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AI Helps Push Forward 'Boundaries of Storytelling', Says Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann

ArtHands

Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch

Naughty Dog co-studio head Neil Druckmann has weighed in on the debate surrounding the use of AI in game creation, suggesting the tech allows creators "to take on more adventurous projects and push the boundaries of storytelling". His comments come in a fresh interview published alongside Sony's recent Corporate Strategy Meeting, where Druckmann speaks of the "exciting marriage" between "traditional storytelling" and "cutting-edge technology".

He explains that new tools are allowing even "non-technical people" to realise their ambitions and turn imagination into reality. "Moreover, AI is really going to revolutionize how content is being created, although it does bring up some ethical issues we need to address. With technologies like AI and the ability to do motion capture right from home, we're reducing both costs and technical hurdles, opening the door for us to take on more adventurous projects and push the boundaries of storytelling in games. This evolution is truly empowering creators to bring their visions to life without the traditional obstacles."
 

Nankatsu

Member
Funny that I asked ChatGPT to write me an alternative narrative for The Last of us.

It made me a new narrative, but immediately after I got the "Unusual activity has been detected from your device" message on screen.

Suspicious Futurama GIF
 
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Hudo

Member
At this point, I'm sure an AI can write better and more coherent story than TLOU2's and one that's less cliched than the one in the first game, so I'm all for it.
To be fair, the bar of being better paced, more coherent and filled with fewer cheaply executed "shock moments" than TLOU 2's writing and direction is not that high...
 

simpatico

Member
Bro made an Indiana Jones ripoff and an Uncharted total conversion zombie mod and he’s really the main storyteller in the gaming industry?
 
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Chukhopops

Member
Bro made an Indiana Jones ripoff and an Uncharted total conversion into a zombie game and he’s really the main storyteller in the gaming industry?
He didn’t even make the Indiana Jones rip-off, he made the sequel where a magical, never mentioned before, brother is added as a plot point. Dreamworks tier.

But aside from that I liked TLOU story so he’s not that bad, just benefitting from the bias towards linear and western story writing.
 

BennyBlanco

aka IMurRIVAL69
ChatGPT just gave me the plot of their sci fi game. Spoiler warning.

In a distant future, a diverse crew of lesbians of color embarks on a daring mission to overthrow a tyrannical colony ruled by oppressive men. The story follows the protagonist, Captain Zara, a skilled pilot and fearless leader, who has experienced firsthand the brutality of the male-dominated regime. Alongside her, the crew includes scientists, engineers, and warriors, each with their own unique talents and backgrounds.

The colony, known as Aegis, exploits and subjugates marginalized communities across the galaxy. The women's mission is both personal and political, driven by a desire for liberation and justice. They uncover the colony's dark secrets, including its exploitation of resources and people. As they infiltrate Aegis, they face numerous challenges, from high-tech security systems to fierce combat with the colony's enforcers.

Throughout their journey, the crew forms deep bonds, finding strength and solidarity in their shared experiences and struggles. Their diverse perspectives and skills become crucial in navigating the complexities of their mission. The story culminates in a climactic battle where the crew's ingenuity and resilience lead to the downfall of the colony's oppressive rulers.

In the aftermath, the liberated people of the galaxy begin to rebuild, guided by principles of equality and justice. Captain Zara and her crew are celebrated as heroes, their story becoming a beacon of hope and inspiration for future generations. The narrative highlights themes of resistance, unity, and the transformative power of marginalized voices coming together to challenge and dismantle systems of oppression.
 

Fake

Member
Then how come they've never done it before? 35 million TLOU games sold and an Emmy hit TV show says you are WRONG! lol

Even the worst CoD story sell more than TLOU2 dude. We know your intention when come to TLOU2 discussion and btw, I talking about TLOUSpart2 if this ring a bell, not about the first game.
 
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ChatGPT just gave me the plot of their sci fi game. Spoiler warning.

In a distant future, a diverse crew of lesbians of color embarks on a daring mission to overthrow a tyrannical colony ruled by oppressive men. The story follows the protagonist, Captain Zara, a skilled pilot and fearless leader, who has experienced firsthand the brutality of the male-dominated regime. Alongside her, the crew includes scientists, engineers, and warriors, each with their own unique talents and backgrounds.

The colony, known as Aegis, exploits and subjugates marginalized communities across the galaxy. The women's mission is both personal and political, driven by a desire for liberation and justice. They uncover the colony's dark secrets, including its exploitation of resources and people. As they infiltrate Aegis, they face numerous challenges, from high-tech security systems to fierce combat with the colony's enforcers.

