谷歌正式公布AI游戏创建平台Playground

Google has announced a new browser-based game-creation platform, Playground, that will allow users to generate their own simple AI games using text prompts, with a more complex version powered by Unity on the way.

Playground is launching today in an “experimental” phase, according to Google. Users can “direct the game just by typing what you want to build,” it says, then test their creation offline or share it with friends via a link.

“Game creation has historically been limited to a very select group with technical experience,” it says. “Playground lowers the barriers to creation, so bringing game ideas to life can now be as easy as describing it through a few prompts — no coding experience required.”

A more advanced version of the same idea, made in partnership with Unity, will launch later this year. ‘Unity Spark’ will also be browser-based and let users generate 3D games via text prompts, using assets from Unity’s store.

In a blog post, Unity CEO Matt Bromberg said the technology isn’t about “one-shotting” or asking AI to “regurgitate an already invented game”.

“[That] does not make you the next Hideo Kojima, any more than re-typing the first paragraph of War and Peace in your word processor makes you Tolstoy,” he said. “Unity Spark is about being able to create real, unique interactive experiences. To build something worth working on, polishing, and sharing.

“It’s about using the new technology to enable more people to express themselves. And it all begins with the game art. Unity Spark connects directly to the Unity Asset Store, so you can build with thousands of high-quality, artist-created assets made by our community.

“We made Unity Spark for the gamers who have spent a thousand hours inside a genre and know exactly what’s missing. The graphic artist who wants to bring their vision to life but doesn’t know how to code. Modders who now want to create something entirely new. That’s the opportunity we see: Folks with real creative conviction who can now fulfill their full potential.”

Generative AI remains a contentious subject in video games, particularly due to issues around plagiarism and the perceived poor quality of its results. However, many developers are using AI in the creation of their games, in an attempt to lower costs and speed up development.

Unity saw its share price plummet 20 percent last year when Google unveiled its Genie 3 world generation model. Speaking to The FT, Bromberg said the market reaction was a “misunderstanding” of how AI would affect the $200bn games industry. “AI doesn’t replace software; it uses it,” he said.