Nintendo boss isn’t interested in AI generated games & claims “human touch” is essential
Nintendo of America boss Doug Bowser was asked about whether or not Nintendo would be using AI to develop games in the future, and, though he didn’t entirely rule it out, AI game dev isn’t in the cards for them just yet.
AI has been increasingly prevalent, withvideo and image generationbecoming more and more normalized as models improve. It should come as no surprise that developers and publishers are trying to find ways to implement these advancements into games as well.
From Xbox’s efforts to make games easier withbuilt-in AI assistance and guidanceto EA showcasing AI generated levels, there’s a big push in the industry toward speeding up development and lessening the need of human effort.
However, while Doug Bowser didn’t shut down the use of AI entirely, he feels as if Nintendo’s games are special in large part due to the human element of developing them.
Doug Bowser isn’t interested in AI generated games
In aninterview with CNBC, Nintendo of America boss Doug Bowser was asked about whether or not Nintendo is thinking about ways they can compete in the AI space with theNintendo Switch 2.
While Doug Bowser couldn’t speak for individual dev teams, he did say that the company as a whole isn’t interested in replacing people with AI.
“As we look at technology, we always want to verify the technology we may be leveraging, whether it’s to develop our game or whether it’s in our devices, is going to make a better gameplay experience,” he explained.
“What I would say is that if developers choose to use AI – and it is a discussion right now at Nintendo – it’s not the only method of developing games. We still believe that what makes our games special is our developers, their artistic capabilities, and their insight into how people play. There’s always going to be a human touch and human engagement to how we develop and build our games.”
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There’s no telling what kind of tools will come along to speed up things like programming and level design, but Bowser is dead set on keeping human beings and their artistic expression at the forefront of their games.
And, while Nintendo has had its fair share of missteps over the years, their current success is in large part due to just how iconic and ubiquitous their IP is. They don’t seem interested in outsourcing that process to AI any time soon.
