A recent episode of theOfficial Xbox Podcasthad a very special pitch forXboxplayers - though it’s a kind of “special” that can be viewed in multiple ways. In essence, they want theMicrosoftAI, Copilot, to get integrated into their games.
How integrated are we talking about here? Not to a crazy extent -AI Aloy this is not- but it can still be described as omnipresent.
Former Xbox Exec Suggests Microsoft Would Stop Making Hardware Given the Choice
Peter Moore recently appeared on Gamertag Radio with Danny Pena and said that if given the option, Microsoft would no longer make consoles.
To get an idea of what Microsoft’s vision is, let’s run down the examples they used in the podcast:
First, the user asks, “I want to get back into Age of Empires IV, can you install it?” Copilot then does two things: first, it follows the voice command to install the game. Then, it replies with a question of its own: “Want a recap of where you left off?”
The next example has the player in a Minecraft world, looking around with an Oak Log in hand. They ask Copilot: “Okay, I’ve got some wood. What do I do with that?” Copilot replies simply: “Craft the oak logs into wooden planks by opening your inventory and placing the logs in the crafting area.”
For those more opposed to AI, you’ll be happy to know that everything here seems pretty opt-in. Copilot is no Clippy - it hasn’t been shown to pop up unwanted to offer its seasoned advice.
The player must first interact with it somehow, to which it will reply. If you’d rather not have the machines rise up in the middle of yourMonster Hunterfight, don’t ask it to do that.
In many ways, it seems a lot like a modern search engine - perhaps one that’s a bit more intuitive to use. To re-use the Monster Hunter example: players who find themselves stuck on the Rathian fight might go to Google to search “how to beat rathianmonster hunter wilds”.
It’s a process that’s simple enough, though as you’re able to probably tell from the phrasing, can sometimes be a learned skill. Sometimes the obstacle you’re facing is a synonym for something else. Google doesn’t like those.
With Copilot, you could (in theory) just ask “why is this beating me?” to which the AI can look at your gameplay and say “pack more antidotes and watch out for the tail” if it’s just a skill issue. Or if not, it can suggest weapon better suited to the hunt.
Copilot AI - A Sidekick With Side-Effects
The idea of an AI that knows what you’re playing, how you’re playing, and can evaluate what you’re doing correctly or incorrectly is one that’s sure to get people thinking. If Microsoft’s AI is too good at its job, that could have consequences for things like strategy, mystery, or puzzle games - especially competitive ones. Would Copilot need to be disabled for multiplayer?
If it’s not that great though… well, that’s perhaps even more interesting. Would it be especially useful for its stated goals? Not really - its tips would be bad and its story recaps could be wildly off.
But if the tips are bad, then they could be good for a laugh. “XCOM 2Ironman, But I Actually Listen To Copilot” sounds like a great title for a YouTube video, and a great way to roast bad tech.
Hallmark Xbox Feature Hits A Major Milestone
There are now over 1,000 games that support Xbox Play Anywhere.
