AI Ruining Video Games

Growing up, I remember games being handed out as shareware and/or demos. You'd get a game, be able to play a few levels, see if it's for you, and if it is, buy the full version. A popular example of this was the eternal classic, Doom. Demos and trials are still around today, but I don't see them quite as much. Now some game developers might have even more of a reason not to even consider demos, or to even show off the game.

You can thank AI. More specifically the ability to vibe code.

A game developer by the name of Freya Holmér came up with a cool idea for a game that was a twist on Tetris. She built out a small demo, shared it on social media for feedback, and while she got good feedback that showed promise, she also had several people steal her idea and quickly vibe code up a prototype.

There has always been the risk of showing off your idea or work-in-progress too early. There are always people who will take advantage of an early idea and try to beat you to market. Now, it's just easier. A few prompts into Claude Code or ChatGPT or any of the other tools out there and you're on your way. Depending on the game and the complexity, it could be done in a matter of days.

"It disincentives me from [posting about my work,]" Holmér said. "You get this anxiety anytime you post anything, someone is going to come in to finish it for you and then monetize it and steal the whole concept. It used to be the case that this stuff took a look of effort [to steal], because it requires skill and skillful execution and effort and knowledge. But now with AI, there's a general devaluing of skill and knowledge."

Freya is right, what motivation does someone have to show something off or demo something. And to make matters potentially worse, now they're going to have to continue to build something that might not have as big of an audience as one might expect. I mean sure, not everyone is building something purely to be the next big hit, but the early response from people can certainly provide some feedback that could help the improve the final product, or if nothing else set expectations for both the audience and developer.

Either way, it's a shit situation and one more thing AI and vibe coding are helping ruin.