Branching Factor – Details, episodes & analysis

Tommy is joined by three of the developers behind ‘Little Learning Machines’: a puzzle game that entrusts players with teaching AI agents called Animos to solve puzzles in a variety of idyllic environments.

With a huge content update coming on September 5th to Steam, Tommy sits down with art director Nick Counter, technical lead Dante Camarena and community manager Fiona Firby from Transitional Forms to discuss the game and the year as they transition from early access to full launch, plus winning awards, delivering talks at GDC, and some of the other work they're up to as well!

Little Learning Machines is available right now on Steam, with a free update coming September 5th:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1993710/Little_Learning_Machines/

Catch the video version of this podcast on @AIandGamesPlus 

https://youtu.be/pG7-ubbNZFI

Find out more about Little Learning Machines via the links below.

Website: https://www.transforms.ai/little-learning-machines

Learning Companion (PDF): https://www.transforms.ai/learning

GDC Postmortem Talk: https://gdcvault.com/play/1034597/AI-Summit-Little-Learning-Machines

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Check out all of our content:

AI and Games on Substack with new content weekly: http://www.aiandgames.com

AI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

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Branching Factor Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Livestreams on Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

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Tommy is joined by Dr Christoph Salge and Victoire Herve from the University of Hertfordshire to talk about the 7th annual Generative Design in Minecraft Competition - an event where participants write AI systems to build settlements in Minecraft. We discuss how the project has continued to grow and persist for this long, the community that has thrived around it, and the big challenges still left to face in Minecraft settlement generation.

Find out more about the GDMC by visiting:

https://gendesignmc.wikidot.com/wiki:2024-settlement-generation-competition

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Check out all of our content:

AI and Games on Substack with new content weekly: http://www.aiandgames.com

AI and Games: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

AI and Games Plus: http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Branching Factor Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Livestreams on Twitch: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tommy's riding solo in this episode, and so he decided to focus on games he's playing, projects he's involved in and the big stories in the news that are going down.

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As mentioned, Tommy will be at the AI and Games Summer School for this year. It's running from June 17th-21st in Valletta in Malta, and early bird registration closes on March 1st.

http://school.gameaibook.org/

Plus, the first volume of 'Game AI Uncovered' - a new textbook series from games industry professionals on AI in commercial titles - is coming out on February 23rd. It will be available on Amazon and all major book stores.

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Game-AI-Uncovered-Volume-One-by-Paul-Roberts-editor/9781032343235

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Branching Factor is back for 2024. We kickstart the year with George and Tommy sitting down to discuss the current state of the games industry, and where we see things going over the next 12 months.

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AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.

Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

Follow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Listen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:

https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Read Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.com

Watch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

Join our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.com

Buy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com

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You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!

http://www.patreon.com/aiandgames

https://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join

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Follow 'AI and Games' on social media.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AIandGames

Mastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGames

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiandgames

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If you're interested in working with us, check out the following:

Business Enquiries: contact@aiandgames.com

Arrange Meeting: https://calendly.com/aiandgames

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's episode, the rest of the team gets a well-earned break for the holiday season. Tommy sits down to reflect on the past year of content published across AI and Games, discusses his favourite games of the year, and answers viewer questions.

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Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

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AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.

Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

Follow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Listen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:

https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Read Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.com

Watch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

Join our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.com

Buy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com

--

You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!

http://www.patreon.com/aiandgames

https://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join

--

Follow 'AI and Games' on social media.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AIandGames

Mastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGames

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiandgames

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If you're interested in working with us, check out the following:

Business Enquiries: contact@aiandgames.com

Arrange Meeting: https://calendly.com/aiandgames

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this month's episode, Tommy, George and Quang unpack the recent headlines made by game engine creator Unity as it sought to define its monetisation practices, and the reaction by the game development community. Our special guest Matt Gambell from YouTube channel 'Game Dev Guide' gives his perspective both as a content creator focussed on the Unity game engine, as well as a day-to-day game developer who uses it.

