After Boosting Productivity, Will AI Next Transform Production Relations?
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It has become a consensus that technologies including AIGC will be one of the core drivers for the next phase of the gaming industry's development.
As previously mentioned, if using AI tools to enhance productivity is the 1.0 stage (quantity), then industry leaders like Tencent and NetEase have already stepped into the more complex realm of content diversification—whether in NPC behavior settings or the application of action intelligence—marking the qualitative 2.0 stage, where advanced technological applications are directly linked to content competitiveness.
This is a stage division from the perspective of game production.
At the recent 2023 T-EDGE Global Innovation Conference, Hilary Mason, founder and CEO of Hidden Door, shared an interesting viewpoint in her speech: "The impact of generative AI on creativity. I don’t think it raises the ceiling of creativity, but it certainly raises the floor. Playing with an AI partner, any content can become a game, and anyone can create a game. Content begins to expand from consuming the same game with others to a community that co-creates games."
The upgrade of tools has lowered the threshold for creation, transforming players from consumers into new content producers—this is a revolution in production relations.
Combined with the recent party game wars, the fierce competition in ecosystems, and the heavy investment of resources, this is a topic very much worth discussing.
Last month, Microsoft partnered with Inworld AI to bring the powerful capabilities of generative AI models into game development. As discussed in Game Value Theory, if production pipeline automation for cost reduction and efficiency improvement is the standard 1.0 model, then intelligent NPCs that dynamically adapt to environments and scenarios, providing unique sensory and gaming experiences for different players, are already touching the core of Game AI 2.0—shifting from "how to make things easier" to "how to make things better."
Volume competition can address short-term development stagnation, but it will ultimately return to the upgrade of product creativity.
On one hand, large-scale games with extensive content may no longer be exclusive to major studios, as small-to-medium teams proficient with technical tools can now compete. On the other hand, while industry leaders streamline operations, they must simultaneously pioneer creative integrations of AI tools – exploring new gameplay possibilities unlocked by these advancements while cultivating talent capable of producing personalized content through these technologies.
As Microsoft's announcement stated, the purpose of improving content production efficiency is to help creators focus on exploring "more creative ideas."
This aligns with Mason's perspective about upper and lower limits: the 1.0 productivity improvements serve to raise the baseline standard of game development.
This elevated baseline standard precisely becomes the admission ticket for transforming production relationships in gaming.
On December 2nd, Yuanmeng Star held a launch conference where the most attention-grabbing announcement was its 1.4 billion yuan initial investment plan. This funding will be allocated to building a national esports tournament system, incentivizing content ecosystem creators, and supporting UGC map creators, with no upper limit on long-term investments.
In this party game competition, similar initiatives are being undertaken by NetEase as well, including a nested gameplay architecture combining PGC, PUGC, and UGC. All players are closely monitoring, discovering, and nurturing talented external player-creators.
Looking back at the development and explosive growth of other entertainment industries, we can identify some common patterns.
In web literature, everyone attempts creation - those lacking original ideas can imitate tropes or write fanfiction using existing settings. The popularity of animations, videos, and short videos has surged alongside the simplification of tools and widespread availability of equipment. While twenty years ago most people could only watch and appreciate the works of a few talented creators online, today even children can spontaneously engage in content creation (though quality remains another matter).
One of the key aspects of the esports industry is mass participation. The level of engagement is directly tied to accessibility, which in turn influences the richness of content, enthusiasm, and vitality of the ecosystem.
These developments are built on the foundation of productivity improvements or the simplification of production tools. Now, AIGC (AI-generated content) is bringing this possibility to the gaming industry.
In the battle of party games, one element is always present: the editor. Companies are repeatedly emphasizing the creation of low-threshold, professional map editing tools tailored for creators. They offer detailed tutorials, videos, and even financial incentives, essentially spoon-feeding users to ensure ease of use.
In fact, there are many examples in the gaming industry where players transition from consumers to producers, thereby helping games sustain their longevity. A classic case is Warcraft III: while its mainstream RTS gameplay gradually fell out of favor, the development of RPG mods continued to generate stable annual revenue in the hundreds of millions.
Most popular PC games inspire enthusiasts to develop various MODs, sometimes transforming the original game into a completely new experience. Recent discussions around GTA 6's trailer reveal many players lamenting the lack of PC version would deprive them of MODding乐趣.
However, MOD development typically presents a high entry barrier for enthusiasts. What if technological advancements could make creative tools more accessible to beginners?
That said, increased player participation in content creation doesn't absolve game companies of their responsibilities.
The demand for high-quality PGC (Professionally Generated Content) remains. Game studios serve as architects building the foundational worlds, with content updates becoming showrooms for more creative "scenarios". Only when public creativity sparks within the game's framework can new premium content emerge.
This situation perfectly mirrors the game production phases mentioned earlier.
The lowered threshold of AIGC 1.0 allows more players to participate in creation, leveraging public creativity to alleviate the industry's inherent creative bottlenecks.
Advanced capabilities like intelligent NPCs, which perform context-aware interactions tailored to different players' environments and scenarios, essentially help players enhance their creative output to gain a competitive edge over rivals.
While it remains distant whether technological advancements will enable everyone to independently create comprehensive works like games with ease, the establishment of new subsidiary domains within game companies' territories is already underway.