Generative AI in Game Design: Enhancing Creativity or Constraining Innovation?

Area of Science:

• Game Design and Development
• Artificial Intelligence
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Generative AI is increasingly integrated into game design workflows.
• These tools offer potential for enhanced creativity, efficiency, and innovation.
• Understanding their impact on creative processes is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the evolving role of generative AI in game design and development.
• To investigate the benefits and challenges generative AI presents to creativity.
• To understand how generative AI influences creative processes, decision-making, and artistic vision.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method study combining an online survey (n=42) and in-depth online interviews (n=9) with game design professionals.
• Investigated the influence of generative AI on the creative process, decision-making, and artistic vision.
• Gathered insights from game design professionals on their experiences with generative AI tools.

Main Results:

• Generative AI accelerates ideation, enhances prototyping, and automates repetitive tasks in game development.
• Concerns were identified regarding originality, creative dependency, and the potential undermining of human-authored content.
• The study highlights a dual impact: efficiency gains alongside creative integrity challenges.

Conclusions:

• Generative AI offers significant benefits for game development efficiency and creativity.
• Addressing concerns about originality and human creativity is essential for responsible AI integration.
• Future work should focus on collaborative human-AI workflows and ethical guidelines for AI-assisted game creation.