The game industry is enduring a tumultuous period — but amidst the layoffs, the technological acceleration, the new platforms and shifting business models — there is also enormous opportunity… But only if one invests wisely. Visit: Game Development Trends in2024: Crisis and Opportunity Here is what I cover in my recent substack article: ? Revenue is down, while costs are up: this is why layoffs are happening. But what can teams do to navigate the next year? ? “This Game is Fun, Bro” — the divide between the mainstream gaming markets and what vocal groups claim on social media; the im ..read more

A few days ago, my team won grant prize the LA AI Virtual Worlds hackathon during the a16z Tech Week by creating a roleplaying game in one day. This is the result of me spending the last few years obsessed with accelerating game development. A big part of that is generative AI — as well as the work we’re doing at Beamable to enable you to get the servers set up for entire worlds setup on “day zero.” Along the way I’ve done a number of experiments, as well as conversations with hundreds of people (including a dozen recorded conversations for my video podcast, Building the Metaverse ..read more

I have started a new series of conversations with pioneers in generative AI: the creators, builders and entrepreneurs who are shaping the future. The first just went live on Metavert.tv. Here’s the first episode, with Hilary Mason — CEO of Hidden Door, who is doing amazing things with language models and games. I’ve also recently updated my Market Map of Generative AI for Virtual Worlds (games, simulations, real-time experiences). You’ll want to check it out here: All of my articles and content are now being actively maintained on the Metavert Meditations Substack. All of my o ..read more

The Risks of Too Much AI Safety In the last week we saw a thousand people call for a six-month pause on AI experimentation — and even one person call for international treaties banning them, who is willing to commit countries to airstrikes against GPU clusters to enforce compliance. I thought it was important to look at what a six-month pause might mean: a 6-month delay in discovering some of the methods that could be important to solving some of the most important challenges facing the human species: nuclear war, climate change, pandemics, biotechnological risks. I also include other exi ..read more

I just wrote: Data Fabric for the Metaverse: Interoperability Starts at Home. About the importance of building the right data infra for your live-services game; and a bit about where blockchain fits (and doesn’t fit) into your strategy. The article is here: Data Fabric for the Metaverse. As a reminder, I’ve shifted from Medium to Substack. It’s better to build our online community there — and would love to see you over there! Data Fabric for Live Services Games was originally published in Building the Metaverse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and r ..read more

Amidst the talk of optimizing the production pipeline for narrative, 2D art and even 3D — I thought that one of the more intriguing areas for game development and virtual worlds is in bringing generative AI directly into the gameplay loop. That’s the subject of my latest post: Game Design Ideas for GenAI Please enjoy the article. I’m posting my new content over at Substack now, and would love to hear from you over there! Designing GenAI Into The Game Loop was originally published in Building the Metaverse on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting a ..read more

It will not replace the deep connection you feel with an old friend. It will not replace your sense of wonder upon learning something new, beholding the splendor of the cosmos. It will not replace the thrill of wrestling the trout from the waters as you stand hip-deep in the rushing river. It will not replace the achievement you feel when standing astride the summit, the mists rolling beneath you like a sea of clouds. It will not replace the surge of accomplishment when you see the Starscourge lay fallen by your strategem. It will not replace the delight of crafting someth ..read more

Someday soon, we’ll speak entire universes into existence. This article is a guide to the companies building the generative artificial intelligence technology that will lead to these virtual worlds (games, simulations, metaverse applications). Existing market maps describing the landscape for generative AI lack a convincing organization, instead seeming to be random boxes based on functionality. Since most of my readers are interested in the technologies and companies powering things like games, simulations and metaverse applications — you’ll find this map helpful in charting who is moving the ..read more

With recent advances in generative AI, there has been a lot of discussion about how it will be used in games, virtual worlds and the metaverse. So far, most of the focus has been on how we can speed up production pipelines, given how capital and labor-intensive many parts of game development are. However, the opportunity for generative AI extends well beyond the production process. Indeed, generative AI is already finding its way into the game loop within products like AI Dungeon, Hidden Door and Replika; likewise, AI opponents are succeeding within games like Diplomacy that requires players ..read more

We are on the threshold of the most important change in productivity since the harnessing of fire allowed our hominid ancestors to eat better, spend a lot less time chewing, and gather enough nutrients to evolve bigger brains. Now, artificial intelligence is augmenting the power of our brains, and it seems that no field of human endeavor will be unaffected. “No to AI Art” — Composition by the author in Stable Diffusion Transportation and warehousing jobs will largely be replaced by robots and autonomous vehicles. Fast food preparation, janitorial and many manufacturing jobs will follow. I ..read more