Why love AI? It's the future! Graphics can take a seat
Sony UK boss Ray Maguire wants to turn the focus of games away from graphics and onto complicated, realistic artificial intelligence that will make not only the game, but the characters, more realistic and compelling. He spoke about not only the PS3 but all next-gen consoles when he said: "We are no longer interested in graphics per se, because graphics chips can do that for us, but the central processors of all the new games machines are about making games more compelling by adding in artificial intelligence." It is true that high-end PCs will always be one notch above any new console, so the move into AI is a fantastic move. Nobody wants their WWII squadmates running into a wall when you tell them to secure the area.
To emphasize his point, Maguire showed a clip of a woman "auditioning" for a movie role (we've seen this somewhere... hmm...) and she talked through her relationship with her husband up until she decided to murder him after discovering he was having an affair. The gamut of emotions was the central point -- Maguire says all characters should be able to display such emotional impact in next-gen games. What do you guys think? Should AI be a bigger part of gaming now that graphics have reached a comfortable peak for the time being? Or should we try to find ways to make graphics better, or seek different art styles in gaming? We've got true interaction coming our way with the Wii and the PS3 EyeToy, great graphics... AI sounds like a logical way to progress.
