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Indie developer Mauro Xavier made headlines a while back for his amazing unofficial port of Capcom's Final Fight for the Mega Drive / Genesis before making waves of a different kind by revealing he was using GenAI to create the music for one of his other projects, Bullet Rhythm.
The use of GenAI in the world of indie gaming is becoming more and more common, but Xavier has posted on his Patreon that it has taken him time to see the "right and wrong" when it comes to using the highly controversial technology, "not because I didn't want to know, but because I just wasn't involved in the scene."
In the lengthy post, Xavier states categorically that he never uses AI in his code. "I love the challenge of programming and getting better every day, even knowing that I might bump into things I won't be able to do on my own," he says.
However, he admits that, when he's unsure about how to proceed with something, he will use free AI tools to "ask about optimisation best practices, the exact same way I used to read books about it back in the day," without feeding the AI any of his code.
He adds:
"I don't think it's cool to have an AI alter something I developed. I take pride in looking at my code—whether it's pretty or not, efficient or not—and knowing what every single line does. I like knowing the story behind each command I chose to type, and the battle it took to reach that result.
I'm not going to judge anyone riding this "vibe coding" wave; times change. However, if someone jumps into this headfirst without actually knowing how to code, they could undoubtedly end up creating a problematic Frankenstein they won't be able to handle later. I prefer to know exactly where I'm stepping."
The developer then outlines the different areas where AI could potentially be used in his workflow.
For music, he admits that he has "played around a bit" with AI to create music using lyrics he has written. "I did a few CD audio tests in Final Fight MD, thought it was cool, got tired of it, and left it at that."
For artwork, Xavier says he enjoys using AI to "take sketches I drew with a pen, take a photo, and have it give me something slightly better—though I was fully aware the workload would be massive either way."
He says that using AI for this actually created more work for him, not less. "Any attempt to simulate lower resolutions is extremely inaccurate, not to mention the colours that need to be completely reworked. So, saying the AI handed me anything ready to use isn't true; I practically had to redo the entire image."
(However, judging from some of his YouTube thumbnails – like the Final Fight one below – it seems that Xavier has used GenAI to create art used outside the game itself.)
As for spritework, Xavier reveals that he used GenAI for the character portraits in Driftin' Rage, but, again, he had to redo everything for the final product. "I know there are software options and solutions tailored for low-res and just about everything else, but for me, it's so rewarding to grow and improve at pixel art that doing it any other way would take away the joy of 'stitching' the image together pixel by pixel."
He adds that "if I lack inspiration or talent, I prefer to look directly at sprites and drawings from other games and try to understand the linework, how the art was made, how the movements flow, and whatever else is needed, creating a new drawing that fits the style of the game I'm developing."
As for sound effects, he says he's never used GenAI for that, but admits he's utilised the tech for voice work, "because my English pronunciation isn't the best. However, in some places, I plan to re-record them with my own voice, as I can change my voice quite well."
In summary, it would seem that while Xavier is happy to reveal that he has experimented with GenAI in the past and won't judge or point fingers at those who continue to use it, he's firmly of the opinion that human effort is more rewarding and fulfilling than passing off the job to a computer:
"It took me a while to grasp the concepts of "right and wrong" when it comes to AI, not because I didn't want to know, but because I just wasn't involved in the scene.
Anyway, what I mean is that if people are using AI, I'm not the guy who's going to point fingers and judge; it's up to everyone to take responsibility for their choices.
I will keep seeing AI as a tool for teaching, research, and support. But if I'm just going to do everything indiscriminately with AI, the questions remain:
+ What joy would I get from creating?
+ What would I be learning?
+ Where would the challenge be?
+ What passion is there in watching everything get done automatically?
+ And the ultimate question: would there be any human soul in what was created?I definitely didn't start a Patreon to ask for support to use AI, but to be supported in dedicating my time to something I am passionate about, delivering the best to those who support me."
Generative AI is a deeply sensitive topic at the moment. While many of the key players in the industry are embracing it – such as EA, Sony and Microsoft – there are massive ethical and moral questions over its use. GenAI is trained on the contents of the entire internet, without permission or remuneration, to create work which directly competes with human artists, coders, musicians and actors. There are also serious concerns about the environmental impact of AI, which requires vast water-hungry data centres to operate.