Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 has hit the shelves, and a key developer explained that using machine learning and artificial intelligence was crucial for its creation.
Jorg Neumann mentioned that hand-crafting the game’s map data was impossible, saying, “We would have spent our entire lives and then some just marking up terrain, which is not really the core of the thing. So it’s just a tool that helps us,” during a chat with Rock Paper Shotgun. While some worry that AI will replace jobs, it wasn’t the case here. “The only thing we’ve done is grow,” he noted, as the team expanded from 100 people in 2020 to a whopping 800 for the new version.
The game cleverly uses machine learning to add details to the landscapes. The team crafted about 28,000 “tiles” that mimic real-world features like forests and rivers. These tiles were then processed by a machine learning system that suggested assets, which were reviewed by humans and adjusted if needed. “You basically say: ‘Oh, OK, got this wrong.’ And then you retrain it. We did that in four different stages,” Neumann shared.
It reminds us that technology can create as many opportunities as it takes away.
Elsewhere, EA Sports had similar experiences, stating that without AI, EA Sports College Football 25 would have faced delays. EA’s CEO, Andrew Wilson, believes that while AI might cause some job losses initially, the industry will eventually see more opportunities.
Upon its release on November 19, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 faced unexpected server issues. Developers admitted they had “completely underestimated” the demand, leading to hiccups. The game is now available on Xbox and PC, also included in Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
Here’s a YouTube link to check out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuMd7udCyFM
