Yuji Horii: The Future of AI… and Possibly More Dragon Quests?
In a delightful twist that sounds like something out of a sci-fi comedy, renowned Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii has been pondering the notion of adding an AI chatbot to his future games. Yes, that’s right! Robots may soon help players find and interrogate imaginary criminals, all while maintaining conversation like that friend who just won’t stop texting.
ChatGPT: The Chatty Sidekick
While attending the glitzy G-Star game developer convention in South Korea last month, Horii had a rather enlightening chat—no pun intended—about the wonders of AI. Famitsu caught wind of this riveting discussion, which apparently was more exciting than a surprise Dragon Quest release.
Horii came right out and said he’s been quite smitten with AI technology, specifically highlighting a certain overly chatty assistant named ChatGPT. He exclaimed (or at least it was translated to sound like he did), “It handles all sorts of consultations in a very logical way.” Logic? In a world where players occasionally insist on using cheese as a weapon? One can only hope this AI can handle that challenge.
From Mystery Solving to Chat Botting
Talking about possibilities, Horii daydreamed about crafting a quiz or mystery game powered by an AI sidekick. Imagine the scene: players could tackle brain-teasers or unravel the clues to find a fictitious culprit while engaging in witty banter with their AI partner. “It would be interesting,” he mused, “to solve a case through conversation, while chatting… if something like that were truly possible, it would be fun, wouldn’t it?” Yes, indeed! It’s like a combination of Sherlock Holmes and a really eager chat app!
And What About VR?
Not one to stop at just AI, Horii poured some virtual thoughts into the convo—VR was another juicy topic. However, it seems he thinks it might be about as comfortable as wearing a blender on one’s head. “I think games will eventually step beyond the monitor,” he declared, probably imagining a world where virtual reality and real life collide spectacularly, like a poorly executed science experiment.
According to him, the distinction between the virtual realm and the real world might just fade away, leading to life-altering experiences. “Playing online games can change your life, right? You make new acquaintances, and some people actually get married to those they meet there.” Ah yes, nothing like a deep relationship forged over dragon-slaying and loot-sharing to make that special spark fly!
A Remarkable Honor
There’s no denying that Horii has certainly earned his stripes. Just last month, the Japanese government decided to honor him with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette. This is quite an impressive title for anyone—except maybe for someone who conducts dragon-slaying school as a part-time gig!
Horii holds the unique distinction of being the first game designer ever to receive such an honor. Clearly, slaying pixelated monsters builds character (and gets you medals). With a career spanning every mainline Dragon Quest game since the original in 1986, his work literally has been quite the legendary quest.
So buckle up, gamers! The future seems bright—possibly chatty and slightly awkward—but definitely packed with potential for adventures that blur the lines between reality and fantasy, assisted by a helpful little robot friend!
