Imagine telling Christopher Judge that an AI could replace his portrayal of Kratos in God of War.
Over the weekend, the video game industry was embroiled in a heated debate about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in game development, particularly as it relates to voice acting and performance capture.
The main initiator? Christoph Hartmann, the head of Amazon Games, known for hits like New World And cruciblethat no one really remembers.
Hartmann recently advocated for greater integration of artificial intelligence into video game production, while seemingly downplaying the importance of voice actors – much to the collective chagrin of the internet world.
In a recent interview, Hartmann shared his vision, saying that AI will help streamline the video game development process and reduce production times. He argued that the current five-year development cycle for AAA games is too long and suggested that AI could help shorten this to around three years. This, he believes, would allow for more iterations and potentially lower budgets.
However, Hartmann’s negative comments on voice acting, in which he says, “There’s no such thing as acting for games,” have been criticized for their inaccuracy and for ignoring the crucial role of voice actors and motion capture actors in modern game development.
This statement comes at a particularly sensitive time, as members of SAG-AFTRA, the union that represents many voice actors in the gaming industry, are on strike. The union is fighting for better protections for its members, particularly with regard to the use of AI technology that could potentially replace human voice artists.
Hartmann’s comments couldn’t be further from the truth. Most critically acclaimed and commercially successful games of recent years have been praised for their performances. Titles like The Last of Us Part II, God of War: Ragnarok, and Baldur’s Gate 3 have all been praised for their voice acting and motion capture work.
Can you imagine if AI Ashley Johnson as Ellie in The Last of Us? Or would Kratos’ now iconic “boy” resonate as much if it weren’t for Christopher Judge?
Harmann was not satisfied with his comments and views on AI and performance capture. He also suggested that AI could be particularly useful in game localization, as it would potentially enable support for more languages in games. While this could indeed improve accessibility for gamers around the world, it overlooks the nuanced work of professional translators and voice actors in adapting games to different cultures and languages.
You don’t have to be an expert to realize that the human element in game development—be it voice acting, motion capture, or other aspects—helps create the memorable characters and experiences that make great games.
It’s clear that integrating AI into game development remains a controversial topic and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. While advocates like Hartmann see it as a way to increase efficiency and expand creative possibilities, many rightly express concern about the potential loss of jobs and the impact on game quality. The ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike underscores the seriousness of the situation and the need for the video game industry to carefully consider how it will use AI.
The biggest challenge now for the industry’s biggest publishers is to find a way to balance the potential benefits of AI while preserving the irreplaceable human elements that have made video games such a powerful and popular medium.
