Weekend Highlights (October 3-4)

Capcom has decided to transform the RE Engine into a platform focusing on AI, Shawn Layden urged XBOX to clarify its strategy, and the Steam version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt set a new record for concurrent players—here's a rundown of the main events in the gaming industry from this past weekend.

Capcom announced that it plans to make AI-based technology a key component of the RE Engine. This development should help the company tackle several issues in game development. The company explained that modern games have become so expansive that even simple processes now consume a lot of time. Furthermore, with the increase in staff, there is a need for a tool that is understandable to everyone. However, Capcom has no intention of entirely handing everything over to AI. The company emphasized that its goal is "to shape a future where people create games together with AI." From its statement, it seems that the modified RE Engine will use AI more for optimizing specific tasks rather than generating content.
Former PlayStation Studios head Shawn Layden criticized Microsoft's gaming division strategy. In an interview with The Expansion Pass, he mentioned that if XBOX head Asha Sharma were to ask for his advice, he would recommend clarifying their business direction. Layden noted that XBOX is currently trying to do contradictory things—aiming to be both a competitive platform and a major game publisher—but in his view, it's not possible to successfully do both. At the very least, a platform needs exclusives to survive, while a publisher should not be limited to one platform. Layden also compared XBOX’s current situation to SEGA's in the late 1990s, recalling how SEGA decided to stop manufacturing consoles and focus on games following a series of failures, which was beneficial for their business. He believes Microsoft’s leadership could learn from this experience.
On Sunday, October 4th, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt once again broke its record for concurrent players on Steam. According to SteamDB, the number of concurrent users playing The Witcher 3 on Valve’s platform reached 137,724. The excitement can be attributed to the recent release of the remaster and a 50% discount.