Crystal Dynamics uses generative technology to speed up development for Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis while confirming all final assets remain hand crafted by artists
The argument surrounding generative technology in games is hotly contested, ranging from those who think it is a passing trend to those who believe it to be the future. Crystal Dynamics has shed some light on the subject as they have discussed how their team uses the technology during the development of Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis. Talking with Polygon Jeff Adams the director of experience for Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis says the team used the technology as a way to speed up the early processes of asset development.
Adams claims that the technology is a concepting tool that will not replace human creativity. These generative algorithms quickly show an idea that we have as part of an in game asset and then we hand that concept off to artists who will hand craft them to be used in the game. If a generated asset concept is suitable it goes into the normal workflow where it is entirely created by an artist or artist and then hand crafted for the actual game.
At Crystal Dynamics we see it as AI being a tool for our team to find the right solution quicker. You have an idea in early development and you are not certain you want to use an artist for a certain asset, and so you can get an AI to visualize it.
Adams has gone on to reiterate that in the final release version the entire game will be created by artists at the company. Using these kinds of systems is simply intended to speed up the workload for the development staff.
However the studio is hesitant to delve into the deeper technical aspects of the generative system. A PR person interrupted a conversation during an interview with Game Informer between the journalist and an artist when the topic of how generated assets are being placed into the game engine came up saying the company was not ready to discuss that matter publicly.
Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis is being released early next year. The game is expected to release to a multitude of platforms including; the PC, the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series consoles, and most importantly the Switch 2. The development is moving along as the company continues to use modern technology to enhance traditional design.
