Runway, the AI company known for its work with major film studios like AMC Networks and Lionsgate, is taking a bold step into gaming. Next week, it will launch a new platform called Game Worlds, designed to let you create interactive, text-based games using artificial intelligence.
The new platform gives you the tools to generate text and images with the help of AI. While the games you can currently make are simple in design, Runway’s CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela believes this is only the beginning. According to him, fully AI-generated video games will arrive before the end of the year.
A new way to create games
With Game Worlds, Runway hopes to change your thoughts about game development. You can use AI to generate entire game scenarios with words and visuals. Although it’s in its early days, Valenzuela says the tool could evolve quickly, especially if the company secures partnerships with video game developers.
Those developers, in turn, would gain access to Runway’s tools to help build new experiences, while Runway could benefit from getting access to valuable gaming data sets. These datasets would allow the company to train its AI to perform better in creating gaming content. Valenzuela clarified that collaborations with studios will be a key part of Runway’s future strategy.
Despite these ambitions, the use of AI in gaming is not without controversy. Many industry professionals have raised concerns about the ethics and risks of relying on AI, especially when using real people’s voices and likenesses without consent. SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors and voice talent, has already gone on strike against game companies accused of using their members’ voices and appearances to train AI.
Controversies and film industry success
Runway is no stranger to criticism. The company has previously been accused of training its AI models on YouTube videos and pirated films—something that goes against YouTube’s terms of service. While the company hasn’t directly addressed those claims, they continue to spark debate in the tech and creative communities.
Despite this, Runway’s partnerships in the film industry have been seen as a success. The company’s deal with AMC Networks sees it helping to produce marketing content and speed up the early development stages of shows and films. Before this, Runway worked with Lionsgate, supplying AI tools for use in the production planning and editing phases.
Gaming’s growing AI footprint
Runway is not the only player trying to bring generative AI into gaming. Other companies have already begun testing how AI can help in development. Ubisoft, for example, has a tool called Ghostwriter, which is used to create game dialogue. While these tools promise speed and cost savings, they have also led to fears about job losses and creative control.
As you look to the future of gaming, tools like Game Worlds could play a bigger role in shaping how games are made. Whether that future will be welcomed or resisted remains to be seen. For now, Runway hopes that what it achieved in film and TV can be repeated in gaming.
