Generative AI Could Enable Small Teams to Build Large-Scale Games

Generative AI and code-generation tools could trigger a gaming boom in which small teams build open-world games and other products in months rather than the hundreds of employees and years historically required. Recent Astro demonstrations were cited as examples, including an open-world game with multiplayer components, although its eventual playtime remains uncertain.

Summer Engine was described as a rapidly growing, Roblox-like company and as an example of the new wave of AI-assisted game development. The value of a game company may extend beyond its code to its player guild, social network and ability to bring friends into the game; Roblox’s network effects could therefore remain strong even as “vibe coding” spreads. The longer-term depth and durability of games built in only a few months remain unclear.