I’m pretty sure they’re just referring to using the techniques to replicate things after learning, not hallucinating the whole game as if it would be a 1:1 copy.
Comment on Microsoft has created an AI-generated version of Quake
elvith@feddit.org 1 week ago
“We’ve talked about game preservation as an activity for us, and these models and their ability to learn completely how a game plays without the necessity of the original engine running on the original hardware opens up a ton of opportunity.”
No, I don’t think that you’re talking about preservation then. Not even game emulation. You’re talking about game hallucination.
keegomatic@lemmy.world 1 week ago
elvith@feddit.org 1 week ago
I read this as they’re even generating the frames with AI:
The tech demo is part of Microsoft’s Copilot for Gaming push, and features an AI-generated replica of Quake II that is playable in a browser. The Quake II level is very basic and includes blurry enemies and interactions, and Microsoft is limiting the amount of time you can even play this tech demo
While Microsoft originally demonstrated its Muse AI model at 10fps and a 300 x 180 resolution, this latest demo runs at a playable frame rate and at a slightly higher resolution of 640 x 360. It’s still a very limited experience though, and more of hint at what might be possible in the future.
Thorry84@feddit.nl 1 week ago
Yeah it’s the difference between playing an old game today and remembering what it was like to play in the past. Not the same thing at all.
Plus a big part of old games these days is decompiling it, so you can recompile to run with higher framerates, higher resolution and without emulation. It’s also possible to add nice QoL features and entire new game modes.
Just look at what Ship of Harkinian has done with OOT. It looks great, it feels like OOT still, but has the nice quick buttons. And if you want to experience the game like it’s brand new, there is the randomizer. And similar projects exist for other old games.
And there’s also people going through the code, figuring out glitches. And how certain mechanics worked, nobody understood very well back in the day. Discover Easter eggs that were never found.
That’s game preseveration, not some AI fever dream if you squint a bit it kinda sorta looks like the old game.
A lot of the AI stuff I’ve seen from Microsoft also sucks hard and they know it. But they operate under the assumption these LLM systems will get better and better. Like this game thing they admit it sucks now, but imagine what it could be one day. However the reality seems to show more and more the point of rapidly diminishing returns has been reached. Throwing more data and processing at the thing isn’t going to make it a lot better.
They are also so busy inventing new AI features nobody wants. Putting new flashy buttons everywhere and doing awful tech demos. They completely forgot to make actual useful features. For example a thing that happens a lot when working with less computer capable people, is people sending screenshots of Excel data. How awesome would it be if instead of helping write a new signature, the AI would go: “Wow what an asshole, sending a screenshot like that. Here is the original data so you can copy paste.”. Or when trying to send an email without the attachment that really should have an attachment, it warns you. It already does this, but I think it just triggers on certain keywords like attach. This would be an excellent use case for an LLM, where it doesn’t even matter much if it’s wrong some of the time.
For me personally “AI” in the form of LLM can fuck all the way off. It certainly has it’s uses, but this all in use it everywhere for everything has made me hate it. And the misleading marketing making people think it’s basically AGI is wrong on so many levels.
barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 1 week ago
I’m a real dummy about modern video games. I was an OG gamer from the 80s, who spent the equivalent of a down payment on a house in quarters, playing Centipede at mall arcades. Later, I got into the early PC shoot-em up games like Quake, Quake 2, Call of Duty, Medal of Honor, etc.
But I never got a game console, because I had recognized that I could have a serious problem with video game addiction. Eventually, I stopped playing altogether, especially after I started a business, and had to carve out time in my schedule, and video games and sports had to go. I didnt follow either for about 25 years.
Now I’m semi-retired, and would love to play those old games again, but I don’t really know how to do it on a modern PC. I actually have all my old CD-ROMs, but my computer hasn’t had a CD-ROM drive for years, and Im not going to buy a console.
Is there a way to download Quake and Quake 2, and my other favorites? Where do I go for that?
I know, I’m a gaming idiot, I just spent the last few decades focusing on other stuff.
anamethatisnt@sopuli.xyz 1 week ago
GOG stands for Good Old Games and preserving those and fixing them to be playable on modern systems is part of their business plan. Install GOG Galaxy and you can install the games with a few clicks, after buying them of course.
www.gog.com/en/game/quake_ii_quad_damage
www.gog.com/en/game/quake_the_offering
Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 1 week ago
Thank you SO MUCH for defining GOG. I have literally and in complete seriousness been wondering what the heck people have been talking about with those 3 letters for years.
mPony@lemmy.world 1 week ago
reminder that Quake and Quake 2 regularly go on sale for about 5 bucks
barneypiccolo@lemm.ee 1 week ago
Cool! Thanks!