In a Gamescom interview with IGN, Saber CCO and former id Software dev Tim Willits said that the company’s upcoming Space Marine follow-up is not using generative AI in its development. The studio has otherwise been embracing the technology, which was at the heart of the recent Rideshare Stimulator controversy.
“There is absolutely no generative AI in Space Marine 3 or Hellraiser or Stuntman or Turok or Jurassic Park, or [Saber’s John Wick game],” Willits told IGN. “But like we said, we’re going to experiment with it. Try it out in Rideshare, see if it works. See if people like it. If they don’t like it, we’re like, ‘All right.'”
It seems that Saber is far more circumspect about using generative AI in its big ticket games, especially when there are license holders like Lionsgate or Paramount to consider.
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Warhammer 40K owner Games Workshop, for its part, is enforcing strict internal rules against genAI use in any of its products or advertising, a crowd-pleasing stance that contrasts with rival tabletop giant Wizards of the Coast’s willingness to play footsie with AI usage.
But Willits, like Saber CEO Matt Karch, is solidly pro-AI, and sees smaller projects like Rideshare Stimulator as an opportunity to feel it out. “If you’re going to experiment, it’s a good one to experiment on,” Willits said. “If anyone tells you that they have it figured out, they don’t. It’ll take a couple years and things will settle out and we’ll figure it out.”
PCG news writer Joshua Wolens had his own conversation with Willits at Gamescom, and touched on similar topics. Willits believes that team size and overspecialization are major contributing factors to the industry’s current economic crisis, but also argues that this crisis isn’t as bad as it’s being presented. Willits also said that, had the OG id Software crew gotten their hands on generative AI back in the day, they would have aggressively used it.
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