The term “Ai services” may be a misnomer because most games do not use real AI techniques. Game developers are usually not AI researchers and most games use predetermined models.
AI in game development goes a long way toward defining the way computer opponents behave. Behavior ranges from relatively simple models of action games to chess programs that can defeat champion human players.
Most early video games, such as Pong (1972), only allowed human opponents to face each other. Although computer-controlled opponents have been around since the beginning of Computer Space (1971).
While human opponents are clearly a lot of fun to play with, the video game industry really took off when microprocessors allowed players to break into more sophisticated and challenging computer opponents.
Space Invaders (1978) provided an early example of the challenge that computer-controlled opponents can bring to the game. When the player shot down the aliens, the game increased significantly with fewer opponents. This was a downside of the hardware limitations at the time, but Tomohiro Nishikado, who invented the game for Taito, abandoned it because it made the gameplay so exciting.
While AI researchers have debated whether AI is the real thing in games, game developers have used technologies from AI research to create more challenging opponents. They can examine player behavior and modify their responses to make games more challenging using emerging behavior.
Techniques used in AI game programming include Decision Trees and Pathfinding.
Some AI opponents in first-person shooter games can hear player movements, look for footprints, or cover when a human opponent fires at them.
Artificial intelligence has long been used to simulate human players in board games. Computer chess players are a good example of this. Modern chess programs can easily beat the best human players. IBM’s Deep Blue Computer defeated Gary Kasparov in 1997.
