Japan’s computer and video game makers are turning to artificial intelligence faster than anyone expected. Ahead of a full report due in December, Japan’s Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA) has released early numbers from a survey of game developers conducted at the Japanese game developers conference CEDEC. The headline figure is stark: 85.8 percent of Japanese game developers are now using generative AI in their work, up from 51 percent last year.
The study takes in the whole range of tasks, from building up assets to administrative jobs. Developers turn to tools such as ChatGPT and Copilot for everyday office duties, and they also draw on AI-driven image creation. These results arrive at a time when Japanese studios are under rising public doubt over whether AI is doing the real creative labor.
The Numbers Behind The Survey
A survey of 1,349 developers produced the 85.8 percent figure. Among those who use the technology, 63 percent say they employ it daily, while 22.8 percent use it only occasionally. An additional 8.6 percent reported that their companies have issued guidance on the technology’s use.
The majority of developers who used the technology saw some kind of advantage from it. A number of them said it cut down on production time and costs; one developer, 837, said it opened up creative possibilities, while another, 738, said it made technical hurdles easier to overcome. Just one developer, 147, said the technology helped improve what the end user actually experienced.
Why The Rise Matters
The gap between the two figures is significant. Last year’s survey reported that just 51 percent of developers were using AI. Now, that number stands at 85.8 percent. The speed of that increase points to something larger happening throughout the field.
The survey comes with a caution. It draws on individual developers, which means it counts many developers from the same company with the same policies without breaking down overall AI use by company. The result shows a picture distinct from CESAs own survey of its member companies.
What Companies Are Doing
A survey of CESAs member companies found that 74 percent had policies covering the use of generative AI. The companies surveyed fell into two roughly equal groups: those that were not using generative AI (27) and those that did use it in some form (26).
Only 12 companies used it for visual assets, with even fewer using it for things like story, localization, QA, or programming.
The Public Reaction
Japanese game makers are not just adopting generative AI; they are also putting rules in place around its use. The upward trend in AI adoption is matched by a push for clear guidelines on how it gets put into practice. Many of these guidelines emerged after players posted mixed reviews and voiced worries online.
Since a presentation from Level-5, the maker of Dark Cloud and Professor Layton, raised suspicion among fans that it was full of images made by AI, worry has grown. Fans wondered whether human hands were still doing the work.
Global Backlash And Asian Differences
Gaming firms may need to handle the deployment of AI with greater care than businesses in other sectors that are scrambling to use it for efficiency and layoffs, given that even East Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan show strong backing for these technologies while global pushback, as seen with games like Crazy Taxi: World Tour, persists.
The contrast is revealing. Video game firms are accelerating their pace, yet they are doing so against a wall of public doubt.
The Caveats Matter
Flaws exist within the survey’s design. It measures individuals instead of businesses, which means a single company employing 10 people might register as ten distinct entries. This approach produces a hazy view when looking at firms as a whole.
The CESAs survey of its member companies reveals a distinct picture. Just 12 of them employed AI for visual assets, while an even smaller number drew on it for story, localization, QA, or programming.
What Comes Next
The complete report is expected to arrive in December, and it will probably include additional information about how companies are managing policy, openness, and public relations regarding their use of AI.
The main point to take away is that AI is now found throughout Japanese game development. Almost nine out of every ten developers use it, and close to three quarters of companies have rules in place around its use. The real test will be whether those rules stand up once players get their hands on the finished games.
Key Facts Box
- Survey respondents: 1,349 developers
- Last year’s AI use figure: 51 percent
- New figure: 85.8 percent
- Daily AI users: 63 percent
- Occasional AI users: 22.8 percent
- Companies with policies: 74 percent
- Companies not using AI: 27 surveyed
- Companies using AI in some form: 26
- Companies using AI for visual assets: 12
There’s no denying the change or the uncertainty that comes with it. Companies that come through this period intact will be those that manage to adopt AI while keeping people’s confidence intact.
Source material: “Over 85 Percent Of Japanese Game Developers Are Using AI,” Kotaku.
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