Ark: Aquatica Surfaces With Release Date, But Did They Learn Their AI Lesson?
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Snail Games is releasing the Aquatica expansion for Ark: Survival Evolved after a previous trailer was called out for using egregious AI generation, leading to a very safe and brief release date announcement. Let's hope this release is better than their previous use of AI-generated marketing!
Right, so Snail Games is diving back into the deep end with the "Aquatica" expansion for *Ark: Survival Evolved*. Mark your calendars, folks, because it’s set to flood our Steam libraries on July 15th. Apparently, we're in for "new survival mechanics, extreme environmental hazards, a huge explorable map area, and unique gameplay elements." Sounds promising, doesn't it? Oh, and 21 new beasties to tame, 74 new Engrams (including 7 Tek ones, for all you future overlords), and, crucially, ways to breathe underwater. Thank goodness for air pockets and propulsion vehicles, eh?
But here's where it gets a bit spicy. Remember that GDC trailer earlier this year? The one that looked like it was cobbled together by a rogue AI after binge-watching *Finding Nemo* on repeat? Yeah, the one that Eurogamer so eloquently dubbed "AI slop"? It featured delightful oddities like a dude with three hands wielding a spear gun, marine life clipping through the scenery, an octopus that clearly failed tentacle anatomy 101, and, my personal favorite, a human with flippers instead of feet. Seriously, what was going on there? (You can't even find this trailer anymore, they nuked it from orbit!)
Well, Snail Games is being *very* careful this time around. Their release date trailer? Let's just say it's... brief. Like, blink-and-you'll-miss-it brief. Probably because they’re still blushing from the previous AI-generated… *ahem*… masterpiece. They're playing it safe, and frankly, who can blame them?
After the initial trailer debacle, lead game designer Matt Kohl threw the marketing team under the bus, stating that they had taken game assets and “ran them through an AI to animate them.” He also insisted that “there has been no AI use in development of Aquatica.” Fair enough, I reckon. But it begs the question: what are we actually getting in Aquatica, and is this new trailer actually made by real people?
It's all a bit of a rollercoaster, innit? One minute you're hyped for underwater adventures, the next you're questioning the very fabric of reality (or at least, the sanity of game marketing departments). Let's hope Aquatica delivers the deep-sea thrills and avoids any more AI-related mishaps. I, for one, am ready to grab my digital scuba gear (and double-check for extra fingers).
Tags: Ark: Survival Evolved, Aquatica, Snail Games, AI, Gaming News
Original article: Eurogamer