Dispatch is the debut game from AdHoc studios, and it’s already a hit. Selling over one million copies, it’s clear that there’s still an audience for these Telltale-like episodic games.
Now, as AdHoc considers what comes next (which might even be another season of Dispatch), one thing is certain: its next game won’t use generative AI either. Even as we’re hit with big releases that shamelessly use AI art and voice acting, AdHoc says it won’t be one of them, and that AI is only any good if you “aren’t a creative person”.
Dispatch Devs Are Not Interested In AI Voice Acting
Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz (thanks, Eurogamer), creative director Nick Hermann explained why the studio will not use AI voice acting, using Jeffrey Wright’s performance as Chase as an example.
“No AI is going to do what he did,” says Hermann. “He brought something to that character that we weren’t expecting. I mean, his performance and Aaron [Paul]’s performance and our whole cast are bringing performances and elevating the material in a way that you’re just not going to get [with AI]. You’re not going to be surprised because it’s built on something you’ve heard before if you go the AI route.”
He continues, making a dig at those who argue that AI can be used as a creative tool. “AI feels like a production solution, not a creative one. Maybe it’s a creative one if you aren’t creative.”
Sadly, we’re coming to a point where actually working with human actors will be a selling point, rather than an industry standard. Arc Raiders has pushed AI voice acting, although many argue this was ethically done because the AI-generated lines were sampled by voice actors who were paid to be in the game. However, it is still work that could be done by a human that is being done through generative AI, which could pose a risk to the future of the profession. That’s not even getting into how AI voice acting is a legal wild west right now.
When you have a former Square Enix exec saying that the rise of AI is inevitable, and that “Gen Z loves AI slop”, it is reassuring to see that some studios, like AdHoc, will reject it anyway. It remains to be seen if a similar sort of pledge becomes commonplace, but at least we have some devs who see the value in working alongside actors as they record their lines.
