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What gamers really think about gen AI in games Apathy, not outrage

Rhys Elliott
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20,000-foot view

Game development budgets have spiralled out of control, leading game executives to cut costs and streamline their game development processes. It is no secret that generative AI (gen AI) is the tech industry’s current buzzword, but its potential is still disputed despite the hype. But gen AI already offers tools for developers to speed up ideation and other parts of the game-making process. Many game developers and journalists are justifiably worried about the ethical implications of using this technology. The prevailing narrative is that players are also staunchly against gen AI in their games. While some are, MIDiA data shows that this is likely the vocal minority. The majority of gamers – even daily players –  are neutral about developers using gen AI, with the tech rarely impacting purchasing decisions. Still, gen AI does impact purchases for some gamers, there are huge ethical concerns that need to be addressed, and opinions may change as gen AI becomes more widespread. Using survey data complemented by qualitative interviews, this report explores what gamers really think about this divisive new technology – and what this means for publishers and the future of generative AI in games.

Key data and insights in this report:

  • Developers’ thoughts on generative AI in games (a GDC survey with attendees) – Q1 2024
  • Gamer sentiment on how gen AI used in development affects purchasing decisions, zooming in on platform, age, daily players (online PVP and solo), and in-game buyers Q3 2024
  • Eight semi-structured qualitative interviews to dive deeper into gamers’ feelings around gen AI in games

Survey data is from:

  • MIDiA Research consumer survey Q3 2024, fielded in US, UK,  Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Netherlands, Japan, Mexico
  • MIDiA Research consumer survey Q2 2023: US, UK,  Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Sweden, South Korea, Brazil
  • Third-party Q1 2024 data from a GDC and Game Developer survey with 3,000 developers who attended the GDC’s 2024 conference

Table of contents:

Number of words: 3613

Number of pages: 17

Number of infographics: 4

Companies and products mentioned:

Candy Crush, EA College Football 25, EA FC 25, Electronic Arts, Fortnite, GDC, Grand Theft Auto 6, Take-Two Interactive, Valorant