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Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames

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AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.

Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

Follow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Listen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:

https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Read Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.com

Watch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

Join our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.com

Buy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com

--

You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!

http://www.patreon.com/aiandgames

https://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join

--

Follow 'AI and Games' on social media.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AIandGames

Mastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGames

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiandgames

--

If you're interested in working with us, check out the following:

Business Enquiries: contact@aiandgames.com

Arrange Meeting: https://calendly.com/aiandgames

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George and Tommy hang out at Develop 2023 and discuss their experiences of trying to make a name for themselves in the games industry, and the value of attending an industry event in building networks and fostering communities.

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Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames

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AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.

Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

Follow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Listen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:

https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Read Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.com

Watch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

Join our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.com

Buy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com

--

You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!

http://www.patreon.com/aiandgames

https://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join

--

Follow 'AI and Games' on social media.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AIandGames

Mastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGames

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiandgames

--

If you're interested in working with us, check out the following:

Business Enquiries: contact@aiandgames.com

Arrange Meeting: https://calendly.com/aiandgames

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A recording from Tommy's visit to the AI and Games Summer School ( @GameAISchool ), which ran in June 2023 at Microsoft Research in Cambridge. Our panel, explores aspects of AI for games and what the future of it might look like. With Tommy as moderator, this panel ran on day 3 of the event with the following panellists:

- Katja Hofmann (Microsoft Research)

- Duygu Cakmak (Creative Assembly)

- Oskar Stalberg (independent developer, creator of Townscaper)

- Wesley Kerr (Riot Games)

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Use our promo code with NordVPN for an exclusive discount, complete with a 30-day money-back guarantee!

http://www.nordvpn.com/aiandgames

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AI and Games Plus is the second channel for AI and Games: a series on research and applications of Artificial Intelligence in video games.

Follow 'AI and Games' for educational videos and essays:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames

Follow 'AI and Games Plus' is dedicated to bonus content, deep-dive analysis, revisiting old topics and more:

http://www.youtube.com/@AIandGamesPlus

Listen to my podcast 'Branching Factor', as I discuss game development and research with my co-hosts and guests:

https://shows.acast.com/branchingfactor

Read Written Versions of Episodes: http://www.aiandgames.com

Watch Livestreams: http://www.twitch.tv/aiandgames

Join our Community: https://discord.aiandgames.com

Buy our Merch: https://store.aiandgames.com

--

You can support AI and Games via Patreon and YouTube memberships, and in return, you get bonus rewards!

http://www.patreon.com/aiandgames

https://www.youtube.com/@AIandGames/join

--

Follow 'AI and Games' on social media.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AIandGames

Mastodon: https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@AIandGames

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aiandgames

--

If you're interested in working with us, check out the following:

Business Enquiries: contact@aiandgames.com

Arrange Meeting: https://calendly.com/aiandgames

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Branching Factor, Tommy and Mike sit down to celebrate 10 years of Dota 2. A game that Mike has thousands of hours in, and one that Tommy has observed with great interest, but has only played it for 87 minutes according to his Steam profile. So what better excuse than to mash these two people together to talk all about it! We discuss its origins, its impact on the games industry, and how its influence on AI persists despite the big headline news being in the rear-view mirror. 

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Got a question or comment? Send an email to: branchingfactor@aiandgames.com

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In this episode of Branching Factor, Tommy and Quang sit down with Mike and Gavin from the Bitmap Bureau to talk about their journey as indie game developers. Bitmap Bureau has been around since 2016, and has made a variety of games for modern platforms. But they're mostly known for 'Xeno Crisis': a game they kickstarted in 2018 and subsequently released on over a dozen platforms. From the Sega Mega Drive (Genesis) and Neo Geo, all the way through to the Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Xbox One. We talk about what it's like to design and manufacture games like that for such a broad yet niche market, and all the fun that comes from running your own manual assembly line when sending off those Mega Drive cartridges to customers!

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Got a question or comment? Send an email to: branchingfactor@aiandgames.com

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