Gaming

99% of gamers are excited by the potential of smart NPCs powered by advanced artificial intelligence

Published

3 years ago

February 15, 2023

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Inworld AI, a developer platform for advanced NPC behavior and dialogue, today released the findings of its new report ‘Gamer Attitudes to NPCs.’ In the first study of its kind, the report surveyed over 1,000 gamers in the US aged 16-50 and found high levels of excitement about the potential of AI in video games. Specifically, there was an overwhelming consensus that recent advancements in AI could change the face of gaming and usher in a new era of immersion and interaction with NPCs (non-playable characters) with individual personalities and the ability to converse unscripted voice-to-voice with the help of ChatGPT-like language models and multimodal behavior and perception systems.

The report found that:

84% of gamers agree that current NPCs make a positive difference to gameplay
Over half (52%) dislike repetitive NPC dialogue
76% want to see NPCs with better situational awareness
78% would spend more time playing games with advanced AI NPCs
81% would be willing to pay more for a game with advanced AI NPCs

A long time (not) coming

NPCs have been a part of video gaming from as far back as the 1970s. Despite significant technological advancements in motion capture, graphics rendering, animation, and modeling, the technology that powers the behavior of NPCs has remained stagnant. In other words, NPCs have not developed personalities of their own or the ability to respond to players unscripted. This is despite the fact that the report found that 84% of players today believe NPCs are a crucial addition to gameplay, with an important role in building immersive stories and worlds.

Meaningful interaction promotes excitement and loyalty…

The report highlighted the importance of narratives and storylines to the majority of players. Meaningful interactions with NPCs were heavily sought after, with only 9% of players dismissing or avoiding NPCs during gameplay altogether. A large minority (40%) even admitted to talking to as many NPCs as possible to unlock more story content. Equally, 91% interacted with NPCs on some level and 78% said they would spend more time playing a game with ‘intelligent’ NPCs.

Kylan Gibbs, Co-Founder and CPO Inworld AI said: “ Humans are storytellers. We’re drawn to narratives that help us to make sense of the world around us. The same thing is true in the gaming world – the more immersive and believable a story is, the more we want to stay inside it. So it’s really no surprise that so many gamers want to unlock deeper stories through these NPC interactions.”

…and poor quality promotes frustration and derision

While trolling is most prevalent among younger gamers (39% of 16-24 year olds troll NPCs), across all age groups, it was apparent that gamers willingly and regularly watch NPCs doing ‘stupid’ things – particularly when the characters were two-dimensional and poor quality. The typical NPC characteristics that were most disliked by players were: repetitive dialogue, walking in circles, and inability to adapt to changes in games (disliked by 52%, 33% and 30% of players respectively.) Other traits such as awkward movements and lack of variation also contributed to their disconnect from NPCs.

A missed opportunity for artificial intelligence

Despite these frustrations however, only a tiny minority (5%) view current NPCs as pointless. “Gamers care deeply about NPCs,” continued Kylan. “They have a huge impact on gameplay but gamers are frustrated with the fact that they haven’t evolved. With advanced AI NPCs, there’s an opportunity for games to give players more of the immersive and realistic interactions with NPCs that gamers want.”

A large majority (76%) want better situational awareness from NPCs, and 60% would like to see more interactive dialogue and a sense of humor. Understanding these requirements and being able to cater to them proved to be an appealing concept for almost all gamers surveyed. The report noted that 79% of respondents said they were excited by the promise of AI NPCs, with 88% believing they would make a game more immersive. This is in tandem with 99% believing the inclusion of advanced AI NPCs would positively impact gameplay, and 81% willing to pay for the experience.

Florin Radu, Head of Partnerships, concluded: “Advances in AI have real potential to bring NPCs to life and revolutionize the way gamers interact with them. At Inworld, we’re leveraging this technology to make NPCs smarter and more interactive, so as to enrich game narratives and make gameplay more immersive. It’s little surprise that gamers are excited by the possibility of having a unique experience with NPCs every time they play – and it’s precisely this excitement that we think will result in many more developers including advanced AI NPCs in their games in the near future.”

Arena Racing Company

Arena Racing Company awarded United Arab Emirates Gaming-Related Vendor License

Published

1 week ago

December 20, 2025

Wladimir P.

arena-racing-company-awarded-united-arab-emirates-gaming-related-vendor-license

Arena Racing Company (ARC) has been granted a Gaming-Related Vendor license from the United Arab Emirates’ General Commercial Gaming Authority (GCGRA), an independent entity of the UAE Federal Government with exclusive jurisdiction to regulate, license, and supervise all commercial gaming activities.

The license, operational with immediate effect, affords ARC the opportunity to provide its products and services to licensed operators in the region. Notably, the Racing1 Markets service, an all-in-one horse and greyhound racing solution delivered in conjunction with Racing1 alliance media rights partners at 1/ST CONTENT, Racecourse Media Group (RMG), and Tabcorp, alongside technical partner Pythia Sports. ARC has been added to the list of licensed vendors as per the GCGRA website.

Jack Whitaker, Commercial Manager at ARC, said: “Obtaining this license is a great achievement for ARC and its Racing1 partners. The emerging regulated UAE market is incredibly exciting, and we look forward to showcasing our innovative products and services in the region.”

The post Arena Racing Company awarded United Arab Emirates Gaming-Related Vendor License appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.

