Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Borderlands 2 baddies are smarter than you think]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/27/borderlands-2-baddies-are-smarter-than-you-think/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/27/borderlands-2-baddies-are-smarter-than-you-think/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/27/borderlands-2-baddies-are-smarter-than-you-think/#comments Borderlands 2 baddies are smarter than you thinkWell, at least the AI programming behind each enemy in Borderlands 2 is smarter than anything in the first Borderlands - the baddies themselves are victims of the rancid planet Pandora and probably wouldn't pass a first-grade spelling test. They will, however, blow your brains out.

Jasper Foreman, lead AI programmer at Gearbox Software, sat down with us (on the floor in a hallway of the Hard Rock Hotel, right outside of San Diego Comic-Con central), to describe a handful of enemies we can expect to see in the new Borderlands and the tech that makes them smarter than ever.

There are 15-20 separate enemies in Borderlands 2, but each type has numerous variants, bringing the total number of foes somewhere between 200-300. Foreman once tried to count them all by running a script, but with the complex descriptors composing each enemy it was impossible to locate every one. Suffice it to say, there are a lot.

Gallery: Borderlands 2 (Enemies)

Continue reading Borderlands 2 baddies are smarter than you think

JoystiqBorderlands 2 baddies are smarter than you think originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Jul 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiborderlands-2comic-con-2012enemiesgearbox-softwaremicrosoftpcplaystationps3san-diego-comic-con-2012xboxFri, 27 Jul 2012 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[AI system programs a game with a suspicious theme]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/16/ai-system-programs-a-game-with-a-suspicious-theme/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/16/ai-system-programs-a-game-with-a-suspicious-theme/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/16/ai-system-programs-a-game-with-a-suspicious-theme/#comments All right; we're done. Throwing in the towel, getting the heck outta Dodge and all that. The robot apocalypse is coming to a head faster than we thought, and it's time for us to move to our safe-hut deep in the jungles of Malaysia. Goodnight, everyone!

Michael Cook, a computer scientist at Imperial College London, has created an AI system that designs games -- clever, complex, slightly sadistic games -- and he has named it Angelina. Angelina has used "co-operative evolution" to make Space Station Invaders, an 8-bit platformer about a scientist trying to escape a space station full of aliens and homicidal robots. Cook provided the graphics and sound effects for Angelina, but still, we have to wonder how comfortable he is with that particular in-game scenario.

We just spent the past 10 minutes playing a game designed by a computer, and we enjoyed it. This is of course all a part of the machines' master plan -- get us complacent, then wham. Lasers everywhere. Either that or we can expect a flood of educational games about adopting children from third-world countries any day now.

JoystiqAI system programs a game with a suspicious theme originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiAngelinaartificial-intelligencegame-designimperial-college-londonMichael-Cookpcrobotrobot-apocalypseSpace-Station-InvadersFri, 16 Mar 2012 00:40:00 EST<![CDATA[The Last of Us combat forces you to think through the situation, devs say]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/the-last-of-us-combat-forces-you-to-think-through-the-situation/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/the-last-of-us-combat-forces-you-to-think-through-the-situation/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/13/the-last-of-us-combat-forces-you-to-think-through-the-situation/#comments Naughty Dog is looking to make The Last of Us the most realistic fungal-zombie-apocalypse game ever created. Game director Bruce Straley and creative director Neil Druckmann let slip a few details about combat mechanics in a video interview with Game Informer: Health will not automatically regenerate; Ellie, your AI companion, will be intelligent enough to throw bricks and other materials at your enemies, and she won't break your "stealth" mode; and it may include Uncharted-esque playable cinematics, but in more intimate environments.

Straley and Druckmann discuss combat moments as part strategy, part shooter, and say they're infusing the title with realistic reactions from NPCs and the protagonist alike. Watch the entire interview here.

JoystiqThe Last of Us combat forces you to think through the situation, devs say originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aicombatfungusNaughty-Dogplaystationps3SCEASONYthe-last-of-uszombiesMon, 13 Feb 2012 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[League of Legends updates co-op vs. AI mode, more improvements coming]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/24/league-of-legends-updates-co-op-vs-ai-mode-more-improvements-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/24/league-of-legends-updates-co-op-vs-ai-mode-more-improvements-c/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/24/league-of-legends-updates-co-op-vs-ai-mode-more-improvements-c/#comments
When Riot Games first announced that it was adding the ability to play co-operatively against AI bots to League of Legends, it expected it to be used by noobs, says producer Mark Norris. "When we put it out there, we put it out there with sort of the sole intent of having new players get an introduction to League of Legends."

But what the company found was that the game mode, which takes some of the human element out of the MOBA genre's relatively steep learning curve, was actually being used by all sorts of players. "One thing that kept coming up was the majority of the people who play League of Legends will play, every week, at least one co-op vs. AI game. And it's actually the primary game mode for a surprisingly large percentage of players."

