Yuji Horii, the visionary behind the beloved Dragon Quest RPG series, has voiced his enthusiasm for artificial intelligence, even utilizing AI to create his own game. Horii, also known in Japan for the 1983 murder mystery adventure The Portopia Serial Murder Case, recently developed a short, browser-based experience titled Komiya in the Interrogation Room using Anthropic's Claude AI.
A New Approach to Game Creation
The game places players in an interrogation scenario where they must question a suspect, Komiya, about a potential safe robbery. By selecting various lines of inquiry, players aim to uncover the truth while managing Agitation and Resistance meters that fluctuate based on the questioning. If these meters reach their maximum, Komiya will cease providing answers.
Horii shared his creation on social media, highlighting the speed and ease with which it was made. He estimated spending only about 30 minutes on its development. "Back when I made The Portopia Serial Murder Case on PC, I had to come up with the story myself, draw the art, write the code, and create everything by myself," Horii stated in his post. "Now, with AI, even if you can’t draw, or you can’t program, you can create a game by yourself simply by asking the AI to do it for you. It’s incredible."
This sentiment reflects a growing interest in AI's potential within the gaming industry. Horii has frequently praised AI in recent months, noting its improved ability to avoid factual inaccuracies. The Dragon Quest series itself has also been involved in generative AI promotions in Japan, in partnership with Google's Gemini.
Horii is currently involved in crafting the scenario for Dragon Quest XII, a project that recently underwent a significant reboot. Meanwhile, his influential early work, The Portopia Serial Murder Case, is slated for a remake by G-Mode, spearheaded by developers and artists.