Xbox’s AI initiative with Muse is an attempt to read the tea leaves, not the room
1 min read
Summary
Xbox has revealed Muse, a generative AI model that creates visuals and gameplay for video games, and intends to make older games accessible to modern audiences, without the need for remasters or backwards compatibility engineering.
The development of Muse, which was trained on the multiplayer game Bleeding Edge, is in line with Microsoft’s recent wholehearted embrace of generative AI across all its initiatives.
However, it does conflict with some of the opinions of game developers, who have shown an increasingly hostile reaction to the idea that generative AI could replace the ideation process.
Microsoft is not alone in pursuing generative AI for game development though, with Capcom recently discussing the potential for automating thousands of small decisions to streamline the process and free up developers to focus on creativity.
The announcement of Muse seems to be an attempt by Xbox to serve the conflicting interests of shareholders and futurists, but only time will tell if the response from gaming audiences and enthusiasts matches Microsoft’s ambition for the technology.