Battle of the Tribes

POLYTOPIA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 BREAKS RECORD PARTICIPATION AS FINALS DRAW CLOSER

Published

4 weeks ago

December 3, 2025

Wladimir P.

polytopia-world-championship-2025-breaks-record-participation-as-finals-draw-closer

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Celebrated strategy game The Battle of Polytopia confirms its first ever World Championships has exceeded expectations with over 10,000 sign-ups in its qualifying rounds. While no stranger to tournaments, previously hosting smaller scale, local tournaments called ‘Polysseums’, developer Midjiwan’s first step into global esports has been met with extreme success. The inclusive esports event has a $10,000 prize pool and will conclude on 6 December 2025, 14:00-21:00.

The finals will take place in front of a live-studio audience, with expert commentary and a chance to peek behind the scenes at Midjiwan itself. First place will receive $4,000, the runner-up will take away $2,000, the third and fourth place finishers will get $1,500, and the fifth and sixth place $500.

The Polytopia World Championship 2025 is being hosted by eSports platform, Challengermode, who Midjiwan has relied on for its monthly local tournaments since 2022. Midjiwan also partnered with Black Molly Entertainment to help organise and manage the event. Black Molly Entertainment have years of experience managing eSports tournaments, with notable events including the Geoguesser World Cup and CS:GO Pinnacle Cup Championship.

Midjiwan has worked closely with its community to ensure engagement is high with each round, building a bespoke ‘Spectator Mode’ into the game so fans can watch each game live through the game itself. In the spectator mode the viewer has visibility of all players simultaneously, with stats on how many cities, technologies, kills and more available for quick access.

Christian Lovstedt, CEO of Midjiwan commented:
“Polytopia has always been about welcoming all kinds of players into the world of 4X strategy. That’s why our championship is open to everyone – not just pros with sponsors. We’ve been thrilled at the amount of interest this tournament received from our community, reaching participation numbers way beyond our expectations. We’re excited to bring the finalists to Stockholm and can’t wait to see the strategies that emerge.”

The Polytopia World Championship 2025 kicked off in September, with its ‘Battle of the Tribes’ qualifying round – weekly battles where players competed to be the best in each of the game’s 12 tribes. After an exciting six weeks, the top player from each tribe faced-off, reducing the qualifiers to six finalists. These six winners are listed down below.

Tribe	Qualifying Player
IMPERIUS	ArthurL248
BARDUR	slimmingboy
OUMAJI	Dreamlander3000
HOODRICK	Theetat
XIN-Xi	LeLiberateur
LUXIDOOR	Meisterlampe

Recaps of each round of the tournament prior to the finals can be watched on the official Battle of Polytopia YouTube channel.

Part 1: Polytopia World Championship 1st Qualifiers Wrap-Up – BARDUR, IMPERIUS, KICKOO, ZEBASI
Part 2: Qualifiers Wrap-Up – Oumaji Hoodrick Yadakk & Quetzali – World Champoinship 2025
Part 3: Final Qualifiers Wrap-Up – Xin-Xi, Luxidoor, Ai-Mo & Vengir – World Championship 2025
Face-off stream: https://youtube.com/live/GnU6mWPoJiY?feature=share

To watch the finals live on December 6,visit here: https://polytopia.io/stream/

To stay up to date on the Polytopia World Championship 2025, or purchase one of the limited tickets for the live event, visit the official website or join the Official Polytopia Discord.

The post POLYTOPIA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 BREAKS RECORD PARTICIPATION AS FINALS DRAW CLOSER appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Betiator

Delasport Unveils a Crash Game for Sports Betting

Published

4 weeks ago

December 3, 2025

George Miller

delasport-unveils-a-crash-game-for-sports-betting

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Leading iGaming supplier Delasport teases a one-of-a-kind sports betting crash game called Betiator – a new in-play experience that merges live sports with the tension and excitement of crash games.

Inspired by the groundbreaking casino genre, the company once again pushes the whole industry to a new phase in evolution by allowing sports bettors to play in the same easy and fun way as fellow casino players. Crash games are booming in the casino world, showing that players crave more emotional, fast, and visually engaging formats – and Betiator brings that same adrenaline-charged energy to the sportsbook.

It changes the scene by introducing a truly innovative way to bet on sports, keeping players at the edge of their seats during the game. Designed to excite both sports bettors and casino players, it marks a defining moment for innovation.

This product comes as a logical next step in the evolution of live betting and the company’s goal to disrupt the iGaming industry. It demonstrates Delasport’s successful commitment to unique innovation: a strategy they call “Going Beyond Content” –building on the success of products and features like SuperPot, My Sportsbook, My Combo, Double My Winnings, and many more.

“Sports bettors deserve the same level of innovation and excitement that casino players get all the time,” Delasport’s CEO Oren Cohen Shwartz says. “At Delasport we’re taking the whole game to a new playing field with Betiator. Live betting won’t feel outdated anymore as we’re bringing in the thrill of the casino to sports betting.”

While details about Betiator remain under wraps for now, Delasport promises a completely new way to experience live sports. Operators and partners eager to see it in action can schedule exclusive demos and discover more at ICE Barcelona 2026, taking place January 19–21, where Betiator will make its official debut.

The post Delasport Unveils a Crash Game for Sports Betting appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.