AI Technology Deeply Empowers the Digital Entertainment Industry: Redefining User Experience
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AI technology is deeply empowering the digital entertainment industry. From July 28 to July 31, the 20th China Digital Entertainment Expo & Conference (ChinaJoy) was held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, attracting massive crowds after a two-year hiatus. At the exhibition, international brands such as Qualcomm, Sony, and Samsung, as well as domestic giants like Tencent, NetEase, and Xiaomi, showcased their latest games, tech products, and smart scenarios. Companies from Guangzhou, including 37 Interactive Entertainment and Huya, also presented their innovative achievements in "gaming+" and "live streaming+" applications. On-site, reporters observed a surge in AI applications, with AIGC, ChatGPT, Midjourney, and other AI-driven products proliferating, demonstrating how AI is transforming the digital entertainment sector.
AI technology is "generating" transformative scene experiences. Visitors interacted with virtual humans, experienced the world's first naked-eye 3D cloud gaming, and witnessed the release of hundreds of new games. Nearly every exhibitor showcased cutting-edge applications of AI in digital entertainment. For instance, 37 Interactive Entertainment's AI-powered holographic virtual character "Cong Mei" drew crowds for interactive photo opportunities. Nubia and China Mobile's Migu unveiled the world's first naked-eye 3D cloud gaming solution, allowing players to enjoy immersive gaming experiences. In the popular public exhibition area, Huya Live and its global platform NIMO offered audiences the chance to compete with popular streamers and esports teams. Additionally, displays featuring AI, 5G, Web3.0, the metaverse, digital humans, and blockchain technologies highlighted global digital entertainment trends.
2023 marks the explosive growth of AI, with AIGC (Generative AI), ChatGPT, and Midjourney leading the charge. AIGC, in particular, has sparked industry-wide transformation, becoming a new paradigm in AI development. Wang Yangong, Vice President of 37 Interactive Entertainment, noted that recent breakthroughs in large-scale deep learning models have significantly enhanced AI capabilities, enabling faster responses and broader applications. "In the highly tech-driven gaming industry, AIGC is widely used in coding, art production, and customer service. This technological revolution will profoundly impact digital culture, including gaming," he said.
668 million! China's gaming user base hits a historic high. The "China Gaming Industry Report for January-June 2023," released at the China Digital Entertainment Industry Conference (CDEC), revealed that China's gaming user base reached 668 million, a 0.35% year-on-year increase, setting a new record. Despite global market sluggishness, China's gaming industry is rebounding, showing upward momentum. Domestic game sales from January to June totaled 144.263 billion yuan, a 22.2% quarterly increase, signaling a clear recovery. The report predicts a strong rebound in the second half of the year. During the same period, China's self-developed games generated 121.784 billion yuan domestically (up 24.5% quarterly) and $8.206 billion overseas (down 8.72% year-on-year), with the latter decline attributed to weakened consumer spending and rising marketing costs in key markets.
Boosted by the Asian Games, esports sales grew 1.2% year-on-year in H1 2023. The "China Esports Industry Report for January-June 2023," released at the Global Esports Conference in Shanghai, showed that China's esports revenue reached 75.993 billion yuan, up 11.74% quarterly, with a 1.2% year-on-year increase in sales. The growth is partly driven by anticipation for esports' debut as an official event at the Hangzhou Asian Games. NetEase CEO William Ding emphasized in a video speech that the company hosts over 3,000 esports tournaments annually, aiming to make esports "a new calling card for China." Dr. Robert Xiao, CEO of Perfect World, highlighted three trends for esports: standardized competitions, sports-like industrialization, and mass-market appeal, with a focus on digital innovation and global cultural integration.
Industry Voices:
"AI will never replace game creation and development." While AI, AIGC, and large language models can assist as "co-pilots," they will never replace human creators and developers. Humans remain in charge, using AI to accelerate—not replace—creativity.
—Tao Ran, General Manager of Microsoft China Azure Division"AIGC has four key strengths." AIGC content platforms offer one-stop services, 1:1 high-fidelity cloning, vast digital assets, and reliable business models. Companies are exploring large models and AIGC products to streamline content creation.
—Li Wei, Vice President of Mobvoi"Cost-effective digital human production will become a 'new business.'"
AIGC provides the entertainment industry with a brain and soul. Against the backdrop of increasing demand and supply, AIGC in entertainment liberates productivity by reducing costs and improving efficiency, unleashing new demands from digital humans to intelligent digital beings. However, the high investment cost, often starting at millions, remains a significant obstacle to the widespread adoption of digital humans. How to produce real-time interactive digital humans at low cost and on a large scale has become a 'new business' of industry focus.
—Zhang Xiangzheng, President of 360 AI Brain