With that insight, then, it's probably not surprising to hear that Riot is updating the co-op vs. AI game mode, enabling AI bots for 40 of the game's champion characters, as well as adding play on the Dominion game mode to the mix.

Continue reading League of Legends updates co-op vs. AI mode, more improvements coming

JoystiqLeague of Legends updates co-op vs. AI mode, more improvements coming originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aibotsco-op-vs-aidominiongame-modeleague-of-legendslolpcriot-gamesrise-of-the-botsTue, 24 Jan 2012 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Dota 2 FAQ has Icefrog talking AI bots, replays and more]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/03/dota-2-faq-has-icefrog-talking-ai-bots-replays-and-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/03/dota-2-faq-has-icefrog-talking-ai-bots-replays-and-more/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/03/dota-2-faq-has-icefrog-talking-ai-bots-replays-and-more/#comments Icefrog himself has answered a set of frequently asked questions on Dota 2's official website, clarifying and detailing a few concerns players have had since the game's official announcement. Much of the questions revolve around players leaving games -- Valve has not only implemented an AI system to take over for missing players, but players will be able to have a "friend of similar skill level" jump in and take over if necessary, or simply jump into current games that are missing players. The bots will also be customizable, so if you want to play against an AI that tests a specific part of your game, like "denying, last hitting, and harassing," there will be specific configurations to challenge those.

Replays are also mentioned -- players will be able to examine games in progress from all sorts of angles, watching charts and graphs in real time as the game goes on. There will also be "commentating and editing" features for replays, and the game will make extensive use of the Steam Cloud, keeping keyboard preferences, replay files and other settings available from any computer.

Icefrog also says that there won't be any changes for the sake of change in the actual gameplay, and that he will continue development on the original Warcraft 3 mod "for as long as the community wants," but that Dota 2 "represents the long term future for the game." In that sense, Dota 2 sounds like a very direct translation of the original game, though Valve is sparing no expense in adding metagame features to make it a smoother experience for everyone.

JoystiqDota 2 FAQ has Icefrog talking AI bots, replays and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aidefense-of-the-ancientsdotadota-2icefrogpcreplaysvalveWed, 03 Nov 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Bungie's Halo AI secrets exposed in technical review]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/09/bungies-halo-ai-secrets-exposed-in-technical-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/09/bungies-halo-ai-secrets-exposed-in-technical-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/09/bungies-halo-ai-secrets-exposed-in-technical-review/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If you're looking for information about a hot new gun that will be shootable in the almost-here Halo: Reach, you might want to flip to one of the many other stories we've written about the game. If you want super esoteric insight into the high-functioning AI design of the series -- that is to say, the enemies' actual programmed intelligence, and not the game's fictional AI constructs -- we suggest checking out AI Game Dev's 42-point analysis on Bungie's tricks and innovations for making those pesky Elites so darn pesky.

Of course, these tips will really only benefit you if you happen to be a game designer or programmer, though we suppose you could hypothetically use the information to impress your friends while playing Reach next week. "Look at the way Bungie implemented those perceptual information objects," you might say to your awestruck cohorts. "Man, that really must have cut down on some memory fragmentation and recycling problems."

JoystiqBungie's Halo AI secrets exposed in technical review originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiartificial-intelligencebungiehaloHalo-ReachmicrosoftMicrosoft-Game-StudiosprogrammingxboxThu, 09 Sep 2010 21:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Super Scribblenauts features a reprogrammed Maxwell]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/01/super-scribblenauts-features-a-reprogrammed-maxwell/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/01/super-scribblenauts-features-a-reprogrammed-maxwell/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/01/super-scribblenauts-features-a-reprogrammed-maxwell/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Upon playing Super Scribblenauts, it becomes readily apparent why you'd want to use the D-pad to manipulate the game's hero, Maxwell. So why wasn't that an option in the first game? Joystiq asked 5TH Cell Creative Director Jeremiah Slaczka, and were told that the original touch-screen input didn't draw any complaints -- at least not from casual players. "We haven't gotten any emails from casual users," he told us this week, "that are like, 'Hey, I don't like the controls.' It's the hardcore users that are like, 'I play Mario all of the time, and I'm a hardcore gamer, and I'm used to these kinds of controls, and what's what I want."

Though controlling Maxwell directly with the D-pad may seem an obvious choice, it wasn't the first time around. "Maxwell's actually an AI," Slaczka said. "So it wasn't just like throw the D-pad controls in." Maxwell was programmed to respond to the rest of the game's systems rather than just follow button directions, and so it didn't occur to the developers to control him directly. "You'd have to overwrite all of the code that we'd built up for him. So in the second one, we basically did that." The team "stripped out" all of the behaviors and responses that had been coded, and created the option for "one-to-one player control."

