Amanita Design, the creators of the beloved 2009 game Machinarium, have publicly denounced an AI-generated animation that was presented as a tribute to their work. The studio criticized the animation, stating it was "disgusting" and bore no relation to their artistic process.
On October 20, Nura Studios, a company focused on "AI storytelling," posted a video tribute to Machinarium. The animation, which has since been removed, was clearly generated by artificial intelligence, according to observers. Amanita Design responded forcefully on social media, expressing dismay at the use of their game's assets and the "slop animations" produced by AI.
"Love letters are supposed to be handwritten," Amanita Design tweeted. "This looks disgusting and has nothing to do with us or our craft."
The studio's reaction highlights a growing tension between traditional game development and the proliferation of AI-generated content. Nura Studios' mission is to "empower creators with a human-led AI platform to bring high-quality stories to life," a statement that contrasts sharply with Amanita's artisanal approach.
Following the backlash, Nura Studios CEO Sylvio Drouin issued an apology via X (formerly Twitter), stating, "We are so sorry for the post we did. We thought it was an homage to your amazing work and I already deleted the posts, again please accept our sincere apologies."
Amanita Design has not yet publicly responded to the apology. The studio recently announced Machinarium 2, the sequel to their critically acclaimed puzzle-adventure game.