Sohei Niikawa, creator of the Disgaea series, former president of Nippon Ichi Software, and current CEO of Superniche, discussed the application of generative AI in game development in an interview with Dengeki Online.
First, Shinkawa pointed out that he does not view artificial intelligence as a threat, but rather as a “tool.” He explained that while it is perfectly acceptable to use artificial intelligence to increase productivity, he strongly opposes copyright infringement and any other illegal use of the technology. As for his own work, Shinkawa said he has no immediate plans to use artificial intelligence — especially in writing.
You can come up with a story, feed it into artificial intelligence, and let it complete the story for you. I believe many people do this now. I’m not denying the practice, but I still wonder: Is it really funny?
He noted that while artificial intelligence can be used for mass production, he himself is not looking for a pipeline release of the game.
I have a fundamental desire to create stories and characters that interest me, so the process becomes meaningless to me unless I handcraft every element. Unless I choose every word myself, I’m not interested.
Shinkawa explained that this is one of the main reasons why he does not use artificial intelligence in his creative process. While acknowledging the usefulness of technology in tasks such as generating character names or searching for information, he stressed that he “doesn’t want to let artificial intelligence write its own stories.”
For example, I wouldn’t ask an AI to come up with ten story options that are guaranteed to sell well. For me, the value is in choosing a topic that interests me and writing about it, so this approach isn’t for me.
Shinkawa is currently writing and producing a number of new projects, including Demon Night Fever, a tactical RPG with speedrunner training elements, and Nooi Ayashi: The Infinith Oddity, a horror action game with stealth mechanics and a time-loop storyline.