Capcom Experimenting With Generative AI to Create 'Hundreds of Thousands of Unique Ideas' Needed to Build In-Game Environments

Capcom is exploring the use of generative AI to address the significant challenge of generating the vast number of unique design ideas required for its game environments – a figure reaching hundreds of thousands. This initiative reflects a broader industry trend, as rising video game development costs push publishers to explore AI tools, despite ongoing controversies surrounding their use. Activision, for instance, faced criticism for reportedly using AI-generated content in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and a previous loading screen. Similarly, EA declared AI as "the very core" of its business strategy.

In an interview with Google Cloud Japan, Capcom's Technical Director Kazuki Abe (known for his work on titles like Monster Hunter: World and Exoprimal) detailed the company's AI experimentation. Abe highlighted the immense time and resources dedicated to generating a multitude of unique concepts for in-game assets. Even seemingly simple objects like televisions necessitate unique designs, logos, and shapes, leading to the generation of hundreds of thousands of ideas, including many unused concepts. This process involves creating multiple design proposals, each accompanied by illustrations and textual descriptions for communication with art directors and artists.

To streamline this process, Abe developed a system leveraging generative AI. This system analyzes game design documents and generates design ideas, significantly accelerating development and enhancing efficiency. The AI iteratively refines its output through self-feedback. Abe's prototype, utilizing AI models like Google Gemini Pro, Gemini Flash, and Imagen, has reportedly received positive internal feedback. The anticipated outcome is a substantial cost reduction and a potential improvement in overall design quality compared to manual creation.

Currently, Capcom's AI implementation is focused on this specific design generation system. Other crucial aspects of game development, including core gameplay mechanics, programming, character design, and overall creative vision, remain under the direction of human developers.