Indiecas, we sure didn’t see this coming! After the much-awaited showcase of Divinity at The Game Awards, Larian Studios has wound up right in the heart of an unexpected fiasco. Swen Vincke, the studio’s CEO, spilled the beans on the development process during an interview, shedding light on the use of AI-assisted tools. This revelation has sparked a fiery debate among game enthusiasts and industry spectators.
In a feature by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Vincke delved into how the studio is leveraging the power of AI during the early stages of development. AI tools aid in creating concept art and drafting placeholder text – thereby helping the artists and writers to iterate rapidly and streamline their workflow. But the mere mention of AI in a creative scenario ticked off some fans who fear it could overshadow human talent and compromise the studio’s creative ethos.
The public uproar led Vincke to set the record straight using IGN and a personal post on X (formerly Twitter). He reassured that Larian neither plans to release a game with AI components, nor does it intend to downsize the team in favor of AI. These tools, he clarified, are employed during internal development stages and bear no impact on the final product or the team’s structure.
Vincke’s reassurance seems like a bid to affirm to the fans that the studio’s commitment to human creativity remains resolute – something that has been at the heart of previous successes like the critically acclaimed Baldur’s Gate 3. The CEO reiterated that Larian places tremendous value on its crew and views AI simply as a supporting tool, certainly not as a substitute for artists, writers, or designers.
Notwithstanding the AI uproar, the hype surrounding Divinity continues to be quite high. The launch of the cinematic teaser trailer during The Game Awards offered fans a sneak peek into the next evolution of the franchise. While specifics about the game are still under wraps, Larian is pledging a “next-level” experience that builds on the studio’s legacy of all-encompassing storytelling and enriched gameplay.
The use of AI in game development continues to be a hot topic of discussion. But Larian’s forthcoming stance has been instrumental in clearing the air on its outlook. As the sector continues to play with new technologies, studios like Larian are learning how to strike a delicate balance between innovative practices and the irreplaceable worth of human creativity. For the entirety of this intriguing tale, check out the full story on The Verge.
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