For his own part, Slaczka says he doesn't care which option players use, but he'll stick with the stylus. "This isn't a platforming game," he said. "This is a puzzle game. Unfortunately, it has a platforming-type feel to it. So we said for the second one, that's fine, we'll address it, we'll give you both. And we actually fixed up the stylus controls, too, so Maxwell doesn't run away as you tap -- when you let go he stops. So we made it way better."

JoystiqSuper Scribblenauts features a reprogrammed Maxwell originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>5th-cellaidsjeremiah-slaczkamaxwellnintendoSuper-ScribblenautsWed, 01 Sep 2010 10:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Sid Meier talks player psychology and the year of Civilization]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/sid-meier-talks-player-psychology-and-the-year-of-civilization/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/sid-meier-talks-player-psychology-and-the-year-of-civilization/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/14/sid-meier-talks-player-psychology-and-the-year-of-civilization/#comments The "father of computer gaming" gave the keynote at GDC 2010 this past week, and while we really hoped he would tell us a lot about the upcoming Facebook version of Civilization, it got only the barest of mentions during the hour-plus talk. Instead, Meier shared wisdom with the gathered crowd, talking about the lessons he'd learned in player psychology over his long and storied career in game design. First, he talked about what he called the "Winner's Paradox" -- "if you've played Civilization," he said, "you're an egomaniac," since anyone crazy enough to think that they can actually "build a civ to stand the test of time," as it says on the game box, must be pretty full of themselves. And because of that, Meier says his players always believe that if they don't win for whatever reason, fate or the random number generator or the crappy AI must be out to get them. As a result, his policy has become to let the player win -- the threat of punishment is enough to keep it interesting, but in the end, the player should win the game.

He also talked about the "unholy alliance" between players and developers -- not only is the relationship beneficial for both parties (players offer their money, developers offer their time and talent), but it's also one of "mutually-assured destruction," as players can break contact with (or even just belief in) the game anytime they feel it's not fun any more, and developers can "really mess up the game, too." Everything in the game, said Meier, should be designed with an eye towards this alliance -- the AI should live to serve the player, the graphics and gameplay should engage imagination, and even options screens and load/save settings should be developed with an eye towards preserving the relationship.

Civilization Network was mentioned under a section Meier called "my bad" -- along with the original ideas to make Civ real-time (whoops) and make the tech path random, he said that the CN team had considered letting players give gold to each other on Facebook, but during playtesting, found that players never actually did. He did say that the game is deep into testing currently, and that it will allow co-op, singleplayer, and competitive gameplay, and that it will be interesting whether players play for just "a little time a day" or more than that. At the end of the talk, in reply to a question about where he saw gaming going, Meier declared that "this is the year of Civilization!" With CN coming soon and Civ V due out this fall, we can't wait to send our Settlers out into the world.

JoystiqSid Meier talks player psychology and the year of Civilization originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiciv-vCivilizationcivilization-5civilization-networkcrappygdcgdc-2010keynotesid-meiersid-meiers-civilizationunholy-alliancewinners-paradoxSun, 14 Mar 2010 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Left 4 Dead 2 gets bots and SDK fixes in update, 360 patch coming soon]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/06/left-4-dead-2-gets-bots-and-sdk-fixes-in-update-360-patch-comin/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/06/left-4-dead-2-gets-bots-and-sdk-fixes-in-update-360-patch-comin/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/06/left-4-dead-2-gets-bots-and-sdk-fixes-in-update-360-patch-comin/#comments Valve has followed through with its promise to bring bots to Left 4 Dead 2's Versus mode -- which was frantic enough before all the A.I.-controlled ghouls got added in. A recent patch added the functionality and made a few tweaks to the software development kit, which allows players to make awesome levels based on awesome Nintendo 64 games. Check out the full list of changes after the jump.

The Steam blog post announcing the patch's release promises that the changes will be integrated into the 360 version of the game via an upcoming title update.

Continue reading Left 4 Dead 2 gets bots and SDK fixes in update, 360 patch coming soon

JoystiqLeft 4 Dead 2 gets bots and SDK fixes in update, 360 patch coming soon originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AIbotsleft-4-deadleft-4-dead-2MicrosoftpatchsteamupdatevalveXbox-360Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Valve beta testing AI opponents in Team Fortress 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/22/valve-beta-testing-ai-opponents-in-team-fortress-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/22/valve-beta-testing-ai-opponents-in-team-fortress-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/22/valve-beta-testing-ai-opponents-in-team-fortress-2/#comments If there's going to be a singular battlefield for the war between mankind and a super-advanced artificial intelligence hivemind, we think it's going to be Team Fortress 2. See, the programmers and developers over at Valve have repeatedly proven their technological prowess -- and now that they're working on AI opponents for TF2, accidental self-awareness can't be too far away. "Spy's sappin' my sentry! But why is it my sentry? Can a virtual sentry be owned? Who am I?"

