AInlp & speechSpeech Recognition
Ubisoft made prototype game with voice-controlled AI teammates
Ubisoft just dropped a seriously next-level prototype that feels like it's ripped straight from a sci-fi streamer's dream—a game where you can literally talk to your AI teammates and they actually get it. Dubbed 'Teammates,' this experimental project is already in closed playtests with a few hundred players, and it's building on the Neo NPC tech they showed off with Nvidia earlier this year, but with a major twist: these AI buddies understand not just your voice commands but the visual context of what you're seeing in-game.Imagine you're in a dystopian FPS setup, part of a resistance squad hunting for five missing teammates in an enemy base, and you tell Sofia, one of the robotic characters, to 'stand behind that barrel'—she'll scan your viewpoint and position herself perfectly, no clunky button prompts needed. That's the kind of immersion Ubisoft is chasing here, and it's a game-changer for how we interact with NPCs, moving beyond pre-scripted dialogues to dynamic, real-time responses that shape the gameplay on the fly.The prototype features three AI characters: Jaspar, who's like your in-game lore guru and settings tweaker, and Pablo and Sofia, the physical bots you command, each with customizable personalities, including a quirky 'Bad Cat and Good Boy' option that tweaks how chatty they are—because let's be real, sometimes you want a silent op, not a running commentary. From the footage, these AI pals can be a bit verbose, but Ubisoft is iterating fast, collecting player feedback to refine the experience, which includes a full pipeline from onboarding to debrief, something Rémi Labory, Ubisoft's Data & AI Director, highlights as a first in gaming.This isn't Ubisoft's first rodeo with AI—remember Ghostwriter, their tool for generating dialogue drafts, or that awkward AI-generated loading screen in Anno 117?—but Teammates feels like a bigger leap, potentially integrating into future titles using Snowdrop and Anvil engines. For gamers, this could mean less grinding through repetitive commands and more organic co-op play, even in solo modes, but it also raises questions about AI's role in creativity and whether it'll enhance or homogenize storytelling.As someone who's spent hours in multiplayer lobbies, the idea of AI teammates that don't just follow scripts but adapt to my style is hype—think of the speedrun potential or the emergent stories that could unfold. Yet, it's early days; the tech needs to prove it's not just a gimmick but a solid addition to the toolkit, and with Ubisoft's track record, it could either flop or define the next-gen gaming landscape. Either way, keep your mics ready—this might be how we game tomorrow.
#Ubisoft
#AI teammates
#voice control
#gaming prototype
#generative AI
#featured