This year at CES 2024, Nvidia showcased their ACE technology in collaboration with AI startup Convai, giving gamers a taste of the future of interactive storytelling. The technology allows in-game non-playable characters (NPCs) to respond and react to players in real-time through voiced dialogue and animations, creating a more immersive and dynamic gaming experience.
Gone are the days of NPCs repeating the same phrases endlessly. With ACE technology, NPCs can engage in meaningful conversations with players, providing a more realistic and lifelike gameplay environment. The system is built on Convai’s platform and utilizes Unreal Engine 5, pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence in gaming.
During the demo, players take on the role of “Kai” in a cyberpunk world and interact with NPCs named Jin and Nova. The underlying AI system uses prompts entered by the player to guide and direct the conversation between these characters. The result is a captivating dialogue between the player and the NPCs, where even casual topics like skateboarding injuries can be discussed.
One of the impressive elements of this technology is the spatial awareness and actions of the NPCs. Players can ask about the world around them, make requests such as ordering ramen or adjusting the lighting, and witness the NPCs fulfilling these actions in real-time. It adds a level of interactivity and immersion that was previously unseen in gaming.
While this technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we experience NPCs in games, there are concerns about the purpose and relevance of these conversations. Without meaningful quests or storylines, these interactions could become trivial and repetitive. Developers will need to find the right balance between engaging dialogue and relevant gameplay.
The possibilities with ACE technology are vast. It could open the doors for virtual reality games that provide a truly immersive experience or introduce new ways to uncover the backgrounds and stories of major characters in games like Cyberpunk 2077. However, it will also require careful integration and writing to ensure that the NPCs steer the conversation towards meaningful interactions.
As the technology develops, it will be fascinating to see how developers use ACE to create engrossing and well-designed games. The potential for this technology extends beyond gaming, with applications in other industries such as virtual assistants or interactive simulations. With further advancements and refinement, AI-driven NPCs may soon blur the lines between virtual and reality in ways we never thought possible.
The source of the article is from the blog macholevante.com