When I was a kid, I wanted to build a holodeck — the immersive 3D simulation system from Star Trek, so I started making games, beginning with online multiplayer games for bulletin board systems. …

With recent advances in generative AI, there has been a lot of discussion about how it will be used in games, virtual worlds and the metaverse. …

Someday soon, we’ll speak entire universes into existence. This article is a guide to the companies building the generative artificial intelligence technology that will lead to these virtual worlds (games, simulations, metaverse applications). Existing market maps describing the landscape for generative AI lack a convincing organization, instead seeming to be…

Trillions of dollars: that’s how much private industry is investing into the metaverse. In this article, I provide a description of the value chain of this market, from the experiences that people seek out to the enabling technologies that make it possible. More importantly, I also provide a prescription —…

I just wrote: Data Fabric for the Metaverse: Interoperability Starts at Home. About the importance of building the right data infra for your live-services game; and a bit about where blockchain fits (and doesn’t fit) into your strategy. The article is here: Data Fabric for the Metaverse. As a reminder, I’ve shifted from Medium to Substack. It’s better to build our online community there — and would love to see you over there!

Amidst the talk of optimizing the production pipeline for narrative, 2D art and even 3D — I thought that one of the more intriguing areas for game development and virtual worlds is in bringing generative AI directly into the gameplay loop. That’s the subject of my latest post: Game Design Ideas for GenAI Please enjoy the article. I’m posting my new content over at Substack now, and would love to hear from you over there!

Thank you for following me here on Medium. I’ve been here for a long time — and so are many of you. I’m writing in a few different places, and have decided to continue my online writing journey on Substack. It is a better environment for creators to connect with their communities. The inaugural post is a learning guide for generative AI — from the basic concepts, its impacts on business and culture — all the way through the math and theory:

It will not replace the deep connection you feel with an old friend. It will not replace your sense of wonder upon learning something new, beholding the splendor of the cosmos. It will not replace the thrill of wrestling the trout from the waters as you stand hip-deep in the…

We are on the threshold of the most important change in productivity since harnessing fire allowed our hominid ancestors to eat better, spend a lot less time chewing, and gather enough nutrients to evolve bigger brains. Now, artificial intelligence is augmenting the power of our brains, and it seems that…