You can check out the early stages of the future destruction of the world by participating in the Team Fortress 2 Bot Beta Test. No download is required -- all you have to do is enter a simple line of code into the console command in the koth_viaduct, koth_sawmill, and koth_nucleus maps. Check out Valve's blog post to learn more about the AI-spawning commands available to you. Whatever you do, make sure you don't enter "haley_joel_osment" into the command line. His love is real, but he is not.

JoystiqValve beta testing AI opponents in Team Fortress 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiartificial-intelligencebotsfpsmultiplayeronlinesteamteam-fortress-2valveTue, 22 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Computer script plays Super Mario World by itself]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/13/computer-script-plays-super-mario-world-by-itself/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/13/computer-script-plays-super-mario-world-by-itself/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/13/computer-script-plays-super-mario-world-by-itself/#comments
As you might have guessed, we're really busy guys. As such, we can't be expected to actually play the video games we write about. We dish out thousands of dollars every year to get local work release program participants to handle the grunt work for us -- but if a recent entry in the Mario AI Competition is any indication, we may soon be able to keep that cash in our wallets, opting for computer-assisted gaming instead.

Posted after the break is a video demo of the entry in question -- designed by artificial intelligence programmer Robin Baumgarten, this computer script effortlessly pushes the plump plumber through the hazardous environments of Super Mario World. It handles the game's challenges much better than our prisoner assistants -- and best of all, it definitely won't try to stab us in our sleep.

[Via Make: Online]

Continue reading Computer script plays Super Mario World by itself

JoystiqComputer script plays Super Mario World by itself originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiDSmariomario-ai-competitionnintendosuper-mariosuper-mario-worldWiiThu, 13 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GDC09: Havok gets smart, announces Havok AI]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/24/gdc09-havok-gets-smart-announces-havok-ai/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/24/gdc09-havok-gets-smart-announces-havok-ai/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/24/gdc09-havok-gets-smart-announces-havok-ai/#comments
Havok is exploding like a red barrel into the world of artificial intelligence. With ragdoll grace, the middleware company announced its new Havok AI SDK during GDC 2009, promising "unique solutions" to various AI pathfinding issues faced by today's game developers.

Like the folks at 1UP, we're not exactly sure what this means for gamers, though the new software is supposed to be fully compatible with Havok's other products and tools, such as Havok Physics. Perhaps now enemy patrols will get the good sense not to seek shelter behind things that go kablooey when bullets begin to fly.

[Thanks David B.]

JoystiqGDC09: Havok gets smart, announces Havok AI originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiartificial-intelligenceartificialintelligencegdc-2009havokhavok-aimiddlewarephysicsTue, 24 Mar 2009 09:07:00 EST<![CDATA[Platinum Games discusses enemy AI in MadWorld]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/03/platinum-games-discusses-enemy-ai-in-madworld/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/03/platinum-games-discusses-enemy-ai-in-madworld/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/03/03/platinum-games-discusses-enemy-ai-in-madworld/#comments
Bless the Platinum Games blog, as it's been a wonderful source of interesting stuff leading up to next week's release of MadWorld. Today, Hirono Sato takes over the driver's seat and talks about his role in the game: player interactions and the three different AIs governing enemies.

He breaks the enemy units down to "grunt," "grunt leader," and "boss." Sato explains that the "grunts" are essentially pushovers and the challenge they present is not simply just to defeat them, but to defeat them in the most stylish way possible, for the most points possible. Sato says that in a game "where running around killing all the enemies is supposed to be fun, making them so hard that you can't kill them wouldn't be fun at all."

However, for those that crave difficult combat, the "grunt leader" is always on hand to provide an ample spanking. This guy is a bit tougher to battle, so it's not as much about getting the most points possible as it is about just surviving his attacks. Then, there are the "bosses," which are pretty self-explanatory.

Sato also tells us of a cool in-game item called the "Money Grubber," a briefcase stuffed with money that you throw at enemies. Once the "grunts" see it, they'll start clawing for it, and eventually fight each other over the money. While they're busy, Sato offers a few ideas, including tossing "a drum filled with gasoline their way" and even tossing the case "onto some busy train tracks."

