So..... is this any good. I've been getting into shmups lately and this feels like it could cure my ADHD by color alone, lol.

@PinballBuzzbro A bad movie director will generate bad movies regardless of how good a team he has or how expensive the projects gear is.

Same with AI. Let's say you are an illustrator. You can plug your 50 best works into AI, train it on YOUR style, effectively replace yourself (before everyone else does) and by describing what you'd think anyways before starting a new work be 10x as productive AND keep your signature style.

Of course "generate me a cover art for my game with zombies in it" won't generate something particulary noteworthy.

What I mean is, low effort is low effort and will always look like it, even when it comes to instructing AI.

@Diatron5 As of now. Slop will continue and also improve. You assume that AI won't evolve, you also assume that all AI slop is created equally. A good prompt and actually training on (for example your own) authentic art WILL create stunning AI art already.

Remember 2 years ago when we joked about AI images having 6 fingers? We've come a long way already.

Again. I don't like how this is evolving, but I have to recognize THAT it is.

@Bot_Bot_69 I agree with most of what you say. It's just that none of it matters. I am not advertising for AI, just coming to terms that AI will be part of mostly ANYTHING moving forward. And there is a nuance to the use of AI most hardliners don't see.

I argue boycotting developers who use AI will go nowhere. If AI generates code that works and it happens to be a game thats fun, it will sell. The market doesn't care for the "behind the scenes". Also you got my argument about the movie industry slightly wrong.

Moviegoers don't care about who was the cameraman or the special effects guy, never did and they won't going forward. They wanna watch a movie. Might as well fire your whole crew IF AI can generate the same result in a fraction of the time for peanuts.

Personally I don't think AI won't ruin movies, Hollywood did that just fine long before any AI. Same with triple A games.

@PinballBuzzbro no just come to terms with that in most scenarios you can't compete. Will there be a boutique niche for "human made stuff"? Sure and I hope so since I am a writer myself and absolutely hate AI slop on Amazon.

But in software development (including games) specifically ALL triple A production will move to AI use hard. MUST. Will it make things better? Hell no. Just faster. Cheaper. Do I like it? NO. But its a reality.

I DO welcome AI lowering the hurdles to break into a certain field though. But a bad direction is a bad direction. There's a difference between people explaining to AI a grandios concept in a pages long detailed prompt and someone just writing "make me a shmup about burgers and cats".

Wether we like it or not, AI is here to stay, and it will boil down to: we either get stuff, made with AI, or no stuff at all, because it won't be competitive. Sure, small indie stuff will be less affected by this, but we're already seeing the collapse of what "Software" even means.

EDIT: Also I want to add, AI makes everyone from a worker to a creative director and thus lowers the bar of entry enormously. That said, there are good creative directors and bad ones, and this reflects in the resulting art. But condemning people who direct AI to make product just for the sake of it, is hollow, if you think about the movie industry, we have largely been celebrating the directors and the actors instead of the whole crew or the screenwriter, even though without them the actors wouldn't have anything to act out and the director wouldn't have anyone to command around. So... how is AI different?

@slider1983 Ask him about ModRetro! A company to not being mentioned because out of ethical and political reasons!

@Damo Why so bitter? So you hate GEN AI. It's based on stolen data and the bubble will pop. Ok. So what - no one cares about your opinion or mine either way (no offense).

You have a very limited view about AI. So it's trained on stolen data and you really expect the development to stop over copyright issues? Billions of dollars poured into all of it and the plug being pulled because "oh no, someone used my deviant art piece"?

I am a creative myself, I got my stuff stolen on a regular basis (even before AI), I hate it too. But regardless what the US does (not gonna stop) or Europa (irrelevant place in the future) CHINA will soldier forward. Who cares about copyright in China?

Remember Metallica being pissed about their songs being shared on Napster back in the day. Well that sure did stop filesharing on a global level did it? Right.

And what you seem to completely underestimate: AI models are OUT there. On LOCAL machines. Open source and free. Even if you COULD and WOULD regulate AI, even if OpenAI, Google, Anthropic etc. have their bubble pop, there's so many models out there already, maintained and expanded with... you guessed it AI. No datacentres needed.

Also... AI generating free and open source Microsoft Word and Adobe Apps? Hell yeah baby, software democracy. Game mashups and faster translations of japanese classics? Count me in. Besides all that AI is used by private parties for researching illnesses and treatments too and one could argue that AI will eventually get rid of our rotten political leadership and corruption in the long run.

