Heartopia Dev releases statement on the game's AI usage

Hartopia The developers have talked about the game's use of AI, and the community is not thrilled. Hartopia In early January, and although it has already seen a good amount of success, this search is otherwise leading to a backlash from fans.

Hartopia Described as a multiplayer game that is like a cross between Stardew Valley and Animal CrossingWhich has led many players to check it out. On Steam alone, the game has seen tens of thousands of players, with a peak of over 37,000 concurrent players. However, given the game only launched earlier this month, players are still figuring it all out, and some are starting to express concern after AI assets appear in the game. Now, the team has shared that the game uses AI and revealed how it has been used.

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How Hartopia uses AI

After players shared their findings, they began asking if AI was used in the game, and if so, how. This led to a response on the game's official Discord channel, which revealed that the AI is used in the game's puzzle gameplay to “reinterpret and redraw in-game snapshot images” and is also used in in-game chat “to help players understand different languages.” Although the jigsaw-style puzzles are drawn from in-game screenshots, it seems that AI is used to give them a more artistic appearance. They added that the game's monetized content does not include any AI-generated content, and that in future changes, the developers will announce it in advance.

Hearttopia players respond to AI usage

Fans reacting to the news have been largely negative about the use of AI in the game, with most disapproving of its use in the game's puzzles. Some have pointed out that it seems easier to make screenshots taken by puzzles look like pictures using simple filters instead of relying on generative AI, while others have suggested just sticking to screenshots for puzzles. Some have said they find the use of AI for translation acceptable, but a large number of respondents are not happy with how it is used for puzzles.

Hartopia Many factors, and in many ways it is facing backlash after disclosure. Negative reviews are already pointing to the game's use of AI on Steam, and players are sharing their reactions to it on communities like Reddit. Users of the game's Discord also tried to share their frustrations there with mixed success, with some claiming the channel drew some negative feedback. Others have declared that they should not play Hartopia Unless the AI content is removed from the game.

AI is a sore spot for gamers

Although not all gamers are against generative AI, there has been a lot of backlash when other developers reveal their games are using AI. In addition to the ethical concerns players have, many are concerned about generative AI building on sourced artwork without permission or payment, while others are concerned about AI as it affects them personally as gamers. With the popularity of generative AI, many companies are conserving parts to keep their systems up and running, leading to a shortage of components for things like PC gaming. There are also concerns that the shortage could lead to a later-than-expected release of next-gen consoles, and that the overall cost of gaming could rise due to higher prices for TV screens, PCs, consoles, and the electricity to power them.

It remains to be seen whether the AI response is sufficient to influence Hartopiaof the bottom line, or if the developer will remove it to keep its playerbase happy.