
- More engaging and immersive game modes, including unique objectives and innovative gameplay mechanics.
- Transparency and open communication from developers regarding upcoming features, changes, and community events.
- Comprehensive esports support, including ranked play, tournaments, and spectator features for competitive gameplay.
This summarization of desired features is not only useful to Call of Duty’s developers, but it also provides some inspiration to developers looking to create video games that are similar to Call of Duty. In essence, many forums on social media, such as Reddit, have over a million users actively sharing their thoughts and opinions on the state of various games. Therefore, analyzing and summarizing these large amounts of data points into a few bullet points could be very beneficial to game developers looking to create the next big game, or looking to release breathtaking content to refresh their game and keep their player base engaged for a longer period of time.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence has the ability to revolutionize the world and video game development, and we have only just scratched the surface of its numerous capabilities. While AI can be complicated at first, in the coming weeks, we’ll dive deeper into the endless possibilities of artificial intelligence, and how it can assist game developers in researching, designing, and writing and publishing their games to the booming video game market. In the meantime, continue enjoying your favorite video games with your friends, check out my profile, and feel free to use AI tools to find the most commonly desired features in your favorite video game.