Wed, Jul 06, 2011 | 19:00 BST
Ubisoft: Strength of next-gen systems will be in AI not graphics
Ubisoft’s executive director of production services at the firm’s Montreal studio, is of the opinion that AI will be the next, big technological step forward with the next generation of home consoles.
According to Yves Jacquier, next-gen consoles won’t be focusing primarily on graphics hardware, thanks to Wii proving that better graphics doesn’t necessarily sell hardware.
“AI has always been the real battleground,” he told GI.biz. “The challenge is that, if you see an AI coming, you’ve failed. And that’s a problem we have to overcome as we create the impression of flawless, seamless worlds.
“In general the industry expects that graphics will not be a strong feature any more… Obviously, graphics are better for marketing purposes because you can show things. AI you can’t show. Our challenge with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox [360] is that we’re extremely limited in what we can do. It’s a challenge for the engineers to provide nice graphics and nice AI and nice sound with a very small amount of memory and computation time.
“We think that the next generation of consoles won’t have these limits any more. Games might have more realistic graphics and more on-screen, but what’s the value of making something more realistic and better animated if you have poor AI?”
Jacquier has been working with students at Montreal University, using Ubisoft’s recent pledge of $200,000 a year for the next five years, in order to help students come up with “other ways of thinking” about game development.
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Posted in: Development, Ubisoft, hardware
Tags: Yves Jacquier
14 comments
#1
Gama_888
06/07/11, 7:08 pm
I LIKE THIS!!!
Although the title is a little misleading.
But yeh aslong as the next machines can all run 1080p 60fps in 3D then graphics will stop being an issue and developers will have to focus on making a fun game rather than a pretty one.
#2
LOLshock94
06/07/11, 7:13 pm
coming from the team who make the worst AI in the world
#3
NoxNoctisUmbra
06/07/11, 7:14 pm
Next gen Systems should at least have 4 gigs of ram. RAM is super cheap these days, no way in hell they will not include 4gigs!!! THis generation console is what? HALF A GIG? what a joke!
#4
Fin
06/07/11, 7:17 pm
Er, why isn’t Erth in this comment section talking bullshit?
Only a matter of time I guess!
#5
Lewis247
06/07/11, 7:17 pm
“…but what’s the value of making something more realistic and better animated if you have poor AI?” *cough* Crysis 2 *cough*
Sure AI will get better that much is clear but graphics will still and always have been a big wow factor for every generation. I can only imagine how good the games will look on the proper next gen in about 2014-15 AAAND look at how much better games look over the course of consoles… Take halo 3 in 2007 for example compared to reach in 2010. Same console just games getting increasingly better over time.
Really can’t wait to see what we are getting ourselfs into in a few years when we start seeing the next gen of consoles. (I mean proper next gen, not the wii U that has just been able to keep up with 2005 standards..)
#6
Erthazus
06/07/11, 7:46 pm
Well of course. whats AI you can make with 256-512 Mb Ram and this processing power? Not much.
Strategy games are also not possible in most cases on consoles like SHOGUN for example. No way in hell.
@4, because you are on this comment section talking bullshit already.
#7
Blandock
06/07/11, 7:50 pm
I hope so.
#8
NightCrawler1970
06/07/11, 7:57 pm
Ya’ll getting asskicked by AI!!! lmao from UBi-Soft, yeah i can remember Ubi Ai behavior, Silent Hunter II & III & IV, that Destroyers didn’t do shit to attack me, for me easy picking… but that all change when SH modded came with Gray-wolf expansion pack
#9
Fin
06/07/11, 8:12 pm
@6
lol u mad bro?
#10
HauntaVirus
06/07/11, 8:19 pm
LOL Erth is legit haha!
#11
sb319
06/07/11, 8:27 pm
Well this is more or less exactly the kind of thing that was said during the last console transition. It wasn’t true then either.
Most (all?) of the big hitters from this generation have been very simple games, very light on AI or new gameplay ideas. It has never been about lack of horsepower. I see no indication that this would shift suddenly with a new generation of more powerful systems.
#12
DSB
06/07/11, 8:36 pm
A lot of the games that would traditionally benefit from complex AI wouldn’t really work on consoles anyway. It’s not very interesting to play a shooter with great AI keeping you on your toes, if you’re relying on something like auto aim. At least for me that would greatly hurt the experience.
#13
OlderGamer
07/07/11, 12:14 am
I have been saying this for awhile.
The games will look smoother, sharper, but not much better then we already have.
And I doubt AI will be revolutionary either. TBH, I wouldn’t play a game that I couldn’t beat. I already have that problem in many games. Tho to be fair oftne the case is because of stacked and cheating AI not AI thats too smart.
I am just saying that as games become more and more ascesible to larger demographics, making our games smarter/tougher aren’t going to reel too many folks in.
Altho I am sick of this gen and would enjoy the freshness and excitment of something new, I don’t really think we need a next gen of consoles. I don’t see any leaps and bounds that they can make w/o dramaticly driving costs up.
And in a world where Wii outsells PS360, and Angry Birds outsells most triple A games, asking yourself if it is really about raw power anyways? Would seem like a smart question to ask.
#14
Maximum Payne
07/07/11, 9:39 am
@2 Did you play Assassin Creed ? It has very complex AI for open world game
Overall Ubisoft game have pretty solid AI .