A new technology named “chatbot” has been predicted to change the way that in-game conversations between player and NPC are conducted. Whilst the current standard is for text based, multiple answers, the new software allows for NPC’s to determine the gameplay that the player has experienced and thus provide a specifically tailored answer.
Released ahead of the new Sherlock Holmes movie, 221b software has been used in the film’s related game to provide a new form of investigation for players. Rollo Carpenter from the provider of the tech, Existor explained “It’s our role to predict what you might know at that point in the game and the questions you might ask. The ways that you might say things to them are almost unlimited.” Winner of the Loebner Prize, a challenge to create convincing computer conversations, Mr Carpenter added that rather than produce numerous responses, the software allows NPCs to create a “fuzzy interpretation” of the gamers question.
Elsewhere, other attempts at exploring in-game conversations have previously been made with the Façade title. Alex Champandard said “Since the AI characters are completely interactive, each time you play the outcome depends on your actions. Yet in the background there’s a drama manager that makes sure the story keeps going.” Wales University games developer and AI teacher Dr Mike Reddy said that true, convincing conversation was the “last uncracked problem” in gaming, adding “We have come a long way from ‘All your base are belong to us’ and ‘TAKE AXE. THROW AXE AT DWARF’.”
