Grand Theft Auto VI: the last pre-AI blockbuster video game of its kind

On November 19th, millions of individuals, primarily men, will take time off from work. They will venture to their basements, power up their gaming consoles, and immerse themselves in Rockstar Games' Vice City. It will be covered by television news, featured in newspapers, and even parodied on Saturday Night Live. This event is predicted to generate more revenue than any entertainment property ever created, marking it as a significant cultural moment.

However, Grand Theft Auto VI will also be the last of its kind. This is not due to Rockstar's inability to create more masterpieces (they certainly will) nor to the potential cost-saving benefits of AI in the gaming industry (AI has already begun to lower costs). GTA VI symbolizes the end of a certain creative model in narrative video games that has been prevalent for over three decades.

As teams grew larger, the scale of games increased, resulting in more expansive worlds, detailed cities, extensive scripts, and more content for players. The creative process in video game development is intricate and costly, involving numerous artists, programmers, writers, designers, and other professionals. Even small changes in direction can be financially and operationally challenging, as altering an idea often requires revisiting and adjusting hundreds, or even thousands, of interconnected decisions.

The advent of AI technology is poised to change this process. By enabling smaller teams to develop playable and expressive prototypes earlier in the development cycle, AI can help studios make more informed decisions about which ideas to fully invest in and which to discard. This shift could potentially lead to a new era in game development, where the focus moves from creating ever larger and more expensive games to producing innovative and unique experiences.

Much like the shift from realistic art to abstract forms after the introduction of photography, AI may usher in a new wave of creative possibilities in the gaming industry.