What Went Wrong With Microsoft’s AI Version of Quake II?

 

Do we need AI-generated video games? I don’t think so. In a recent move that’s nostalgic and futuristic, Microsoft revealed to the world an AI-generated rendition of the classic 1997 first-person shooter Quake II. But the reception is not so positive.

Microsoft’s AI-made Quake 2 a Mess?

Now you can play Quake 2 on your browser, powered by Microsoft’s Muse AI model and its successor WHAMM. Every move you make happens inside the browser, and AI interprets your actions to generate new images in real time. You can try the demo here.

​Quake II is a first-person shooter video game developed and released in 1997. It features a science fiction narrative where players assume the role of a space marine fighting against an alien race. ​

The demo has been trained on thousands of hours of Quake 2 gameplay footage. So, using all this data, the AI tries to replicate the game.

The process involves tokenizing gameplay footage into a sequence of images and controller actions. WHAMM then uses an iterative “mask and predict” strategy to quickly render visuals at a resolution of 640×360 pixels and a frame rate of over 10 frames per second.

For fans of retro gaming, the demo shows a new way to bring back older games with the ease of playing anywhere, anytime. The goal of this technology is also to make classic games more portable to play on any platform.

However, AI is also the reason why the gameplay has glitches. The controls feel laggy, and the low resolutions (capped at 640×360) only show this is a tech experiment rather than a finished game.

The buzz around Microsoft’s recently released AI-generated replica of Quake II has been overwhelmingly negative. Many users describe the demo as “unplayable,” pointing to these glitches and low resolution. You will also find enemies disappearing when out of view or random teleportation when looking up and down.

The gaming community also questioned Microsoft’s motives. They think the company is prioritizing AI hype over meaningful innovation. Some see it as a wasteful flex of Microsoft’s $100 billion AI investment.

Future of AI in Gaming

The release of this AI-generated Quake II demo is a glimpse into how AI might reshape the gaming industry. Imagine a future where game developers can quickly generate vast, interactive worlds or where AI assistants help players by offering real-time strategy tips and dynamic NPC interactions. At least, that’s what the industry thinks will happen.

However, experts caution that AI is still in its infancy when it comes to fully replicating the depth of human creativity in game design.

Gamers have also shown resistance to AI-generated video games, with some fearing it may lead to a decline in game quality. They demand human creativity and originality. The introduction of Muse has also intensified fears among developers about potential job losses.

Takeaways

So, Microsoft’s new experiment with Quake II might have gone well with the fans, but maybe this is just a beginning for something better. Still, let’s give them the benefit of the doubt! ​Microsoft is only presenting Muse as an AI tool designed to assist game developers in prototyping and revitalizing classic games. ​

While it will be a long debate on whether we need AI in every part of our life or not, we know that AI-powered tools are coming. Xbox’s Copilot of Gaming is one such example of how tech giants want us to use AI.