JoystiqPlatinum Games discusses enemy AI in MadWorld originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aijackmadworldplatinum-gamessegaTue, 03 Mar 2009 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Philosony: Yea, though I walk through the uncanny valley...]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/30/philosony-yea-though-i-walk-through-the-uncanny-valley/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/30/philosony-yea-though-i-walk-through-the-uncanny-valley/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/30/philosony-yea-though-i-walk-through-the-uncanny-valley/#commentsFiled under:


I wrote a few weeks back about the uncanny valley and Hideo Kojima's possibly telling observation that war machines of the future may exploit the creepiness of robotic simulations to instill fear in their prey. I want to turn my attention now to a discussion of the valley as it applies more directly to us as gamers - overcoming the creepiness of computer generated people. Quantic Dream has already boasted of successfully traversing the valley with its upcoming (and secretly acclaimed) PS3 exclusive Heavy Rain. While realistic graphics are one thing (and it's up to interpretation whether they succeeded in the tech demo almost two years ago), is there more to escaping the valley than mere realistic modeling?

Continue reading Philosony: Yea, though I walk through the uncanny valley...

JoystiqPhilosony: Yea, though I walk through the uncanny valley... originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AIcgiemotionheavy-rainindigo-prophecyjoystiqfeaturesphilosonyquantic-dreamrealismuncanney-valleySat, 30 Aug 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Bungie acceptance video teases new Halo goodies]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/bungie-acceptance-video-teases-new-halo-goodies/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/bungie-acceptance-video-teases-new-halo-goodies/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/12/bungie-acceptance-video-teases-new-halo-goodies/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Bungie could have strutted all the way back to home base with the "2nd Annual Halo 3 award for Interactive Innovation" without saying a word, but the developer was graceful enough to record an extremely cool acceptance video taped somewhere within the Halo universe. And it looks like it's filled with some new Halo goodness.

Are these some teasing tidbits about a possible Map Editor? Check out that last shot when our soldier pal lobs a plasma grenade towards the camera. Verrrrrrrry interesting. It's definitely a lot more robust-looking than Halo 3's Forge editor. Also, those look like new AI models of past cast members ... including Cortana. Playable models? In-game NPCs that'll be on your squad? Cats and dogs, living together? Who knows. What's for sure is that Bungie is saying "the ride isn't over yet."

JoystiqBungie acceptance video teases new Halo goodies originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AIBungieHaloHalo-3improvementsmap-editorrumorsXbox-360Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Bungie's not ruling out working on other consoles]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/bungies-not-ruling-out-working-on-other-consoles/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/bungies-not-ruling-out-working-on-other-consoles/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/bungies-not-ruling-out-working-on-other-consoles/#commentsFiled under: ,


Bungie and Microsoft have been attached at the hip for awhile now. Some gamers are Halo haters, a lot more are Halo lovers (folks do like to buy those games). While the likelihood of Halo releasing for other consoles is pretty darn slim, any future projects from the company could see release on platforms other than the Xbox 360.

During an interview with Gamesindustry.biz, Bungie's lead AI programmer, Damian Isla, didn't discount the possibility of his company working on other systems, stating that for now "we are working on Xbox 360 with Microsoft but I don't know beyond that." His own interests lean toward the Wii, however, as he lauded it for its interface and appreciated the industry "moving in a direction where a much more casual gamer can come and pick up your game and wave a wand at a screen rather than learning ten different buttons to play Halo with the current Xbox 360 controller. That's really exciting and I think that's a very positive trend for the industry." We guess Damian isn't a subscriber to the Scott Steinberg philosophy of gaming.

We couldn't agree more, Mr. Isla. We couldn't agree more ...

[Via Videogamer]

JoystiqBungie's not ruling out working on other consoles originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiartificial-intelligencebungiedamian-islahalonintendo-wiiWed, 06 Aug 2008 17:28:00 EST<![CDATA[Molyneux boasts about his post-Fable 2 project]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/10/molyneux-boasts-about-his-post-fable-2-project/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/10/molyneux-boasts-about-his-post-fable-2-project/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/10/molyneux-boasts-about-his-post-fable-2-project/#commentsFiled under: ,

Mad scientist extraordinaire Peter Molyneux has made a great discovery! In an interview with GamersGlobal, the Fable 2 designer talked about an AI-focused experiment codenamed Dmitri. The experiment became a game six months ago after "a discovery was made." Said Molyneux, "I think that discovery is so significant... This discovery has lead us to start a game and that game will be on the front cover of Nature magazines and Science magazines." That's assuming the AI project doesn't develop self-awareness and kill us all.

As for a release date, Molyneux said it would come out when "trees still [have] leaves, but with a brownish tint." Though our first thought is September, we've gone ahead and sent to Microsoft a picture of the official Joystiq elm tree spray-painted with the proper color in the hopes of an early review copy.

