Is Larian’s AI Embrace the Greatest Heel Turn Ever in Video Games?

In this episode Rahul and Rishi discuss Larian’s interview with Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, what the Baldur’s Gate 3 hitmaker’s statement really means for the future of video game development and why CEO' Sven Vincke’s attempt at damage control just made everything so much worse. So much so that it appears that the company is on a generational speed run of ruining all the good will its garnered over the years.Along with this we also discuss Sandfall Interactive’s AI admissions that have resurfaced after being caught and why disclosures are critical rather than admitting AI was used after the fact. After all, nothing is a bigger betrayal of audience trust than being made aware their game of the year used AI after it hit the shelves.Speaking of which, we also parse through what the industry’s adoption of AI means for game development and more importantly, the impact it has on end-users who are effectively being priced out of buying PCs and consoles due to rising RAM costs courtesy the AI “boom”.Furthermore, we talk about Xbox’s retreat from its $80 price tag and how Microsoft may actually have to start selling games to make up for the money pit that is Xbox Game Pass.Finally, we talk about the hidden and not so hidden gems we’ve been playing this week.Welcome to Day Zero. This is a podcast on video games featuring Rahul Majumdar and Rishi Alwani. We break down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry.Naturally, we’d love to hear your objectively good takes — they surely can’t be worse than some of ours. Find us with yours at the handles below:* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com