Sony fully embraces genAI by launching podcasts featuring game character voices.
Sony has secured a patent for AI-generated podcasts, as noted by an outlet. These podcasts are designed to be tailored for individual players, potentially launching when they first start up their console. They would provide news updates, suggest game recommendations, and discuss trophies recently earned by friends.
The patent illustrations indicate that these personalized podcasts could appear on a PlayStation 5’s home screen, positioned below the installed games. They would be available in both video and audio formats, with some images depicting a talk show-style setup featuring two hosts delivering news directly to the player. The patent mentions, “In certain instances, the audio may include a joke at the video game player’s expense.”
These AI-generated podcasts aim to go beyond just game news and updates about friends. Sony envisions them recommending games as well. The patent states, “The podcast can suggest different games to different players based on a cluster to which the relevant player is assigned. These game recommendations can also be provided in the generative AI podcasts.” It adds that “recommendations may be prioritized and jump out a little more to the listener to get the listener to note the recommendation.”
For those seeking human-generated suggestions, there are plenty of resources available that highlight what to play, including a focus on the PS5’s top games.
According to the patent’s abstract, Sony intends to “present the news in the voice of a video game character of a video game already played by the respective gamer.” The description elaborates that “the podcast can even be a dialogue between two characters from the same game or different games that the player enjoys.”
The use of AI-generated voices has sparked considerable debate in the gaming industry, especially after titles like Arc Raiders and The Finals utilized AI to create voice lines based on recordings from their voice actors. The CEO of Nexon, which oversees Arc Raiders developer Embark Studios, claimed that “all game studios” are investing in generative AI tools, prompting indie developers like Strange Scaffold’s Xalavier Nelson Jr. to argue that “players deserve better” than AI-generated content.
It seems that generative AI is here to stay, particularly in Sony’s vision. Last year, the company was also granted a patent for AI-generated “ghost” characters that can assist players who find themselves stuck in a game. The patent states, “The interactive actions by the ghost character are configured to progress the ghost character along an interactive path of the game.”
While the patents for podcasts and tutorial assistance have been approved, this doesn’t guarantee that the AI-generated content will be implemented on PlayStations anytime soon, or at all. However, they do provide insight into the direction the video game industry is heading, particularly from Sony’s perspective.
