Fumito Ueda, the acclaimed director known for his work on games like Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and The Last Guardian, has stated that his studio, GenDesign, is not employing generative AI for the development of its upcoming title, Gen Atlas. The exception to this rule lies in project management tasks.
In an interview with PC Gamer, Ueda explained that GenDesign utilizes AI for functions such as "coming up with schedules," "summarizing meeting notes," and providing guidance on using new tools. However, he emphasized that "everything that is considered game development" is exclusively created by human hands.
The increasing capabilities of generative AI have led to a common practice of developers disclosing its use, particularly distinguishing between mundane applications like drafting emails and more controversial uses such as ideation, localization, asset generation, music composition, or voice synthesis.
While Steam mandates that developers disclose the use of generative AI in these sensitive areas, most other game storefronts do not. The Epic Games Store, which will host the PC release of Gen Atlas, has no such disclosure requirement. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney has publicly questioned the logic behind Steam's policy.
Despite varying platform policies, consumer interest in how games are made is evident on social media. Many players actively seek to know if and how generative AI was involved in a game's creation, with checking a game's Steam page for disclosures becoming a routine step for some following a game's announcement. This sentiment was highlighted when generative AI usage in the development of a Crazy Taxi remake was noted through such means.