Capcom Uses AI to Generate Vast In-Game Environment Ideas

As the costs of video game development continue to soar, publishers are increasingly turning to controversial AI tools to streamline processes and reduce expenses. For instance, Call of Duty reportedly sold an "AI-generated cosmetic" for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in late 2023, and fans have accused Activision of employing generative AI for a loading screen the previous year. Meanwhile, EA has stated that AI is "the very core" of its business.

In a recent interview with Google Cloud Japan, Kazuki Abe, a technical director at Capcom who has contributed to major titles such as Monster Hunter: World and Exoprimal, discussed how Capcom is exploring the use of AI in its game development workflows. Abe highlighted the challenge of generating "hundreds of thousands" of unique ideas for in-game environments, which is one of the most time-consuming and labor-intensive aspects of game development.

He explained that designing elements like televisions requires creating unique designs, logos, and shapes. "Including unused ones, we ended up having to come up with hundreds of thousands of ideas," Abe noted (via Automaton). The process involves generating multiple proposals for thousands to tens of thousands of objects per game, each requiring illustrations and text to effectively communicate the concept to the art director and artists.

To address these challenges, Abe developed a system that utilizes generative AI to read various game design documents and produce ideas. This system not only accelerates development speed and efficiency but also provides feedback for continuous improvement. His prototype integrates multiple AI models, including Google Gemini Pro, Gemini Flash, and Imagen, and has garnered positive feedback from Capcom's internal development teams. The implementation of this AI model is expected to "reduce costs significantly" compared to manual processes, while also enhancing quality.

Currently, Capcom's use of AI is confined to this particular system. Other crucial aspects of game development, such as ideation, gameplay mechanics, programming, and character design, remain the domain of human creativity and expertise.