In a striking example of how unpopular generative AI in gaming can be among enthusiasts, publisher Snail Games USA is seeing an overwhelmingly negative reaction to its latest game trailer for ARK: Aquatica.
While the opening shots appear to be real-time footage running in a game engine, everything that follows is filled with the unmistakable hallmarks of AI-generated visuals seen in models like SoraAI.
Virtual fish disappear into thin air, leaving blurry trails as they move, while humans appear to bend their limbs in unnatural ways. Even the narrator speaks with a voice all too recognizable to those familiar with AI voice generators, reminiscent of text-to-speech lines on viral TikTok videos.
I'm sure that AI-generated content in games is here to stay, but that doesn't mean the community at large has to like it. While artificial intelligence can undoubtedly help with visuals through upscaling techniques like Intel's XeSS and NVIDIA's DLSS 4, using generative AI to completely replace human artists is unlikely to ever become popular or even accepted.
Little is known about the game itself, but responses to the trailer, its "dislike" count hidden by default on YouTube, seem to imply that neither fans of the ARK series nor casual onlookers have taken the concept in a positive light — and it's hard to be surprised.
YouTube users take to the comments
It's difficult to find any positive comments on the trailer for ARK: Aquatica, and scrolling through the first few pages shows a consistent trend of dismay and animosity. @Fire-Ice-GG says, "Please sell the Ark Franchise to literally anyone else" — a comment currently with 1.1K "likes," a 482% higher approval rating than the trailer itself.
This is disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourselves.
@Syntac, YouTube
The theme continues as commenters disapprove of this egregious level of generative AI in video games. While the trailer remains online 19 hours after its original posting, I wouldn't be surprised to see it disappear if this continues to be the topic in its comments.
Plenty of past trailers from various developers have used pre-rendered cinematics rather than in-game footage, and I expected to see one or two arguments in this fashion. However, the overwhelming disgust from commenters of generative AI over human-made visuals shadows any hints of that discussion.
Who pressed the "publish" button ??? it was supposed to be released on april 1st right ?
@Immersiv-tv, YouTube
While it's a little early for an April Fool's joke, it has some viewers convinced that could be the only explanation for a trailer that shows almost nothing of substance for the upcoming game.
The annual GDC (Game Developers Conference) is happening now, having started on Monday, March 17, and Snail Games USA released this ARK: Aquatica trailer to coincide with the event.
We're yet to see clarification on the level of AI use in the upcoming title, but GDC runs until Friday, March 21, so more information may surface soon.
Nevertheless, these unfavorable reactions to the game's first trailer will make it difficult for its developers and publisher to change the community's perception during its continued development, and it continues a complex topic recently highlighted by Horizon Forbidden West's actress Ashly Burch responding to AI-generated content in games.
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