Rebel Wolves CEO Konrad Tomaszkiewicz has disclosed that the open-world vampire RPG, The Blood of Dawnwalker, utilized AI-generated voice acting during its early development stages. However, the final game does not feature AI voice acting. The developers used this technology to create temporary voice performances to facilitate the testing of quests and dialogues without the need for actual voice recordings.
Tomaszkiewicz mentioned that this approach helped in reducing costs, drawing from his experience working on games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077. He assured that all the voice lines in The Blood of Dawnwalker are now delivered by human actors, eliminating the AI-generated placeholders that were initially used.
\”We employed AI to generate voices in the early stages of development to identify and address issues in the game before proceeding with actual voice recordings,\” explained Tomaszkiewicz in a recent episode of The Game Business. \”This preemptive measure allowed us to iterate on the game multiple times before committing to voice recordings, which are a significant expense in story-driven RPGs like ours, especially considering the multiple languages we support.\”
He further emphasized the importance of addressing game issues early on to avoid costly revisions post-recording. By leveraging AI-generated voices, the team at Rebel Wolves was able to streamline the development process and optimize the voice recording phase, ultimately enhancing the overall gameplay experience.
While the specific AI technology used for The Blood of Dawnwalker was not disclosed, questions remain regarding the ethical implications of using generative AI in game development. Concerns about the impact on voice actors and the normalization of AI-driven content creation in the industry have been raised by various stakeholders.
Looking ahead, developers are encouraged to explore alternative methods for implementing voice placeholders or consider creative solutions to streamline the game development process without compromising on quality. The balance between efficiency and authenticity in game production remains a key consideration for the gaming community.
