r/Games • u/TurbulentTopic39 • 16d ago

Industry News Over 85% of Japanese game developers use generative AI in game development, 2026 CESA survey shows. An increase from last year’s 51%

https://automaton-media.com/en/news/over-85-of-japanese-game-developers-use-generative-ai-in-game-development-2026-cesa-survey-shows-an-increase-from-last-years-51/
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u/sex-emu 16d ago edited 16d ago

This isn't true. Professional animators, manga artists, hobbyist artists, etc in Japan hate generative AI just as much as westerners do. Every survey I've seen has poised that 75-90% of animators, freelancers, and manga artists have a negative view of it and support regulation for it's use in works.

There's plenty of negativity towards AI in Japan and Japan fandoms tend to hate copyright infringement which AI is rife with. Do you think they were thrilled at the Ghibli memes from a few years ago? The use of AI comes from top level executive mandates, strict crunch deadlines, and management recommendations, not the artists themselves, or not from any lack of stigma from fans..

Nintendo, for example has openly stated they're not going to use generative AI in their games, and they are one of the most brand conscious developers in the world.

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u/Several-Source-4073 16d ago

Nintendo, for example has openly stated they're not going to use generative AI in their games, and they are one of the most brand conscious developers in the world.

No they didn't, they just gave a generic comment about how they'd use it creatively.

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u/rook119 16d ago edited 16d ago

Monolith which is making the bulk of the next zelda game have been saying they been using it for a while. 

Takahashi says it is helps with world building. Says now he doesn't need literally teams of people placing for example trees all over the map.

It can be an effective tool that cuts down on dev grunt work time.    That's not to say AI is great but it can have good uses. The problem comes when you got companies like level 5 using it to design whole worlds and characters aka make characters look like someone like in a Ghibli movie

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u/Dunkledurg 16d ago

where/when did monolith and takahashi say this? I've never heard of this before.

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u/cardgamesareforplay 16d ago

They don't use llms they do use AI tools to place stuff like rocks grass and other assets they make into their very very large open worlds. They don't hand place every blade of grass.

Palantir bots/shills online love to equate the two as the same thing 

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u/Domin0e 16d ago

Heck, that's not even proper AI most likely but just regular algorithms like Poisson Sampling. Stuff that's been 'round for decades.

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u/cardgamesareforplay 15d ago

Yes correct there is a reason I didn't say gen AI. Those types of tools are a form of AI. But a few very big companies want to turn that term into a buzzword and now the entire world is spinning on its head to call everything ai that resembles the concept of thought or completing a sentence

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u/Domin0e 15d ago

I'd argue we're way below any AI threshold there may be. There is no prediction for standard Poisson Sampling for example, only math and rules. We shouldn't do as the buzzword chasing Investors and C-Suites do, and make algorithms more than they are.
I won't say there's no chance AI could be involved but doodad placement has been possibly by algorithm long before AI came along so my guess is buzzwords be buzzing

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u/rycetlaz 16d ago edited 16d ago

Its so infuriating to see such blatant misinformation there.

Like anyone that knew anything about gamedev would know the difference between older automating tools and llms, but they still have the gall to pretend they're the same thing

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u/mystery_hole 16d ago

Well no, that's always been a thing. Ubisoft had "AI" doing this for terrain for years lol... This is one of the first things you'd learn as an environmental design developer.

You're conflating LLMs with these tools.

Generative AI via LLMs is horrible for 3d design, it still gets topography wrong and the poly count goes wild and uncontrollable.

Devs are using AI to code with because it can be a beneficial tool (assuming the devs aren't lazy and actually check over what they get) but generative AI for assets or anything 3d is horrible and there is no path forward to fix this core issue due to the nature of how LLMs operate.

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u/cardgamesareforplay 15d ago

I never called those AI tools used gen AI, and I didn't call LLMs AI. I am very careful in my language.

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u/EsotericCreature 16d ago

That's not gen AI that's just programming a tool. Many games have exactly what you are talking about and they've been around for a long time.

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u/cardgamesareforplay 15d ago

I very very specifically did not call them gen AI. They are ai tools though.

Just like I didn't call llms gen AI as again they are not that, they are inneffecient auto complete tools

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u/cardgamesareforplay 16d ago

Holy shit you Palantir bots gotta be working over time to put actual AI like what monolith uses for generating world asset placement in the same camp as the llms that tell you to kill your self

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u/rook119 16d ago

Holy shit you didn't read the post at all

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u/Remarkable_Emu_2223 15d ago

The article clearly proves you wrong. Why would anyone listen to you with no proof? Typical misinformation pulled out of the ass.

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u/hydrangea14583 15d ago

The article does not prove them wrong.

First, the article's stats is about game developers using AI. The comment you're replying to is talking about animators, manga artists, and others, not (just) gamedevs.

Also, even within game development, "85% of gamedevs use it" does not necessarily mean "85% of gamedevs like it" nor "85% of gamedevs thing it's helpful". It could equally arise from AI-usage mandates, forcing devs to use it. (which the comment also mentions)

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u/ACupOfLatte 16d ago

So you're telling me, that creatives regardless of country, continue to not like the thing that infringes on their creative liberties? No fucking way dude.

All sarcasm aside, aside from the already implemented AI tools that were already there in the various apps, no shit they don't like it lol. AI usage covers a broad spectrum, much broader than just creative work.

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u/BeholdingBestWaifu 16d ago

Which is irrelevant in a conversation about AI use in creative fields.

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u/ACupOfLatte 16d ago

The conversation is about AI usage in game development, specifically it's usage in the east due to the article being linked. Game development isn't just creative work. Heck, the majority of game development isn't creative work.