Google Wants You to Make AI Games

Google announced a new platform to create and play games using generative AI. Find out the details. Also, we have the latest updates on GTA 6 and all the latest news of the week. Let’s go. 

Google and Unity announce new AI game platforms

Google launched a new experimental Ai gaming platform called Google Playground. The new browser-based program is designed for making, sharing, and playing games made using generative AI tools. In a press release, Google says:

Game creation has historically been limited to a select group of people who have technical experience and knowledge…Playground lowers the barriers to creation, so bringing game ideas to life can now be as easy as describing it through a few prompts — no coding experience required.

In collaboration with Google, game building software Unity announced their own AI platform called Unity Spark. Spark will launch later this year and integrate with Google Playground. Spark will connect to Unity’s asset store, allowing creators to buy assets to use in their creations. In a blog post, Matt Bromberg, President and CEO of Unity says:

We made Unity Spark for the gamers who have spent a thousand hours inside a genre and know exactly what’s missing. The graphic artist who wants to bring their vision to life but doesn’t know how to code. Modders who now want to create something entirely new. That's the opportunity we see: Folks with real creative conviction who can now fulfill their full potential.

While many players might be against AI in their games, one new AI-generated game platform has amassed over 10 million monthly users. Also, AI versions of popular games are quickly becoming a thing, with near perfect working copies of Call of Duty, Halo and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City available to play in browsers.

The latest GTA 6 news

As Grand Theft Auto 6 approaches, more stories are coming out about the most anticipated game in years. We grabbed some of the top headlines from the last week:

• The person (or people) responsible for earlier GTA 6 leaks are back. Their latest leak reveals story spoilers and shows quite a bit of nudity. The entity also threatened to release a full build of the game if their demands for a physical version of GTA 6 are not met. 
• Rockstar announced a $400 collectors box, which includes a bunch of physical goodies, but not the actual game. 
• Grand Theft Auto games are known for their radio stations and music. Rockstar announced some of the songs and stations for GTA 6, with Bad Bunny and Lana Del Rey cast as radio station hosts. Players can also listen to the radio and podcasts when they are not in cars. 
• The Australian government posted advice for citizens who plan to take time off from work to play GTA 6. 
• IGN has an in-depth interview with Rockstar’s Rob Nelson. Worth a read.

Side Quests (more stories worth reading)

🎮 We spent the night with Control Resonate, which is very different from the original Control game. 

🥽 Sony appears to be moving on from virtual reality, as they sold and transferred 400 of their VR patents to Meta. 

🏎️ The first expansion for Forza Horizon 6 along with the PlayStation 5 version of the game are releasing in January of 2027. 

🦔 Sega created a Discord server specifically for Sonic the Hedgehog, and it went about as poorly as possible. 

👎🏽 GameStop raised the price of their used PlayStation Pros to $1,400. The system sells new for $900, but is currently out-of-stock on Sony’s website. 

🏀 NBA 2K25 will delist October 30 and its servers will be shut down in December. 

⛔ Rainbow Six Mobile is shutting down less than a year after its global release.

🤖 The union for Wizards of the Coast, the company behind Magic and Dungeons & Dragons, demanded the company stop pushing generative AI. 

👏🏻 The studio behind Star Wars Zero Company brought back over half of its furloughed staff. 

💿 According to recent reports, 35% of Marvel’s Wolverine sales came from physical discs. 

🎥 A live-action Cyberpunk 2077 movie is in development. 

🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 As part of the Skydance merger, Paramount and Warner Bros. are combining their video game divisions. Also, former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick has joined the Skydance board. 

🍆 The last two Leisure Suit Larry games that are available on Steam will delist on October 23.

📈 Round numbers: Star Wars Zero Company sold one million copies and Ace Combat 8 passed one million copies sold.

New Releases this week:

Check out our article on 10 New Games to Play in October. 

10/13: Planet Zoo 2 (PlayStation, Xbox and PC)
10/13: Valor Mortis (PlayStation, Xbox and PC)
10/14: Over the Hill (PC)
10/14: Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 (PlayStation, Xbox and PC)
10/15: Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC)
10/15: Frosthaven (PC)
10/16: Penguin Colony (PC)
10/16: Tales of Eternia Remastered (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC)

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