Take-Two Interactive Making NPCs More Realistic
Take-Two Interactive has officially filed a patent that will fix NPC behavior and navigation systems in an effort to make them seem more realistic. Take-Two is the parent company of 2K and Rockstar Games, two studios that make some of the most realistic looking titles on the market. This patent aims to make their games not only look realistic but play realistically. 2K Sports’ NBA 2K21 is available right now for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia, and PC.
“Conventional systems only provide limited resources for automating NPCs,” says the recently filed Take-Two Interactive patent. “For example, processing power, memory, and efficiency only allow for a predetermined number of NPC controlled cars in any single instance of a conventional system. However, players of a video game would expect to see more than a predetermined number of NPC controlled cars in a video game for a realistic experience.”
“In conventional systems, NPCs are often grouped by characteristics and perform the same motions. In fact, some NPCs of conventional systems fade out of existence as the player approaches the NPC,” continues the Take-Two patent. “For example, driving slower on residential-type roads or having to perform certain maneuvers to avoid oncoming traffic on single-lane streets.” Once these systems are implemented into Rockstar Games and 2K Games, the games will no doubt show noticeable improvement.
Are you looking forward to games with more realistic NPCs? What are some hilarious examples of poorly programmed NPCs that you can think of? Let us know in the comments below!