So again, this is the most monumental technological shift in human history thus far. Individual opinions be damned. Also judging by your political stance, shouldn't you welcome AI bringing about a post-capitalist world of abundance even faster? Who would you trust more to "share wealth equally" - human leadership or AI algorithms? We humans don't have an exactly spotless history of "faire use of wealth".

Also you say you don't remember a pushback on the internet and the smartphone back in the day? Well I do. Smartphones were said to rot the brain of children, the lack of attention span, the invasion of privacy and even the internet, availability of pr0n, addictive games, grooming, cheating in schools and losing the ability to actually learn were all valid concerns (to this day). Guess what, the world moved on and the internet gave you the ability to run this site, journalists to report about fraud, the smartphone helped connect people and also create a whole slew of actually useful apps. Disruptive doesn't mean BAD (it doesn't mean GOOD either). We are in a very turbulent time right now, all the concerns YOU and others mention are VALID and I share most of them with you. It's just actually really NO POINT. I don't see widespread protests against AI either. So. This is what it's gonna be.

All that said I harbor no ill will against you or anyone on this site, I just believe its pointless hating on AI, it's like being a horse carriage rider hating on automobiles in 1920...

Lol just yesterday I had ChatGPT create sketchnotes from ShmupJunkie videos and compile a list of notable Shmups. LOL, i recognize all these names. Well. Time to dip in!

@Bot_Bot_69 We will for sure end up with plenty of slop and shovelware, there are already platforms where you can create small little smartphone games via prompt, play it, share it, let others play it, even earn credits doing so. 5 million users already, thousands upon thousands simple games. This doesn't bother me, not my market but this will surely disrupt the candy crush and smartphone "gamer" community.

Mario in Eldenring? Racing through Minecraft with a Ford Mustang straight out of Gran Turismo? Having the whole Adobe Creative Cloud clones and available for free on Linux finally? Hell yeah. To be honest, the gaming industry, software monopolies, forced subscription services, full games being released in alpha state, slop political agenda movie scripts, sequels upon sequals... the whole entertainment industry and software industry is creatively bankrupt and managed to run itself into the ground just fine even without AI.

A common argument is "AI can just remix exiting stuff but not create new things." - I don't see how this differs to 90% of all things in a saturated end-stage society like ours.

Platform exclusivity, horrendous pricing without ownership, locked down walled garden hardware and yes even privacy, all things of the past already. This is a "Napster event" (look it up if you arent old enough) a thousand times over. This will completely reshape how we consume media.

The gaming prompting platform, will soon expand to AA and eventually AAA games. Can't wait for GTA IV? Make your own in a week. Eventually every AI powered game will be a sandbox type of experience, you'll open up a GOD-console, put in a prompt and just let AI create assets and gameplay mechanics as you play.

Video AI? Just yesterday I saw crusaders with modern weaponry storming into battle in a TikTok. Looked damn real. Loved it. Would I watch a series about it? Hell yeah! Soon your Netflix AI will let you create a 10 episode series of Darth Vader having a romantic relationship with Indiana Jones on the moon, while he is pondering why Indy looks kinda familiar. Eventually entertainment will be heavily individualized, EVERY company and studio will be gone except the AI providers and our culture will be eroded.

No more shared media experience outside of your friend group or a little crowd of people on the AI services you shared your created series with.

Yes we will get free software. Faster emulators. Better optimized games. Mashups, perfect operating systems and so much more. But we will lose a shared pop culture experience and eventually culture as a whole.

Thats my take and it won't matter one bit if we like that or not.

That said, I am back watching some crusaders riding mechanized sharks onto shore while blocking gatling gun fire with their shields...

I've read the article and the comments with great interest and I came to the following conclusion: in the long run, AI-using companies and individuals will just outcompete those that don't. Regardless if we like it or not. It's a bit like the Yoghurt *****. Yoghurt per se is healthy for your gut, except it's laden with artificial coloring and sugars, which everyone has to put into it to stay competitive because real, natural, untreated yoghurt just tastes "off" even though it's the superior product. Kinda like this I feel it will go with AI.

There's people who cant do ***** and generate AI slop.
Then there is real talent who WILL use AI and there is talent who will NOT use AI for ethical or whatever reasons.

While the talent not using AI might be the ones who are "right", they will just be simple outperformed even by the sloppers.

