Jam & Tea Studios Launches AI-Driven NPCs In New Game ‘Retail Mage’

Jam & Tea Studios, a gaming startup founded by industry veterans, announced today that it is introducing generative AI to enhance interactions with non-playable characters (NPCs) in its new game, Retail Mage, as first reported by TechCrunch.

In Retail Mage, players assume the role of a wizard working in a magical furniture store, where they can choose to assist customers or create disorder. Unlike traditional NPCs that follow scripted interactions, the AI-powered characters in Retail Mage can engage in unscripted conversations.

Additionally, the game allows for interaction with objects, AI item creation, and spontaneous activities such as playing hide-and-seek with NPCs. Furthermore, the AI enables NPCs to respond unpredictably to player actions, contributing to a more varied experience.

The use of AI in gaming is becoming more widespread, with companies like Nvidia also exploring AI-driven NPCs. Ubisoft, for example, has developed a tool called “Ghostwriter” to automate NPC dialogue in some of its games, as reported by TechCrunch.

However, the increasing reliance on AI has raised concerns within the creative community, particularly among voice actors and writers, who fear that AI could threaten jobs and creative control. These concerns recently led to a strike by SAG-AFTRA, the union representing many of these workers, against major game publishers.

Jam & Tea Studios acknowledges these concerns and states that they are taking a cautious approach to AI integration. The company emphasizes that while AI can generate dialogue and interactions, human creatives remain essential for shaping the game’s narrative and emotional impact.

“It’s especially frustrating to see so much oxygen in the room getting consumed by folks who pit AI innovations against creative folks, when there is so much potential for it to unlock new kinds of storytelling and creative expression,” said in a post M. Yichao, co-founder and chief creative officer of Jam & Tea.

He adds, “As AI gets better and better at producing content, the need and hunger for human ingenuity, creativity, and specificity will only increase. Writing naturalistic copy or creating a believable stock photo is very different from composing an experience across mediums that resonates yet surprises, that feels fresh and new, yet inviting and familiar.’’

However, the use of AI in NPCs is not without challenges. One significant issue is AI unpredictability, where NPC behavior can become erratic, leading to a frustrating player experience. Furthermore, AI systems can produce incorrect or nonsensical responses, as reported by TechCrunch.

Despite these challenges, Retail Mage demonstrates the potential for AI to create a flexible and engaging gameplay. TechCrunch notes that in one play-test, an NPC spontaneously initiated a game of hide-and-seek with the player, showcasing the possibilities of emergent behavior that AI can offer.

Retail Mage is expected to launch later this fall, with the company planning to charge $15 for the game and offer additional content for purchase. While the game itself is relatively simple, Jam & Tea Studios sees it as an early step in exploring the broader applications of AI in gaming, as reported by TechCrunch.

The startup is also working on a more complex project, tentatively named “Project Emily,” which aims to further expand on the technology introduced in Retail Mage, as noted by TechCrunch.