King’s journey in implementing and using AI has been quite interesting. The company has invested in various AI technologies, such as A/B testing and high-speed AI level testing, in order to create business value. In September, King announced that Candy Crush Saga had generated $20 billion in revenue and amassed five billion downloads since its debut in 2012. This massive success has had a significant impact on the video game industry as a whole.
Sahar Asadi, the director of AI Labs at King, has been leading a team that focuses on applied research to bring value to the business. She has worked closely with both central tech organizations and game creators to explore long-term strategic initiatives. Asadi has a strong interest in attending industry conferences and sharing her experiences.
One of the core areas that Asadi has focused on is gameplay testing and level management using AI. She emphasized the importance of providing a good play experience for players, as the majority of their time is spent playing levels. To ensure quality and refine levels before release, King has collaborated closely with game creators to develop playtesting bots and tools. This collaboration has been crucial in maintaining the high standard of quality for over a decade.
Asadi presented alongside Anna Hernandelius, the product director of Candy Crush Saga, at the Game Developers Conference. Their goal was to explain how AI has transformed level creation in the game, allowing designers to spend less time on mundane tasks and more time creating levels. With over 15,000 levels in Candy Crush Saga alone, the volume of levels is constantly growing. AI has played a transformative role in maintaining quality while creating more levels to keep up with player demand.
AI has proven to be a valuable tool in testing the enjoyability, difficulty, and quality of levels. It allows designers to iterate faster and focus on the creative aspects of level creation. The goal is to reduce the “shuffle experience” where players have to start over and create a smoother gameplay experience. Asadi believes that AI can eliminate tedious work in every job and free humans to be more creative.
Candy Crush Saga has a dedicated fan base, with players eagerly awaiting new levels and finishing them quickly. Asadi is amazed at how fast gamers are able to progress through the game and stay engaged with the expansions. The research at King focuses on the intersection of AI and business, aiming to bring value to both developers and players.
Asadi is optimistic about the future of AI in gaming and playtesting. She believes that AI is accelerating and unlocking new opportunities for innovation. With the growing appetite for AI in society and advancements in technology, there is great potential for developing new solutions.
King’s research is centered around creating a fun game experience for players while allowing designers to focus on the creative aspects. Asadi emphasizes the importance of cross-collaboration within the organization to ensure successful adoption and production use of AI solutions.
While King explores external AI tools, it also invests in building in-house capabilities. The company publishes its research and focuses on developing AI solutions specific to its needs. One of the goals is to create a playtesting agent that plays human-like, allowing for accurate measurement of the gameplay experience.
King recognizes the diverse player base it has, with different skill sets, styles, and preferences. The company studies how to incorporate this diversity into its solutions, ensuring that the game caters to all players.
Overall, King’s use of AI in Candy Crush Saga has transformed level creation and enhanced the player experience. Through ongoing research and innovation, King aims to continue delivering a fun and engaging game for players while freeing up designers to focus on creativity. The future of AI in gaming looks promising, and King is at the forefront of exploring its potential.
