The question of how to define the boundary between games and content has been reignited by artificial intelligence (AI). The content industry is engaged in a debate over whether interactive experiences that involve real-time conversations with AI characters can be classified as games.
According to the gaming industry on October 15, the current law defining 'games' under the Game Industry Promotion Act describes them as audiovisual works created for entertainment using information processing technology or machinery. From a social perspective, it refers to activities that provide users with objectives and goals in a virtual world.
Regardless of genre—be it role-playing, action, puzzle, or adventure—the essence of gaming has traditionally been about achieving goals. However, the emergence of services where AI generates stories and interacts based on user input has raised concerns that existing definitions of games may not adequately encompass new content.
Kim Jeong-tae, a professor in the Game Studies Department at Dongyang University, argues that AI character chats can indeed be considered games. He points out that in text-based MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) games, users exchanged messages to explore virtual spaces and create scenarios.
“The act of creating stories through dialogue with AI can also be viewed within the realm of gaming, as it allows for interaction mediated by text,” Kim said. “For AI conversation services to evolve into content that conveys the positive functions of games, academic research and development must support it.”
While the gaming industry finds it challenging to categorize AI character chats within traditional gaming frameworks, they suggest that an expanded definition could include them.
An official from a gaming company stated, “From a traditional perspective, games are played according to rules set by developers, and players derive enjoyment from that process. Applying this standard makes it difficult to view AI character chats as games. However, if users create stories directly with AI and find enjoyment in that process, it could also be interpreted as a game.”
Lee Yoo-won, CEO of Banjiga Games, identifies the developer's intent as a key criterion for distinguishing between games and AI content. He noted, “Games are designed to convey intended experiences or emotions to users. Since character chats are also designed to elicit experiences intended by the creator, they can be seen as similar to games.”
This debate raises questions about how far the gaming industry can expand its boundaries. The involvement of AI company Lutent Technologies as the main sponsor of G-Star, the largest gaming exhibition in South Korea, has sparked discussions about the identity of the gaming show. Concerns have been raised that the traditional characteristics of gaming exhibitions may weaken, while others see it as an opportunity to broaden the event to include new technologies and content like AI.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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