Microsoft Xbox Unveils a Highly Impractical AI Model for ‘Gameplay Ideation’

Yesterday, Microsoft Xbox introduced Muse, a new generative AI tool crafted to aid in “gameplay ideation.” Along with the launch, they shared an open-access article on Nature.com, a detailed blog post, and a YouTube video. You might be wondering, what exactly is “gameplay ideation”? According to Microsoft, it involves creating “game visuals, controller actions, or both.” However, its practical applications are somewhat restricted and don’t really bypass the traditional game development steps.

Despite these limitations, the data behind Muse is quite intriguing. The AI was trained on a large scale using H100 GPUs. Astonishingly, it took about a million training updates to stretch a single second of actual gameplay into nine seconds of additional, simulated gameplay that closely mimics reality. Interestingly, most of the training data was sourced from existing multiplayer game sessions.

In a departure from the norm of running games on a single system, Microsoft had to employ a cluster of 100 Nvidia H100 GPUs to train Muse. This approach is exponentially more costly and energy-draining, yet it only managed to churn out an approximate resolution of 300×180 pixels for the nine extra seconds of gameplay.

The standout feature of Muse? Its ability to duplicate game props and enemies while replicating their behavior. It makes you wonder why all this investment in hardware, electricity, and AI training was necessary when game developers could simply use existing tools to generate enemies or props directly.

While Muse succeeded in mimicking object permanence and maintaining the original game’s behaviors, the achievement seems extravagant compared to the existing, highly effective game development processes. Although Muse might eventually unlock more captivating possibilities, it currently joins a host of other projects striving to entirely simulate gameplay using AI. With some degree of engine accuracy and object permanence preserved, the approach remains far from ideal for developing, testing, or playing video games. After thoroughly examining all available information, it’s genuinely puzzling why anyone would opt for this method.

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