Author: Andrew Truax

Here is the link to my project!

Input:

1. Project Summary:
   1. I want to create my first game and be able to sell it on Steam. I will use Blender and substance painter as tools to create models and texture them. I also plan on using Chat GPT and YouTube to find code. This will be for the entertainment industry.
   2. I want to make a small single-player game on my own in Unreal Engine 5 and put it on my resume. 
2. Needs Assessment:
   • Many of the current and future needs in the gaming industry are people who can 3D model, animate, texture and code.
   • How can AI address these needs with a focus on generative AI technologies.
3. Skills and Technology Overview:
   • The only generative AI skills and technologies required to meet identified needs are ChatGPT
   • My current skills are 
     • Motion Capture
     • Key frame animation
     • 3D modeling
     • Texturing
     • Rigger
   • I need to develop my skills in coding.
4. Learning and Development Plan:
   • I don’t need a budget for materials or any courses.
   • I can get all my courses from YouTube and Chat GPT.
5. Application and Impact:
   • Substance painter is for creating textures
   • Blender is for modeling and animations
   • Unreal Engine 5 is for putting everything together as a game with code.
   • I will know If I can get the funding to create a bigger and greater game and the gamers will have found another indie developer.
6. Project Timeline:
   1. Create the idea of game.
   2. Create models, animations and textures using Blender and Substance painter.
   3. create code for game using Unreal Engine 5 and Chat GPT.
   4. Test game so I can polish it.
   5. publish game on steam.
7. Budget:
   • I am not paying any money to be able to create things in these programs. I already paid for substance painter with no subscription, blender is free and Unreal engine 5 doesn’t require me to pay until I’ve made a million dollars. Steam requires that I pay $100 to publish a game which is no big deal.
8. Evaluation and Reflection:
   • The project’s success will be if it gains 10,000 sales. The price of the game will be $1. I am not expecting a lot of sales or attention but this is a good baseline for success.
   • Include a plan for reflecting on the learning process, challenges faced, and how obstacles were overcome.

Output:

Skill Development & Learning Plan

Coding Skills:

• Objective: Learn to program in Unreal Engine 5 using its scripting languages (e.g., C++ and Blueprints).
• Resources: Use free online resources such as YouTube tutorials on Unreal Engine 5 coding. ChatGPT can help clarify concepts, debug issues, and provide coding examples.
• Timeline: Dedicate specific blocks of time each week for learning and practicing coding.

Integrating AI Technologies:

• Generative AI for Game Development: Use AI tools to assist in generating code snippets, debugging, and perhaps even creating basic game assets or narrative elements.
• ChatGPT: Utilize ChatGPT for generating dialogue, story plots, or solving specific coding problems.
• AI-based Plugins: Explore AI plugins available for Unreal Engine 5 that can automate or simplify tasks like texturing, animation, or environmental design.

Game Development Phases

Idea & Concept Development:

• Objective: Develop a clear, concise game concept that includes the main theme, gameplay mechanics, and storyline.
• Tools: Mind mapping tools, storyboarding, and initial sketches using digital art software.

Asset Creation:

• Modeling and Texturing: Use Blender for 3D modeling and Substance Painter for texturing. Employ your skills in 3D modeling, rigging, and texturing to create detailed game characters and environments.
• Animation: Implement both motion capture and keyframe animation techniques to bring characters and elements to life.

Game Coding and Integration:

• Objective: Program game mechanics, player interactions, and other functionalities within Unreal Engine 5.
• Generative AI Assistance: Use AI to suggest code optimizations or troubleshoot issues as you integrate assets into the game engine.

Testing & Polishing:

• Objective: Ensure the game is functional, enjoyable, and free of bugs.
• Process: Conduct both closed alpha tests (personal tests) and beta tests (open to selected users) to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments.

Publishing:

• Objective: Launch the game on Steam.
• Steps: Prepare all necessary marketing materials, such as trailers and screenshots. Pay the Steam Direct fee to publish your game.