Throughout their journey, the crew forms deep bonds, finding strength and solidarity in their shared experiences and struggles. Their diverse perspectives and skills become crucial in navigating the complexities of their mission. The story culminates in a climactic battle where the crew's ingenuity and resilience lead to the downfall of the colony's oppressive rulers.

In the aftermath, the liberated people of the galaxy begin to rebuild, guided by principles of equality and justice. Captain Zara and her crew are celebrated as heroes, their story becoming a beacon of hope and inspiration for future generations. The narrative highlights themes of resistance, unity, and the transformative power of marginalized voices coming together to challenge and dismantle systems of oppression.
ok but there should also be an elite, hyper-sexualized male squad called "the chonies hunters" that tracks down captain zara's lesbo squad throughout the story and slowly makes some of the lesbians realize theyre bi, sowing distrust among their squad, and bringing into question the very principles of their mission.
 

Wildebeest

Member
AI would be trained on a publicly accessible things like fan fiction rather than on great novels.
 
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NeoIkaruGAF

Gold Member
I will only truly be impressed by AI if I can just talk to ingame characters/NPCs through my mic and they give proper answers and behave like actual individuals.
What for? NPCs are there to endlessly parrot a few lines because they either serve to provide info for story or quests, or they’re just background noise to give an illusion of populated environments. NPCs that can endlessly blabber needless answers to your every trivial question thanks to AI would be a total waste of time and code.
 

Killjoy-NL

Gold Member
What for? NPCs are there to endlessly parrot a few lines because they either serve to provide info for story or quests, or they’re just background noise to give an illusion of populated environments. NPCs that can endlessly blabber needless answers to your every trivial question thanks to AI would be a total waste of time and code.
What do you mean what for?

Various variations of answers or stories, getting snarky remarks or sighs if you repeatedly ask the same question. Different body language, maybe dependent on how many times you talk to them.

I assume it should be possible in time for AI to realize all that, compared to the same lines being repeated in the same way by the same NPC over and over and over.
Just have more life-like NPCs.

Unless people you interact with in day-to-day life always tell the same story in exactly the same way and same tone?
 
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Then how come they've never done it before? 35 million TLOU games sold and an Emmy hit TV show says you are WRONG! lol

The online hate for this man is pretty insane. It's gotten to the point where now I even see people going back and shitting on TLOU1. I really thought TLOU2 was great and yes I loved the story. My only complaint is going off to rescue that kid who was kidnapped or went back on his own I dont remember was dumb. The game didn't need that extra padding. The ending also where Ellie goes back after her was a bit much but at the same time I kind of enjoyed it. Watching Ellie get guilted by Tommy it was amazing. I can't wait to replay it soon whenever I find time.
 
do we really need a fucking thread for every sentence this imposter says?
agreed. also, do we really need unbridled enthusiasm being expressed about technologies still in beta that may or may not eventually end up 'contributing' exactly fuck-all to fucking anything?...
 

mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Even the worst CoD story sell more than TLOU2 dude. We know your intention when come to TLOU2 discussion and btw, I talking about TLOUSpart2 if this ring a bell, not about the first game.

People aren't buying CoD for the story LOL!!! And my intention when it comes to TLOU2 discussion is to remind people how good the game is. We know it was great! Regardless if some people didn't like a few things with it.
 

TGO

Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
Neil's been sponging of other people's work for years trying to buy him time to actually get another game together that pales in comparison to original like his last effort before Sony starts asking questions.
Lucky for him AI had arrived at the right time.
And they still ain't announced official numbers yet either for TLOU2, guess we still doing the defence force's assumption of it sold gang busters.....when is hasn't.

mckmas8808 mckmas8808
Game wise it's sound, it is a ND game after all.
But the narrative and story is lacking and pales in comparison to the original.
Most people have a problem the lazy path the story takes to get to its beats.
Not the actual story it's actually telling.
I still respect your opinion but I wanted better.
 
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mckmas8808

Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Neil's been sponging of other people's work for years trying to buy him time to actually get another game together that pales in comparison to original like his last effort before Sony starts asking questions.
Lucky for him AI had arrived at the right time.
And they still ain't announced official numbers yet either for TLOU2, guess we still doing the defence force's assumption of it sold gang busters.....when is hasn't.

mckmas8808 mckmas8808
Game wise it's sound, it is a ND game after all.
But the narrative and story is lacking and pales in comparison to the original.
Most people have a problem the lazy path the story takes to get to its beats.
Not the actual story it's actually telling.
I still respect your opinion but I wanted better.

