Microsoft’s AI Obsession Continues with Atrocious Copilot Version of Quake 2

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It’s unclear to us why Microsoft chose to release a poorly designed AI-enhanced version of Quake 2 for public use.

It’s not our style to obstruct advancement, especially when it involves genuine human creativity. However, this modern take on id Software’s 90s classic is simply unplayable. It’s astonishing that a demo of such poor quality would be presented to the public in its current state.

In this compact demonstration, you’ll be drawn into a dynamic, hands-on environment reminiscent of Quake 2, which is powered by AI to generate captivating graphics and instant action.” (Redmond company description rephrased)

This innovation offers a unique perspective on an entirely novel method of gaming, translating advanced studies into an engaging, easy-to-grasp demonstration.

To put it simply, what’s happening here is that machine learning is being utilized to transform the player’s actions into the visuals displayed on the screen, creating an approximation – though admittedly rough – of one of the fastest-paced shooter games out there.

Essentially, the demonstration has been honed using countless hours of Quake 2 video gameplay, aiming to replicate this experience. In a matter of less than a minute, we encountered discrepancies such as enemies suddenly appearing and vanishing, and the level design altering whenever we looked around vertically.

Without bringing up the point, it’s important to note that the game performs poorly, running at fewer than five frames per second, and its resolution is so low that it would embarrass the PlayStation Portable.

Frankly, it’s disrespectful to suggest that Microsoft Gaming head Phil Spencer discusses AI as a potential tool for game preservation in the future. What he’s proposing isn’t true preservation, but rather an inferior replica that requires vast amounts of energy just to barely operate.

As an enthusiast, I must admit that we’re just dipping our toes into the realm of advanced AI. There’s potential for improvement, but if we’re fortunate enough to recreate a classic game from over two decades ago, it’s questionable whether the energy expended is justified. Is it truly worth depleting our precious global resources?

By the way, did you know that there’s an exciting adaptation of Quake 2 available for both PS5 and PS4? It’s ready for download and gameplay!

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2025-04-07 08:36