Let me rephrase it: GTA VI. 13 years in development? 1 Billion dollars cost? What? Don't you think by using AI in all possible forms, cutting that down to lets say THREE years and 50 million dollars in cost, everyone who wants to have a chance in the market HAS to go a similar route?

Again. Not saying I like any of this, but being realistic, AI is here to stay and "ethical" and "artistic" oversighted AI use will beat everything else in quality, quantity and frequency on the market, imho.

like some have already stated, AI or not, they are comparing a finished classic game to a preview build that's not even stable version 1.0. The game runs shoddy and has bugs not because of AI per se, but because it's not too far along.

That said, also like many have stated before me, just emulate the OG game.

About vibe coding: if the delivered product is of a certain quality and a human takes full responsibility for the project, I really don't mind.

@mjparker77 I played the heck out of 2 on SNES I believe. Good times. And yes, I might have been paying attention up until 4 or something. All enjoyable (if you got friends to play with). But it's kinda like Tetris. Proven solid formula, not too much to add to it or innovate.

Love Gleylancer, might get it!

@RupeeClock Its also my first Retroid Device. Build quality and that screen is mighty impressive. It took a while to get all set up on Android. I recommend the video of RetroGameCorps on YT. Android can be a b*tch especially as an Apple user. But now everything is running smoothly and GC games never looked better.

You will love it!

@RupeeClock Guess so. 350 I'd say. I'd really love a great way to play 3DS and I love my "sega black" Nova for everything else. But I am not sure I could double dip so soon. :/

At least I am NOT getting a PS5pro nor GTA VI so...

Probably gonna use the Nova's gorgeous screen. So we have a size reference?

After pondering on this a bit, its tough. I guess we all agree that AI should not be used to replace creativity, but surely no one would object to let AI, lets say, design the perfect PCB for a new gaming console? Or manage logistics for console deployment, or handle research about the 16th century for a time-era video game, right?

But what about actual coding like in this example? For a passionate coder, coding IS ART, it IS creative. For the layman it's just machine instructions getting a computer to do what you want it to do. So, where draw the line?

Obviously it would be easy to feed the past 20 bestselling novels to AI and then say: write a world class novel based on what worked in these 20 bestsellers as a compound author combining all the talent of all these authors into one about subject XY, hit send, make a few adjustments and sell and done.

But... do we want that? What if we couldn't tell a difference and AI use was not to be mandatory disclosed? Would anyone even care?

Weird times.

TBH if the end product is indiscernable either way, regardless of how or in which capacity AI was used, I as end consumer don't give a flying monkey. But YES I am an aspiring writer and I would never use AI to actually write for me. What's the point. Yes I use it for research or spell check, but that's about it. So I do get Sunlit's point of view. But as a consumer, on the other end of it all, I don't mind.

Blanket condemnation of AI is silly imho.

It's a bit like "I won't by your bananas because they have been delivered by truck and not by horse-carriage."

If this only could run 3DS well too...

@h3s I hate android with a passion, but managed to set it all up, using the NeoStation Launcher it looks nice and clean. On my main setup I use batocera (desktop) which is coming soon for the Nova. Rocknix is already out. So yes, Linux support all the way!

Still not sure if I shall immediately wipe it all, now that it runs almost perfectly as I want it. Also I was wondering about some android games, like Minecraft... for old times sake (but I really don't like what it has become, so who knows).

Anyways, the hardware is great, yes the d-pad is a bit tough if you play a lot of Street Fighter and similar games and the triggers are a bit awkward, even if they feel really nice. Still that screen... with the right shaders these old 4:3 CRT games almost look like remasters with the spirit and pixel glory in tact.

Whaaaaat? lol

@Damo How so?

@h3s Its pretty much a given BATOCERA and ROCKNIX will end up on the Nova eventually. Both experiences are pretty much "first party" quality wise.

@1040STF I get you. I got the purple Anbernic GBA clone thing (not the flip, the classic shape). Love it overall, but should have gone with the black. Black is always a safe bet. Maybe transparent black too. I don't think I want to fiddle with the hardware though, buttons or such, I almost destroy my devices applying the screen protector, yet alone opening the case... oh no.

Anyways, I am even trying to get old 4:3 TV shows and such to play on the screen... this will be my old bedroom IN MY POCKET! Love it.

@Martin_H Yeah its what I am going for, experience will be similar to batocera then I guess. can't wait to fiddle!