Wanting better and thinking Call of Duty has a better story is two totally different things. I think TLOU2 is too long. About 5-10 hours too long personally. And the pacing could have been better. But some folks are just going OD on how bad it was.

Darn near wishing for the game to fail. And when it didn't, they still can't let that hate go.
 
Since the storyline of LoU2 and the LoU-series script already was on the level of something like Google Translator I absolutely believe that Druckman believes this....
 

Humdinger

Gold Member
I don't understand how AI is going to make storytelling better. I understand that it can script NPC sequences more easily and efficiently. But in terms of the main parts of storytelling - creating interesting characters, interesting settings and engaging action, a good narrative arc, sharp dialog ... I'm skeptical that AI can do this better than a talented human writer.
 

sachos

Member
I will only truly be impressed by AI if I can just talk to ingame characters/NPCs through my mic and they give proper answers and behave like actual individuals.
You could probably do this right now, connecting them to the GPT-4o API once the voice and video features are available. You can give them eyes so they can see your in game character and the model is now actually able to express and understand emotion through voice so the NPCs will be able to roast your fashion souls outfit.
 

Killjoy-NL

Gold Member
You could probably do this right now, connecting them to the GPT-4o API once the voice and video features are available. You can give them eyes so they can see your in game character and the model is now actually able to express and understand emotion through voice so the NPCs will be able to roast your fashion souls outfit.
Yeah, that's what I mean.

Imagine a game like GTA or Elder Scrolls with such AI.
 

sachos

Member
Yeah, that's what I mean.

Imagine a game like GTA or Elder Scrolls with such AI.
Yeah, im pretty sure it will happen. I originally commented to your first post because i got the impression you thought the capability was not there yet for AI to do something like that. Only thing im not sure about is how they will handle the issue of mantaining a structured narrative for every player without it totally derailing.
 

Killjoy-NL

Gold Member
Yeah, im pretty sure it will happen. I originally commented to your first post because i got the impression you thought the capability was not there yet for AI to do something like that. Only thing im not sure about is how they will handle the issue of mantaining a structured narrative for every player without it totally derailing.
Maybe I was unclear. I know they could do something like that, I wish they would actually do that.

With the big push for AI, I hope we start seeing something like that next-gen.
 
I don't understand how AI is going to make storytelling better. I understand that it can script NPC sequences more easily and efficiently. But in terms of the main parts of storytelling - creating interesting characters, interesting settings and engaging action, a good narrative arc, sharp dialog ... I'm skeptical that AI can do this better than a talented human writer.

AI is getting super advanced and has hundreds of years of masters work to look over. Many writers musicians and artists have been inspired by past works.

We already have music that you can't tell is AI produced that would take weeks or longer for a human to make. It will get to a point high end games will be like tap water from currently taking 5-10 years.

Right now someone with talent can use AI to fine tune it or have it generate inspiration and give you ideas more quickly and get themselves out of block or comfort zones or use it for areas they lack in. The best of the best humans will still stand out as well.

The talent pool is pretty limited too, and for movies we've been scrapping the barrel for a long time and looking to games. 70s-90s seem like a golden age of cinematography, ideas and acting capability.
 
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Humdinger

Gold Member
AI is getting super advanced and has hundreds of years of masters work to look over. Many writers musicians and artists have been inspired by past works.

We already have music that you can't tell is AI produced that would take weeks or longer for a human to make. It will get to a point high end games will be like tap water from currently taking 5-10 years.

Right now someone with talent can use AI to fine tune it or have it generate inspiration and give you ideas more quickly and get themselves out of block or comfort zones or use it for areas they lack in. The best of the best humans will still stand out as well.

I guess I'll have to see it to believe it. I've been listening to people hype up AI for decades, and so far it still underwhelms me - at least as far as its creative potential goes. It seems to be quite good at gathering lots of data and then making an algorithm or formula out of it. Reducing it to its basic structural elements and features. The variety, creativity, and idiosyncracies get stripped out.

I could see how AI could become proficient at crafting B-grade stories, formulaic stuff. Maybe that's what Druckmann is referring to - although I doubt he thinks of it as B-grade. Maybe that is enough to "push the boundaries of videogame storytelling forward." Most videogame stories don't rise above B-level anyhow. (I don't mean that in an snobby way; I just think the medium of games constrains storytelling in a way that stops it from being on the same level as a great film or novel).

But the great stuff? A-level stuff? Or interesting, new, creative stuff -- stuff that breaks the mold, doesn't just repeat the mold? I'm doubtful of that.

Maybe I'm underestimating the potential of AI. I'm no tech guru. But I'll have to see it to believe it.
 
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