This kind of infuriates me. On rare occasions loading into the game (unmodified) it’ll glitch out and forget to render the borders for a good 5 minutes or until first teleport. Like come on! I can see it! I know you’re doing it!
Another game, Code Vein (shut up, I love it, just embrace some trash from time to time) did the same thing. I could tell because the layering was messed up and your partner’s nameplate would render over the black borders by mistake …
WTF, no, this is worse in every way. So instead of being involved with the people and topics I choose, it’s instead left up to an algorithm? Somehow even more opaque than usual because of AI involvement.
This isn’t solving any problem, this is yet another mask to push content in front of people.
"This will enable us to release the vast majority of games that use it. "
So it sounds like the floodgates are opening and now it’ll be up to the users to sort out the flood of BS. None of this is truly surprising, while I’m not cynical enough to suggest their temporary stance was a quick way to score some easy points with the anti-AI crowd, we all kind of have to acknowledge that this technology is coming and Steam is too big to be left behind by it. It stands to reason.
I also understand the reasoning for splitting pre/live-generated AI content, but it’s all going to go in the same dumpster for me regardless.
I certainly think it’s possible to use pre-generated AI content in an ethical and reasonable way when you’re committed to having it reach a strong enough stylistic and artistic vision with editors and artists doing sufficient passes over it. The thing is, the people already developing in that way would continue to do so because of their own standards, they won’t be affected by this decision. The people wanting to use generative AI to pump out quick cash grabs are the ones that will latch onto it, I can’t think of any other base this really appeals to.
One of my favorite examples of this was playing The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure on the Gamecube back in they day. Me and a friend were really into it, but had trouble rounding up extra players. We got his little sister and an unwilling third friend to join. After about 30 minutes the unwilling friend, Marcus, gets bored with the game and starts sabotaging the rest of us. He’d run around smacking us with his sword making us drop rupees or refuse to stand where we needed him. That’s honestly when it became fun for all of us, though.
The other three of us would plan out the room and then we’d figure out how to wrangle Marcus back into place. Someone would hold him so he couldn’t go rogue and hit us while the others got in place to pull some levers before the wrangler would toss Marcus onto a pressure plate or something. He got to continue being a little bastard while we (slowly) made progress through the game. He eventually came around and helped us when it was absolutely necessary, but it was always clear it was just so he could keep being a bastard again. I really enjoy that asymmetrical style of gameplay and wish more things capitalized on it.
Also on the Gamecube of notable mention was Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. Always fun when someone would get the personal mission of “take the most damage” and become a suicidal maniac in every encounter, much to everyone else’s detriment. Ah the good old days.
I think that’s a respectable enough goal, though. Those games are clearly awful to play or actually experience in any way directly, but something about the weird and off-putting animations and voice acting has really resonated with people. I think with a team that has the skill and interest to put together something they’re actually invested in (and polish those platforming controls for the love of god) you could get something truly special.
Sure, it’s probably never going to achieve wide appeal, but I don’t think that’s the intent. This is the kind of stuff I want to see coming out of the indie scene, cult classics born of weird passions.
Keep your eyes open for Mina the Hollower hopefully later this year, it wears its Link’s Awakening inspiration on its sleeve. Adorable mouse character and healthy dose of Castlevania mashup from the developers of Shovel Knight, I’ll be surprised if it turns out anything other than a slam dunk.
Elden Ring: Shadows of the Erdtree will come with a day 1 patch with various improvements
This info comes from the Elden Ring twitter account...
Maven Is a New Social Network That Eliminates Followers—and Hopefully Stress (www.wired.com)
archive.ph/vlcmB
Steamworks Development - AI Content on Steam (steamcommunity.com)
Key points:...
Alternate ways of playing games
Inspired by SNESDrunk’s “Unconventional Ways to Play Classic Super Nintendo Games” videos. (You should definitely check SNESDrunk out)....
Weekly “What are you playing” Thread || Week of July 16th
Another week another thread!...
Limited Run Games announce "Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore" - A spiritual successor to the Zelda CD-i games (twitter.com)
A South Park meme is now a real Hello Kitty game (www.polygon.com)
87% Missing: the Disappearance of Classic Video Games (gamehistory.org)
Aonuma says Nintendo not thinking about classic style Zelda games at the moment. Does anyone think it likely they could use a third party developer again, like when Capcom made the Minish Cap ? (nintendoeverything.com)