JoystiqMolyneux boasts about his post-Fable 2 project originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Actionaiaritificial-intelligencedmitrifable-2LionheadLionhead-StudiosMGSMicrosoft-Game-StudiosmolyneuxPCpeter-molyneuxRPGXbox-360Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Science says: Neurotic AI has a gaming edge]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/06/science-says-neurotic-ai-has-a-gaming-edge/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/06/science-says-neurotic-ai-has-a-gaming-edge/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/06/science-says-neurotic-ai-has-a-gaming-edge/#commentsFiled under: , ,

While we're not sure how comfortable we are with our artificial intelligence constructs having human-like personalities attached to them, we are interested to know what affect those personalities would have on our robot overlords' videogame abilities. So we suppose it's a good thing that the Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence conducted a study to see what types of AI personalities were best suited to games.

The study programmed four artificial intelligence agents to play single-player Age of Mythology with four distinct play styles: aggressive, defensive, normal and neurotic, the last of which was saddled with ostensible drawbacks such as "irrational assessment of resource value" and "tendency to resort to extreme playing styles." Despite these drawbacks, though, the neurotic AI played itself to a perfect 7-0 record and, surprisingly, achieved wins 3-12 minutes faster than its opponent AI, on average. The takeaway from all this? If you see Woody Allen in the Xbox Live lobby, beware!

View - Study presentation slides (PDF)
Read - Study summary at Mind Hacks

JoystiqScience says: Neurotic AI has a gaming edge originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Age of MythologyAgeOfMythologyAIartificial-intelligencecompetitionneuroticPCpersonalitywoody-allenWed, 06 Feb 2008 15:35:00 EST<![CDATA[AI middleware makes its way to Wii]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/04/ai-middleware-makes-its-way-to-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/04/ai-middleware-makes-its-way-to-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/04/ai-middleware-makes-its-way-to-wii/#commentsFiled under:

Knyogon, the company who brought AI tech Kynapse to the industry, has announced that its middleware is now available to Wii developers. It was used in the Xbox 360 game Crackdown and is also being implemented into the upcoming Fable 2. But, as far as Wii developers using the middleware, details are less clear. Knyogon's press release states that 2 developers are utilizing the Wii version fo the middleware as of now, but fails to go into any kind of specifics beyond that.

Pierre Pontevia, Kynogon CEO, comments that "Wii is a remarkable success and we are proud to offer Kynapse to Wii game developers. The unique capabilities of Wii allow developers to produce creative forms of gameplay that require innovative AI. Kynapse has been selected by a very significant number of industry leaders for the development of AAA titles." He goes on further to add that "With Kynapse, we feel Wii developers have another critical tool in their hands that helps them unleash the real magic of the Wii system."

[Via Joystiq]

JoystiqAI middleware makes its way to Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiknyogonkynapsemiddlewarenpcTue, 04 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Popular AI tech throws support behind Wii]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/04/popular-ai-tech-throws-support-behind-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/04/popular-ai-tech-throws-support-behind-wii/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/04/popular-ai-tech-throws-support-behind-wii/#commentsFiled under:


Realism is not the Wii's domain. We've come to terms with this, so much so that our psychiatrist has begun to offer us half-rates for her trouble. Even so, any efforts to help the little console along the path of next-gen righteousness are welcomed. An update today from the AI middleware sleuths at Kynogon is certainly that, as the company has announced support for the Wii, offering their popular AI tech Kynapse to Wii game developers in order to help keep their NPCs from running around all willy-nilly.

Kynapse is already used in a number of other titles, both currently available and in production for a variety of platforms, including Crackdown, Alone in the Dark, and the upcoming sequel to Fable, and while no Wii developers have come forward and announced titles they expect to take advantage of the AI solution, Kynogon notes that Kynapse has already been tapped by two different studios for use in upcoming Wii projects. Who knows, maybe someday soon we can quit visiting the shrink altogether.

JoystiqPopular AI tech throws support behind Wii originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Dec 2007 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiartificial intelligenceartificial-intelligenceArtificialIntelligencegame developmentgame-developmentGameDevelopmentkynapsekynogonmiddlewarewiiTue, 04 Dec 2007 11:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Together, PS3s can be very brainy]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/15/together-ps3s-can-be-very-brainy/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/15/together-ps3s-can-be-very-brainy/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/15/together-ps3s-can-be-very-brainy/#commentsFiled under:

Students from UC Irvine and Dartmouth college have netted themselves the $10,000 prize at IBM's Cell Broadband Engine Professor University Challenge on September 24. By connecting three PlayStation 3s together the team have emulated functions of the human brain - specifically, visual recognition algorithms. While other gaming platforms had substantial lag when performing visual recognition tasks, the PS3 lowered that to only a second of thinking time in order to recognise an object.

This marks only the beginning of the group's research into utilising artificial brain algorithms for use in robots, cars and other machines. Recreating the human brain, curing cancer - what can't the PS3 do? Maybe one day it'll even have some games to play. We kid, we kid ...