Budget & Resources

• Cost Analysis: The main cost will be the Steam Direct fee ($100). All software tools are either already owned or free.
• Additional Costs: Consider potential expenses for marketing, additional hardware for testing, or freelance help if needed.

Evaluation & Reflection

• Success Metrics: Aim for 10,000 sales at $1 each as a measure of success.
• Reflection: Regularly document the development process, challenges faced, and solutions found. Reflect on what learning methods and tools were most effective, and how obstacles were overcome.

Timeline Overview

• Month 1-2: Learning and conceptualizing game idea.
• Month 3-6: Asset creation and initial game coding.
• Month 7-8: Integrating assets and coding with Unreal Engine 5.
• Month 9: Testing and making adjustments.
• Month 10: Final preparations and publishing on Steam.

My essay topic is about finding out the implications of the integration of AI in 3-D modeling in animation industries, such as games and film.

So far my project idea is that I will generate a 3D model or 3D animation using an AI generated 2-D image. It will probably involve an automaton that looks smooth but is complicated in detail. There  should be tools out there that can create a 3D model using a 2D image.

Here is my group’s slingshot game called Pumpkin Toss!

Since there may be some truth to most companies using AI, I may have to utilize AI if I want my business to survive in this problematic economic model we are forced to live under. If I had to use AI, I would use it for game design. That seems to be one of the least harmful ways of utilizing AI. I have picked up game design again by learning Unreal Engine 5 recently and after learning I can code in HTML5 using Chat GPT, I have realized it can do C## too! This will help me get farther in my gaming aspirations quickly. It will be less vital for me to hire other people and instead be able to have more agency and power over my projects without being forced to hire people I may not be able to afford. I would use AI to be able to code for me and then once I complete a project, I would get attention using Kickstarter. I don’t plan on publishing on console so I will go to Steam and pay a $100 fee to publish on their distribution platform.

I can use AI to make text outlines acting as plan so that it can provide me with a clearer picture of how I plan to pursue this project. I need an outline so I can focus on what I will need to complete. If I have any questions, Chat GPT will come to me like it would a person but be able to answer most questions I would need to ask to fulfill my projects.

If my business got hired to specialize in remakes, that is one way I can stand out. I am very passionate about bringing games back using modern technology. There are games like Half-Life, Resident Evil and Halo that got remasters or remakes because they are timeless classics. For better or for worse, I can take advantage of the love certain old games have and refresh it. Not by changing it but expanding it by adding more skins, weapons, maps and/or game modes. I would also have an option to toggle the new stuff off. Freedom of choice will bring in new and old players that satisfy as many people as possible without turning anyone off from feeling the game being too generic. Player configuration is part of what will make my business unique. Since my business will likely stay small, I will not require the games to be sold at the standard $60 but more likely $5-10 and take advantage of steam sales.

Here are my questions for Toby Roberts:

1. What is the most fulfilling aspect of working with a client at Happy Finish?
2. What makes Happy Finish excel at types of advertisements like augmented reality and commercials?

Since I have experience in coding and designing, that is what I’ve decided to do. I am one of many coders and designers in this group.

As it stands my group and I are planning to create a physics game. In this game, the player will be tasked with using a pumpkin as a slingshot to make it into the bucket and that is how the player will win. Considering our group size we will probably make two levels, with the latter being harder than the former. The score may be a timer and the lower your time is, the greater your score is in a sense.

Here is my AI Website: Calitopia 2100

Among the many different techniques regarding the generative art article, I was most fascinated by techniques such as true random, Perlin noise, and cellular automata.

The true random technique is strange in the way that it requires a natural source of chaotic data from something such as a radio or lava lamps.

The Perlin noise technique seems to be random, but each dot is not allowed to be so far from the previous dot and creates interesting looking data and sometimes looks like mountains.

