Microsoft Showcases AI Capabilities with Playable Quake II Demo in Browser
Microsoft has launched a browser-based demo of the iconic shooter Quake II, reimagined as a showcase for its Copilot AI platform’s gaming potential. While the experience isn’t quite as refined as the original game, players can try it out by navigating through a single level of Quake II using keyboard controls, though the session ends after a few minutes due to a time limit.
Playing Inside the Model
According to a blog post from Microsoft researchers, the demo is powered by their Muse family of AI models for video games. This setup allows users to control the game through keyboard or controller inputs and see immediate responses within the AI-generated environment, essentially, they describe it as playing inside the model.
To demonstrate this, Microsoft trained its AI on one level of Quake II, leveraging its ownership of the game through its ZeniMax acquisition. The team expressed early excitement about their results, noting that players could freely explore the simulated world, manipulate the camera, perform actions like jumping, crouching, shooting, and even blow up explosive barrels, similar to the original gameplay.
Fun Experiment, Not a Full Game Replacement
However, Microsoft was clear about the limitations of this AI experiment. They emphasized that this is more of a research demonstration than a full gaming experience, noting shortcomings like blurry enemies, inconsistent damage and health indicators, and significant challenges with object permanence. For instance, objects that leave the player’s view for nearly a second might disappear entirely from the scene.
Interestingly, the researchers framed these quirks as part of the fun. Players can spawn or defeat enemies simply by looking away and then back and even teleport by gazing at the sky momentarily.
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Not everyone in the gaming community were impressed by Microsoft’s project. According to TechCrunch, Game designer Austin Walker criticized it for misunderstanding game design, arguing that AI cannot fully replicate the complex combination of code, design, art, and audio that makes games like Quake unique.
The demo reflects Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer’s view that AI could help preserve classic games across platforms. However, the project shows that fully capturing the depth and spontaneity of older games with AI remains challenging.