@1040STF Same same, "SEGA BLACK" Can't wait. Still need to get to know Android as an OS. I love Batocera/Rocknix, but I decided to make full use of full Android wherever possible, that means I'll also put a writing app on this thing, connect my wireless keyboard to it, put my Manson Music on it and use it as portable entertainment device!

LOL I just preordered the Retroid Pocket Nova... gonna play 30 year old games on it and be perfectly happy (and yes, they are all digital too, lol).

Life is fun.

If the future is digital, reduce prices, have regular DEEP discounts and make the games available in a self contained file I can put on a physical medium to store it.

Otherwise I will just play a gazillion of retro games, tank you very much.

@ojisan Yes, for example what mudita is doing.

I do get it. It's not just a chinese dumb phone, it does have NAV and WhatsApp and what not. But honestly at this point just tailor your apps on your smartphone to your needs, i don't have facebook or other social media on my phone.

I don't see a market for this except the "odd collectible" crowd.

I am very excited about this and if it has any legs, yay! BUT it's also SEGA and I fully expect them to F it up.

"its intended for the chinese market" is the giveaway
I think the real slipup is shipping it to outside China, otherwise no one would care about the roms, lol

i loved spending time in italian arcades in the 90's playing the ***** out of mortal kombat 1 and 2. what we lost is: if you played at least 5 machines, you gained the immunity of 20 vaccinations

Played the OG when I was a kid. Sound effect speech samples creeped me out and I didn't know what to do. I love retro games, but C64 is just below my threshold to enjoy old janky garbage. Good though there's still new ***** coming out!

@AndyVGR Actually that's a good thing, because the USE of AI is not cost-effective at all. Somewhere I've read an average prompt generates cost of 5-10 Cents for data centers in energy and cooling. Now imagine what people (who even care to subscribe) are paying monthly and how much interactions you can have with something like ChatGPT.

Use it till it breaks I say!

I do love their build quality, but out of the box software experience is mid at best and not too many custom firmware out there is up to snuff on TrimUI units.

Would love the black one.
Unfortunately I am too broke for luxury items atm.

I'll keep an eye on that one. Love the OG Diablo formula.

A CEO can use generative AI to create SOMETHING. But generative AI will never make you a creative person.

I love the style and the haptics of the OG brick, but the software was lacking and custom firmware still is not quite there yet.

There will be labels in art and literature, music probably too. Something like: "authentically human" or "human made" just like "organic" or "grass fed" to differentiate the effort from the slop. I am all for it, as aspiring writer myself, competing with AI slop on Amazon...

Yapping.
Markets.
Economy.
Will regulate itself.
Just the same way "woke" was hyped, now "AI" is hyped.
All bubbles burst eventually.
What remains will be a few players.
Production will ramp up.

Or hey... maybe even go buy refurbed tech or touch grass once in a while.

@The_Nintendo_Pedant Yeah I do like it for games that were made for 16:9, especially those "cinematic" experiences. Okay. Fine. I also think it helps perspective in racing games. That said, you're absolutely right, been playing retro games almost exclusively the past couple ... years actually ... and trying to "grasp" such a wide canvas as 16:9 now almost makes me "crosseyed" or something. I know the sensation you are describing exactly.

I guess to sum it up: 4:3 is great for close range, 16:9 is great in cinema. That's it.

Okay I guess. On a more serious note, what kind of systems will you realistically play on that 16:9 screen? Does it run PS3/360 well enough? Otherwise I think I'd prefer a 4:3.

@gingerbeardman @gojiguy Isn't the ANBERNIC RG 476H close enough? Almost 5", 4:3, 4x upscale from 320x240.

Pete, just leave it be and give us a proper modern Populous or Syndicate.

@hisownsidekick Ellison was a weird guy. On one hand boasting that he is so progressive and fighting for women's rights, on the other hand erratic and downright maniac in interviews.

If you even have the slightest interest in writers and their personalities, his interviews often are a fun watch!

"I despise my audience."
Harland Ellison

lol

This sounds mighty interesting! I used to create games back in the day using "Click'n Play" and "The Games Factory". This sounds very similar. <3

@jmbenetti Harlan Ellison was the writer of the OG story, which is "nice" by today's standards where AI is a reality, back then it was a shocking preview into the future. But as with many of Ellison's stories, it was quite "rough" around the edges and nothing was really much fleshed out, he did all that after the fact, through interviews and indeed this game, which makes even more interesting.

@Omarzuqo Loop Hero? I think that's a very nice implementation. Also thinking about when rogue like games actually originated, they ARE essentially part of the old school games.