Not many people know that "AI" in video games is not a real "artificial intelligence."
Video games have non-playable characters (NPCs) that are preprogrammed. They only do what they're coded with, and won't go beyond what the developers have in mind for them.
But Sony wants to change that.
The Japanese technology giant has patented a machine-learning technology that can automatically adjust the difficulty levels of NPCs based on their gameplay performance.
The AI can be used to alter a game boss' moves “based on successful and/or unsuccessful methods or tactics” previously used by the gamer.
The methods or tactics may include, as examples, changes in particular attacks such as a flying punch, a low kick and so forth, that can be based on certain gamers' movements and location changes within the level or fighting environment in which the gamer tends to remain while fighting the NPC.
And based on the gamers gameplay, the AI can adjust the NPC to make it easier or more difficult to beat.
According to Sony Interactive Entertainment, such a deep-learning system can override the default difficulty levels placed in by developers.
Instead of having a fixed levels of difficulties, the AI can adjust them in the fly, by learning from gamers based on their gameplay.
Each attempt by a gamer will generate data based on what abilities and strategies the player and the boss use. This in turn will feed the AI with data to adjust the difficulty levels.
For example, if a gamer can easily beat a boss using a certain weapon or attack pattern, the AI can equip the NPC with a new defense item or the ability to counter the attack pattern.
And if the gamer kept dying from one of NPC's move or attack, the AI will adjust the NPC so it will use that move less often.
The AI can learn to adjust the difficulties of NPCs based on data gathered from individual gamer or patterns recognized from multiple players.
In return, higher-level gamers may be rewarded for their skills, as the patent also proposes in providing varying prizes depending on their level of difficulty:
The reward may include, for example, a particular trophy, a particular medal, a particular amount of video game currency, a particular amount of video game points, and/or a particular amount of currency to spend via an electronic or e-commerce store.
Sony said that the AI-generated difficulty system won't be enforced on players.
Because the AI requires their gameplay data and may change the experience of a game, gamers have the ability to opt-in and opt-out of the AI-powered dynamically-changing difficulty levels settings.
This toggle for this option should be made available throughout the game, and can be changed on the fly.