[Via Digg]

JoystiqTogether, PS3s can be very brainy originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AIbrainPs3Mon, 15 Oct 2007 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Hacker gets revenge on Puzzle Quest's bullying AI]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/hacker-gets-revenge-on-puzzle-quests-bullying-ai/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/hacker-gets-revenge-on-puzzle-quests-bullying-ai/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/10/hacker-gets-revenge-on-puzzle-quests-bullying-ai/#commentsFiled under: ,

We're not certain what sort of demonic sacrifices Infinite Interactive made to grant Puzzle Quest its hellborn AI, but we imagine that the cursed contract that authenticated the ceremony was written with the blood of many innocents. The match-three puzzler does everything short of outright cheating, stealing your advantages and setting up multiple combos, each computer-cleared gem bearing the mark of Mephistopheles.

DS gamer Zaraf plotted a strategy that would tear down the AI's defenses and avenge dozens of unfair losses. Unwilling to spend months leveling up and making preparations, staying his vendetta, he hex-edited the game to to max out his character's stats. Zaraf then armed his warrior with a class spell called Deathbringer, enabling him to fill the screen with an amount of damaging skulls equal to half of his red mana. Head past the post break for the results caught on video.

Continue reading Hacker gets revenge on Puzzle Quest's bullying AI

JoystiqHacker gets revenge on Puzzle Quest's bullying AI originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Apr 2007 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>actionreplayaibejewledcheatcheatinghackhackinghexhexeditinfiniteinteractivepuzzlepuzzlequestpuzzlerrevengerpgvendettavideowarriorTue, 10 Apr 2007 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Puzzle Quest's AI doesn't cheat, but you can!]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/01/puzzle-quests-ai-doesnt-cheat-but-you-can/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/01/puzzle-quests-ai-doesnt-cheat-but-you-can/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/04/01/puzzle-quests-ai-doesnt-cheat-but-you-can/#commentsFiled under: ,

If the number one complaint gamers have with Puzzle Quest is its limited availability at game shops, then the second most common point of protest would be the Puzzle/RPG's cheating AI. People are just as apt to sing praises about its addictive gameplay as they are to howl over the AI's godlike prescience. We've spent more than a few battles shaking our fists at the game as computer-controlled enemies racked up lucky combos and more extra turns than chicken on a rotisserie.

Sensing that the mob was two forums threads away from storming his house with torches and pitchforks, Infinite Interactive's Steve Fawkner made a public statement assuring players that the AI has no unseen advantages. Having worked on the code himself, Steve reasoned that he's too lazy to have programmed anything that advanced.

If that explanation isn't convincing enough, there are still steps you can take to even the playing field. You can unlock a debug menu by pushing in a complex set of keypresses, allowing you to activate several hidden features. Check past the post break for more details on the cheat code and a comic about Puzzle Quest's AI.

Continue reading Puzzle Quest's AI doesn't cheat, but you can!

JoystiqPuzzle Quest's AI doesn't cheat, but you can! originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 01 Apr 2007 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever since the success of The Beast, the alternate reality game created to help pimp Spielberg's A.I. back in 2001, alternate reality games (ARGs) have been popping up left and right, most notably the I Love Bees ARG that was used to launch Halo 2. Based on what the panelists were telling us, there are a lot more coming down the pipeline.

However, one of the problems was that the panel promised to help define the term "alternate reality game," but that never happened. Wikipedia calls it "an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants' ideas or actions." Which is quite a mouthful. But that makes us wonder, does it have to use the web as a medium to be an ARG? When people used to play T.A.G. or Killer on college campuses, that was definitely an ARG ... but where did those games go?

Continue reading SXSW: ARG! The Attack of the Alternate Reality Games

JoystiqSXSW: ARG! The Attack of the Alternate Reality Games originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 11 Mar 2007 21:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2007A.I.AIalternatealternate realityalternate reality gamesargaudiaustinDan Honevangelistfuni love beesMicrosoftmind candyPCperplex citySXSWSXSW07The BeatXboxSun, 11 Mar 2007 21:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Assassin's Creed's brains exclusive to 360]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/04/assassins-creeds-brains-exclusive-to-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/04/assassins-creeds-brains-exclusive-to-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/04/assassins-creeds-brains-exclusive-to-360/#commentsFiled under: ,

Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft's erstwhile PS3 exclusive, has finally been confirmed for the Xbox 360 and, just a few short weeks later, they were even showing off gameplay at Microsoft's X06 event, with nary a PS3 in sight. When they weren't enjoying the fun and sun in Barcelona, Ubi producers, like Jade Raymond, were doing walkthroughs of the game and even comparing platform strengths. From IGN:

"While the PlayStation 3 and 360 versions of Assassin's Creed are virtually identical, Raymond did say that on the 360 the team is putting a special emphasis on achievements. The hardware also allows for improved threading, which will improve even further the crowd AI."

