Artificial intelligence can be understood as the technology that enables a computer, device or software to learn to interpret some knowledge from the world through so-called machine learning in order to acquire more human actions. And while this may sound like an aphorism taken from one of Asimov’s works a few years ago, it is a fact that has come to meet us as human beings and no longer belongs to the world of science fiction and speculation.
We may summarize and describe artificial intelligence within the world of video games as the techniques used by developers to design the actions of popular NPCs (Non Playable Characters). However, in the face of a technology that has been growing along with the video game industry itself, this is a concept that has become increasingly succinct and that now not only focuses on deciding the actions of adversaries, but is capable of designing increasingly challenging maps.
Before the industry itself became an integral part of popular culture worldwide, the origin of Artificial Intelligence in video games took place. One of the best known precedents for the use of this technology in a game, with computer chess titles built based on the Minimax algorithm, dates back to the 1950s. In order to select the best possible move, this program was able to evaluate the position of the pieces on the board. Artificial intelligence started to play a key role in the conception and production of the names of major brands beginning in the seventies, with video games revolutionizing the industry and the entertainment experiences of consumers.
In 1972 Pong, the opponent was already able to move based on the movement of the ball you hit to return the effect, while Space Invaders showed clear signs of how the enemies developed and became increasingly intelligent, challenging the players who they spent hours in the arcade trying to pass each of the levels. For its part, Pac-Man took another step in the eighties, as it was the first video game to feature a route search system for enemies that, under some conditions, were able to more quickly discern the direction the player took. Donkey Kong boasted how much Artificial Intelligence had improved in the same years, with a level of difficulty that forced gamers of the time to the edge of their skills. In addition to goods that gradually had a more avid customer base, and therefore more demanding, Artificial Intelligence in video games continued to grow with a major leap.
