NEW: ‘Nobody is Interested in Playing a Game That’s Made by AI’, Neil Newbon Says

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This year, Neil Newbon unveiled the Pixel Pack – an impressive showcase of top-tier gaming creativity. The aim behind the Pixel Pack is to improve character depiction in games by countering the increasing trend of AI voice replication, and serve as a beacon of inspiration for a community grappling with numerous challenges.

During the BAFTA Games Awards held in London, I had a conversation with Neil Newbon, discussing the Pixel Pack and future plans for the team. This discussion shed light on how Artificial Intelligence is influencing skilled actors and developers globally.

Here’s the full video interview:

‘The Problem is Awareness’

As a gaming enthusiast, I couldn’t squeeze much information out of Neil Newbon regarding the Pixel Pack’s future projects. However, I managed to glean an intriguing mission statement that resonated with their purpose:

“We at the Pixel Pack are dedicated to crafting immersive, engaging, and innovative gaming experiences for our community, aiming to push the boundaries of creativity and entertainment.

We’re brainstorming ways to leverage the support we currently have and advocate more effectively for performers. A key aspect is ensuring that AI doesn’t replace human actors in roles, while also emphasizing that game actors are indeed actors, not just voice artists. Our work in games is on par with performances in films, TV, and theater.

Just a heads-up: These remarkable individuals with exceptional skills ought to keep producing their work.

As a gamer, let me tell you, there’s been plenty of chatter about these AI performers. Frankly, they don’t excite me one bit – they’re just not appealing. I’ve had conversations with numerous professionals within the industry, including developers, and the consensus seems to be that these AI alternatives aren’t something people are eager to embrace.

It’s crucial for people to know about these performers and their extraordinary, at times difficult, roles. They truly deserve recognition for what they do.

One primary objective of the Pixel Pack is to demonstrate that individuals with diverse backgrounds can participate in gaming. To achieve this, the team comprises a broad range of specialists, including motion capture artists, voice actors, animal performers, and experts in performance capture.

As we delved deeper into our chat, I found myself becoming increasingly engrossed in the topic of AI, particularly its role in replicating and potentially replacing human abilities.

As a gamer, I believe it’s crucial to call out such issues and emphasize that it’s not acceptable. The battle here lies in raising awareness among the gaming community, as we, the players, hold the power to influence change. After all, if developers deliver subpar performances, will we, the gamers, be satisfied? In today’s world, I think the narrative and gameplay are intertwined like never before.

In older times, the focus was primarily on gameplay, and storyline was occasionally included, although not consistently. Today, however, there seems to be an increasing demand for both compelling narratives and engaging gameplay. I believe this is crucial in preventing misuse of AI because, fundamentally, people are less likely to accept it if it doesn’t offer a rich narrative experience along with good gameplay.

Some of the people I’ve spoken to, nobody is interested in playing a game that’s made by AI.

As a fervent admirer, I’ve always found the absence of human interaction to be pivotal in these discussions. There are certain aspects that AI simply can’t mimic, such as the organic flaws of humanity, which Neil eloquently pointed out, can sometimes spark ‘unexpected joy’ in a creative setting. To quote him directly, ‘You just can’t replicate or generate that, it’s not feasible through software – you simply can’t.’

It’s likely that the Pixel Pack will express their unified opinion on these ongoing gaming industry topics quite soon.

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2025-04-09 18:49