Square Enix AI Tech Preview: The Portopia Serial Murder Case Game Released April 24
Kodoani.com – Square Enix is demonstrating the power of artificial intelligence technology in a review of the classic visual novel The Portopia Serial Murder Case by Dragon Quest series author Yuji Horii. The game, first published in Japan in 1983, features a gameplay style typical of visual novels of the time: the player can influence the story by entering text through their keyboard. Before that, games could only respond to very specific commands. But with the power of modern AI, the possibilities are theoretically much broader.
Square Enix announced on Friday that they will be releasing the game Square Enix AI Tech Preview: The Portopia Serial Murder Case free on Steam on April 24. Notably, Square Enix is charging the software as a “tech show” and not a game, as seen in the way visual novels are classified as “apps” ” on Steam . However, the release covers the entire game from start to finish and will be available in English and Japanese.
In this detective visual novel story, a veteran detective and his junior partner team up to solve a series of mysterious murders. The technology demonstration will primarily showcase Natural Language Processing (NLP), a technology that allows computers to gather meaning from the language people use in everyday communication. In the setting of a visual novel, you talk to your partner and give him instructions as you try to solve a string of mysterious murders. The system will then attempt to respond to even vaguely worded words. It also uses Speech-to-Text or Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) to allow you to give voice instructions instead of using a keyboard.
The tech demonstration, on the other hand, will not introduce Natural Language Generation (NLG), which will involve the system generating natural-sounding responses to no-answer prompts. prewritten words. Square Enix’s AI division showcased that functionality when it announced the project at the Cedec + Kyushu 2022 tech event for game developers last November. For the current release, however, the team explains that “there is still a risk of AI generating unethical answers.” (To be fair, it was only three months ago when AI-trained virtual YouTuber, Neuro-sama, caused a stir for making Holocaust-denying comments.)
However, Square Enix did add that it is considering reintroducing this functionality “as soon as our research succeeds in creating an environment where players can safely enjoy the experience.”
AI researcher Yūsuke Mori told IGN Japan that the AI team used an older game as the basis for the tech demonstration because it would be easier to show how to apply Natural Language Processing. Modern interactive gaming features, such as hints to trigger at certain times, will make it difficult for users to determine which parts are affected by the AI. For the same reason, the team used the game’s existing scenario with no extras.
Square Enix has consistently shown its interest in applying new technological ideas to video games. In the company’s Summary of Financial Results released on February 3, president and representative director Yosuke Matsuda revealed that blockchain games will release during or after the third quarter of fiscal year 2024. This statement is intended to answer a question about the company’s approach to sustainable growth.
Matsuda previously revealed in January that Square Enix has “many” blockchain games or games using non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and cryptocurrencies, which are being developed based on intellectual property (IP) assets. ) initial. He also stated that Square Enix is focusing on strong investment and business development efforts for blockchain games. In addition, the company is engaged in global sourcing from an investment perspective.
Square Enix unveiled its NFT collection art project based on the Symbiogenesis story on November 3. The project launched its official website on March 17. Symbiogenesis revolves around the theme of exclusivity and sharing. The story features characters of various races and jobs over six chapters and sells about 10,000 pieces of NFT art. The project will be available in English and Japanese. Square Enix is working with LGG, a large NFT gaming association in Japan, to market the project.