A Patent Filed by Microsoft Would Let Games Use AI to Rewrite Themselves

Most narratively driven computer games don’t change much once they’re released to the public. But what if AI could change a game based on how a player interacts with it? A patent filed by Microsoft in June might allow future Xbox games to do just that. 

The patent outlines a system that would allow generative AI to intelligently change the game based on what players do. In modern games, changes are usually dictated by dialog branches, which are the game’s different pathways of choices and responses, and player decisions, resulting in unique endings or character interactions. Some games handle change very well, but there’s always a limit. 

This new system would go beyond that, taking into account how players explore the game world, what they interact with and the characters they meet regularly. The generative AI would then rewrite or rework the game to favor those interactions, giving the player more of what they enjoy. Microsoft even outlines a system in which players’ facial expressions and reactions would be measured to further tune the experience.

“Players have the potential to become co-creators of the game as a result of their exploration of and interaction with the game,” Microsoft says in the patent filing. “The game may allow for very different gameplay per player and session.”

For example, if a player spends a lot of time in a specific area of the game, generative AI would create new quests, lore and in-game assets, such as monsters or NPCs, to give players more to do in that area. Similarly, Microsoft says that unengaging content may be removed to further prune the experience. This new content is then observed by the AI, which can decide whether to incorporate it into the game’s main narrative.

All of this would be done on the fly and be user-specific. The game would essentially adapt to what it thinks the player wants and create a wholly unique experience, separate from other gamers.

Could this be a fun idea?

The use of generative AI in games has elicited mixed reactions. Gamers tend to shy away from games that use it, but Baldur’s Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — both of which have won game of the year awards and are very highly rated by both reviewers and players — used generative AI to some extent. It’s tough to estimate how well a game would be received if it could automatically rewrite itself at the whims of its players. 

Such games would still require developers and writers, so this may not be an example of replacing humans. The AI needs a game world, rules, stories and existing characters to learn how to create more of them. So while the key phrase in Microsoft’s patent is generative AI, it’s actually more reminiscent of an existing game development tool: procedural generation. 

You’re most likely familiar with procedural generation in Minecraft, where each new map is procedurally generated using a “seed” code consisting of numbers and text. That seed is fed into the game’s procedural generation algorithm to determine where mountains, caves, resources and biomes appear as the map is built. Each seed generates an entirely different map. 

No Man’s Sky is another example, with each new solar system and planet being the work of procedural generation. Some smaller modern games have even taken it a step further. Titles like RimWorld, Dwarf Fortress, and Wildermyth use procedural generation in character creation, world-building and storytelling. 

Procedural generation is generally preemptive, creating these parts of the game before the player can interact with them. Microsoft’s idea would theoretically generate content only after the player interacts with it, making it reactive rather than preemptive. 

That would make it more like Pandemic Legacy. This story-based version of the board game requires players to permanently alter the game board and player cards as they play through the story, resulting in a one-of-a-kind version of the game once players complete it.

Don’t expect to see games using this concept any time soon. The patent remains pending, and it could be years before the patent application is approved. Additionally, Microsoft has declined to comment on whether any current Xbox titles in development utilize this technology, suggesting a lengthy timeline before the system is seen in active operation.