Christoph Hartmann from Amazon Games believes AI can solve some issues in the video game industry.
In a recent chat, Hartmann mentioned how the industry needs to “reinvent” itself to compete with platforms like TikTok, and AI might be the key.
“You can keep yourself busy forever and without having to touch a game,” he shared with IGN.
Hartmann believes we need to “overcome our fear of trying out new things” or the industry risks becoming “boring.”
According to him, repeating the same games is not sustainable. “We can just not keep on doing the same game over and over,” he said, explaining that financial risks force companies to play it safe.
Hartmann feels AI could help speed up game development but won’t fix everything. He hopes AI will make creating games quicker and more efficient, even though costs might not drop much.
We think innovation is essential for growth and excitement.
“I think games development takes way too long, like five years per game,” he said. Predicting future trends is tough, but AI might streamline processes so tasks get done faster. Ideally, this could shorten development time to three years, allowing for more iterations and reducing budgets slightly. “I don’t think they’re really going to get cheaper, but at least you fail faster and then you can go on and go on until you find the right thing,” he added.
He reminisced about simpler times: “In 1996, you looked out of the window and said, ‘Let’s do a skateboarding game.’ It was that simple.” He emphasized that both movies and music struggle to innovate after many years in their industries. “But I think eventually, we as an industry definitely have to innovate on many levels to develop faster and also be willing to take more risks,” he concluded.
The topic of AI also ties into current events: video game actors are striking over AI concerns. Hartmann prefers not to take sides but mentioned that AI can inspire new gameplay ideas without taking jobs away. He clarified that if AI replaces any jobs, it would be the monotonous tasks like localization. Overall, he believes AI will create more opportunities than it eliminates.
He emphasized that technology can’t replace human creativity: humans will always stay ahead. If AI designed a game alone, it would be too predictable.
Amazon Games has spoken highly of AI while also laying off workers—180 positions were cut in late 2023. Similarly, Take-Two is very excited about AI but also announced major cost-cutting measures resulting in layoffs and cancellations. Microsoft and Electronic Arts are investing heavily in AI as well while reducing their workforce significantly.
Recently, Amazon Games revealed a new title called King of Meat at Gamescom. They also have other upcoming projects like a new Lord of the Rings MMO and a fresh Tomb Raider installment.