We're not sure what this means? Is it that the triple-core processor in the 360 is more powerful than Sony's Cell (we don't think so) or that it's simply easier to extract power from the 360 due to a more streamlined development environment? John Carmack says it's "a really sweet development system," and in the game development community, that's like money in the bank. So, since the crowd is going to be such a major part of Assassin's gameplay, can we expect a better experience on 360? Or is this just developers nitpicking over the minutiae of cross-platform development?

[Via 360stuff]

JoystiqAssassin's Creed's brains exclusive to 360 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 04 Oct 2006 11:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AIAssassin's CreedAssassin'sCreedPlayStation 3Playstation3UbisoftWed, 04 Oct 2006 11:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Assassin's Creed 360 has superior AI, says Ubisoft producer [update 2]]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/29/assassins-creed-360-has-superior-ai-says-ubisoft-producer/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/29/assassins-creed-360-has-superior-ai-says-ubisoft-producer/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/09/29/assassins-creed-360-has-superior-ai-says-ubisoft-producer/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Assassin's CreedAssassin's Creed producer Jade Raymond has let slip what she must have assumed was a minor detail, suggesting the Xbox 360 version of Ubisoft's upcoming release will boast superior crowd AI when compared to the PlayStation 3 version. She points to 360's more-capable threading technology as the reason for this slight improvement. Raymond also noted that the Xbox team is working on some special achievements for Assassin's Creed, but she did not comment on the state of PS3 "entitlements."

Many had anticipated that Assassin's Creed would be one of PS3's future hits (a reason to invest in the pricey console), if not the killer app -- but that was when AC was "exclusive" to Sony's console. Will news that the Xbox 360 version is apparently "smarter" drive some console sales away from Sony and into Microsoft's corner? Will the MS camp try to market this detail to its advantage? This is an issue to watch.

[Update 1: clarified wording with regard to comment #4.]

Update 2: As described in comment #7, IGN writes: "you will actually feel for handholds." We assume this means the (Xbox 360) controller will vibrate when Altair is in position to use safe hand- and footholds. But with a lack of rumble support, how will the PS3 handle this gameplay feature?

JoystiqAssassin's Creed 360 has superior AI, says Ubisoft producer [update 2] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Sep 2006 16:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Upstart company AIseek has announced the Intia processor, the "first dedicated processor for artificial intelligence (AI)" according to its website. The website promises better terrain analysis, line-of-sight calculations, and path finding capabilities. The website offers demo videos to download, but they all seem to be offline right now (Ars Technica saw a video and was impressed).

Theoretically, the card is a great idea in the vein of Ageia's PhysX card -- who doesn't hate the lackadaisical AI found in today's games? But, as Engadget points out, it suffers from the chicken/egg dilemma: no customer will buy the card until games are made that utilize it, but no developer will make a game utilizing Intia unless it already has an installed base. The best bet for AIseek would be to lobby console makers to get its chip included in the next generation -- some of the earliest 3D cards found success because of their inclusion in PlayStation and Nintendo 64.

No one would purchase an AI processor out of support for the idea alone; the technology is great, but what high-profile developer would take the risk and program excess code for a small, possibly nonexistent, audience?

[via Engadget]

JoystiqStand-alone AI card: is it viable? originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Sep 2006 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aiai seekAiSeekartificial intelligenceArtificialIntelligenceintiaMacPCWed, 06 Sep 2006 17:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Next-gen games need next-gen AI]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2006/01/03/next-gen-games-need-nextgen-ai/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/01/03/next-gen-games-need-nextgen-ai/http://www.joystiq.com/2006/01/03/next-gen-games-need-nextgen-ai/#commentsFiled under:

Method Director has an interesting blog post up on the role of AI to make game characters' performances more realistic. How many times have you wandered away from a character while they continued talking? Tried to shoot your teammates and not had a hint of reprimand for it? Some games handle this better than others, but generally while the graphics and physics engines of modern (and so-called next-gen) games are spectacular, the AI can be unbelievable and wooden.
 
The arts of theatre direction and improvisational acting are not black and forbidden subjects--they're taught widely and have well known and recognisable methods. It's about time some game developers started getting a little more creative with the way their NPCs behave. Method Director posts a sample algorithm; simple character motivation and emotional states could go a long way to making characters realistic. While some games do manage realistic and believable AI, it seems that most focus on the "wow" factors before making plot and character realistic--and just like a bad movie, a game with great graphics but no depth can flop.

JoystiqNext-gen games need next-gen AI originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 03 Jan 2006 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ainpcTue, 03 Jan 2006 14:30:00 EST