Lastly, I chose the cellular automata due to its fascinating look. It can create complex patterns across the whole grid. It is constantly moving and creating new shapes almost as if it’s alive.

Interactive HTML5 Work

Generative Art with P5.js

Generative Animation with P5.js

Here is my website made by Chat GPT.

After completing the exercise for generating an HTML file using Chat GPT, I see now that not much will change. Sure, AI will make coding easier for both beginners and advanced users and save time but all users need to understand how coding works. People who create HTMLs through AI still need to learn the fundamentals of good web design and structure if they plan on actually posting the HTML. AI can definitely help but it can mostly export a basic generation because the AI cannot think the same way a human can come up with a complex plan of executing a website. If someone doesn’t know what they are doing, it will be incredibly easy to mess up.

This will make game, web and app development easier but it will not do the thinking for you. It is an amazing way to assist with projects but never assume that the work will be creative.

I am worried that there will be many more basic or poorly designed websites due to coding being more easier to access from people who couldn’t bother learning to code themselves. I fear for the dip in quality and effort. I am hoping that this will help inspire people to get into coding and learn for themselves now that the barrier for entry has been somewhat lifted now that AI can get the basics down.

I do not plan on using coding as a profession but this will help me put more time into learning how to code as a hobby. I have a series I am creating called “Void-Theta” and it would be really nice to at least have a page for myself to act as a “wiki” for the stories and characters involved. I want to be able to see the fruits of my labor in the medium of a web page.

For this new project, it had to involve the use of Premiere Pro, Chat GPT, Suno AI and RunwayML. This was clearly an ambitious project. My plan was to create an AI animation in the world of the other project involving the old man and the AI automaton except the main character is one of the robots named Athena. She is the first character we see as well as the last.

when I exported all of my storyboard images from Chat GPT and onto RunwayML, the animation didn’t move how I expected for most of scenes. I didn’t expect the quality to be Sora but I had much difficulty getting the scenes to work even with a prompt and an enabled motion path.

I used Suno AI to create 3 different songs that each had their own way of expressing emotion. One was peace, the other was dread and the last was resolution.

The kick, punch, metal hit and falling SFX are from Pixabay.

Here is the AI Animation:

Here is the Website

https://dtc-wsuv.org/atruax23/byte-banjo/

After seeing some of Mark Amerika’s work, I have a few things I’d like to respond to. If I understand him correctly, his goal is to make AI pass as human. In some cases it is kind of inspiring to experiment. However, if something is created and I can’t tell if it was created by a human or an AI, that may be potentially dangerous. Sometimes it may be important to know if something was written by a human in case the stakes are high or if the situation is serious.

I think Mark Amerika sees Chat GPT as a collaborator or a tool for inspiration rather than something that will replace human creativity.

I have a few fears and concerns about AI in visual culture. I fear that AI will take jobs away from artists and make it harder than it already is to seek employment. Aside from job insecurity, AI can also be used to incriminate people for crimes they’ve never committed. How will courts know what’s real and what’s not? Not only that but how will people know the difference during election seasons? Video AI has evolved so much in one year. With the rise of Sora, this will become a legitimate threat.

If artists and creators want to address and respond to the collective concerns, they can probably show the public what the AI tools are capable of by stress testing it. This can show if the fears are valid or not and show how harmful the tools can become.

My thoughts on the risks and opportunities of AI cinema are somewhat negative. I think there could be a lot of legal battles made against studios who use AI writing or art because it can’t make anything original, it has to use pre-existing work to function.This may even takeaway many opportunities for artists working professionally.

The future of Hollywood entertainment with AI will make creating cinema easier. However, if blatant AI usage is found, people will notice it and they will realize they are paying for low quality work. No matter how realistic AI becomes, it will never feel as human as if an actual human had made it. AI cinema could help propel individual artists to complete cinematic projects but would prove tricky if the AI use was overt instead of being used to assist.