this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2026
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The patent called “STATE MANAGEMENT FOR VIDEO GAME HELP SESSIONS” describes multiple examples where a pop-up might ask a player to let a helper take over the gameplay for a while.

Imagine if a user were struggling to find a rare gem in an RPG; if allowed, the helper would take control from the player. They would proceed to chat and guide the user through the process of acquiring the gem.

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[–] Furbag@lemmy.world 6 points 7 hours ago

They don't just want the machines to create the art and music for us, they want them to consume it for us too, so that we'll have more time to slave away at our jobs.

[–] thorhop@sopuli.xyz 9 points 9 hours ago

Wake up, babe - the stupid ass patent wars are back again, AI edition.

[–] sonofearth@lemmy.world 23 points 13 hours ago

Oh don’t worry. Some AI boot licker will come to defend this as well. “WelL yOu SeE nOt EvErYoNe HaS tHe TiMe To PlAy GaMeS. ThIs WiLl MaKe GaMiNg MoRe EfFiCiEnT.”

[–] arcine@jlai.lu 15 points 13 hours ago (3 children)

First they came for our jobs, next our hobbies, now for our very entertainment ? Who could ever ask for a feature such as this !?

[–] Ibisalt@lemmy.world 5 points 10 hours ago

look, on the bright side they burn up every ressource on the planet.

[–] Nugscree@lemmy.world 4 points 11 hours ago

Next new AI feature; an AI that can watch the series/films for you, think of all the time you can save!

[–] boogiebored@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

They need it to do something, anything, to justify the investment. As time goes and the sunk cost gets worse, the attempts will be more desperate.

This kind of feature will be for a fee.

They are all looking for a “killer AI app”.

This is why “consciousness” is trying to be marketed as achieved. This assumes the tasks performed can be varied, adapted to, and the AI left unattended while its rich owner fucks off and no longer has to pretend to pay insurance premiums for workers.

[–] fum@lemmy.world 29 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Why even bother living. Just get "AI" to live for you, and recycle your meaningless meat form.

[–] Bieren@lemmy.today 13 points 16 hours ago

You exist to be exploited for the benefit of the shareholders. This allows you to work so many more hours a day.

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 10 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

My biggest fear with this is an arms race between puzzle developers and these solvers. I hope devs never design their games with the expectation that players will use AI

[–] Nugscree@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Hell I'd make the puzzles in such a way just to confuse the AI "helper".

[–] glimse@lemmy.world 2 points 10 hours ago

That is kind of same thing. I don't want the existence of AI solvers to influence how a puzzle is designed at all

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 16 hours ago

Clearly they think that gaming is the same as working.

[–] LievitoPadre@feddit.it 13 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

I mean... Use the developers console or a cheat if you're stuck with something and want to continue playing, or just quit the game. There's no need for an AI to do this.

[–] T156@lemmy.world 8 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

I do wish that more games still had cheats. It does feel a bit like a lot of newer games have foregone them entirely. You can't type plane into GTA V, and have a plane materialise, like you could in Vice City, for example.

You'd need to mod it in.

[–] andallthat@lemmy.world 3 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (1 children)

I'm not a gamer, but besides getting stuck at one point of an otherwise great game, I read that people were paying gamers in other countries to play as them and "power up" their characters. If that's true, it could conceivably be a "job" for AI.

On the other hand, how do people buy games that are so frustrating that you actively pay money to someone (person or AI) to play them for you? It goes completely against my idea of what a game represents.

[–] LwL@lemmy.world 5 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

It's just p2w with extra steps. Pay to get stronger, or pay someone to play for you to get stronger. When games are designed to either make you play a lot or pay to get stuff to make you stronger, some people will gladly pay to either feel powerful, or just skip enough of the grind that they can focus on what's fun.

I kind of get it, but at the point where I'd be spending hundreds or make someone play for me, I'd just look for a different game.

[–] Zink@programming.dev 5 points 17 hours ago

Prior art: I remember a long time ago seeing a video of a Barney (as in purple dinosaur) video game for little kids that would just start playing itself if you didn't touch the controller for a while. It was a side scroller, probably NES/SNES/Genesis.

[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 5 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Wasn't there a similar shit patent headline about sony doing that?

Oh yeah, there was, "ghost assistance", aka "no need to look up on youtube"; something which I'm pretty sure exists as "previous art" in some game or another - https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-patents-ai-generated-ghost-support-system-to-assist-stuck-players

Also, bots that automate play have existed since the old MUD days, this patent must be like the many that are "something that already exists, but ~~on a computer~~ with AI"

[–] Omgpwnies@lemmy.world 2 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

One of the mario games would have Luigi show up and play a level for you if you kept dying

[–] Nugscree@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Do you know which one? I would love to see that xD

[–] Omgpwnies@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

Apparently it's Mario Maker 2.. so technically a Mario game, but it's not "official" Mario levels, so take that as you will

[–] Eggyhead@lemmy.world 7 points 20 hours ago

Then they tell publishers and game developers that more players finish their games on Microsoft’s platform than any others!

[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 3 points 17 hours ago

Eh... Folks used to pay people to level up their characters in WoW....

[–] blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 123 points 1 day ago

Elon will love this

[–] MousePotatoDoesStuff@lemmy.world 7 points 21 hours ago

This sounds like the ironically good version of the Nemesis System patent - no AI helpers in non-Microslop games for the next 20 years.

[–] meme_historian@lemmy.dbzer0.com 83 points 1 day ago (5 children)

First pay for the game, then pay for slop shit so you don't have to play the game. Corporate big brain time at its best 😄

[–] Dojan@pawb.social 3 points 18 hours ago

To be fair, the corpo slop games aren’t really worth playing, never mind paying for.

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[–] kokesh@lemmy.world 42 points 1 day ago (6 children)

What's the point of gaming with this?

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago

There are plenty of people who are happy to cheat at anything.

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[–] raicon@lemmy.world 59 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Might as well watch youtube for free

[–] albbi@piefed.ca 22 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Might as well skip the gameplay, give the achievements and trigger the good ending.

[–] harmbugler@piefed.social 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Might as well close your eyes, smile and and imagine you are king of the world.

[–] overload@sopuli.xyz 2 points 15 hours ago

Might as well just straight up jack it instead of thinking about the game at all.

[–] rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

A STRANGE GAME.

THE ONLY WINNING MOVE IS

NOT TO PLAY.

[–] wabafee@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago

Ain't this just botting?

[–] Tamps@feddit.uk 22 points 1 day ago

The other thing the helps people get unstuck in games is good game design. 🙃

I suppose this is just the equivalent of reading a game guide that someone has written, but this feels like it could remove too much friction. Are you playing the game if everything just becomes a tutorial?

[–] db2@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] glitch1985@lemmy.world 5 points 22 hours ago

That stupid jumpy bear can gargle my balls.

[–] blunderworld@lemmy.ca 23 points 1 day ago (16 children)
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[–] kazerniel@lemmy.world 1 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

Tbh I wouldn't mind this, I hate boss fights in games, I would definitely let the AI do those, and switch back to me for the stuff I enjoy :D

Edit: Though as another commenter said below, a skip button would achieve the same, no need for an LLM if that's what they mean by "AI".

[–] bitjunkie@lemmy.world 1 points 14 hours ago

I literally put down the entire Deus Ex series because of that teleporting bitch in Human Revolution. I want to know the story, god damn it!

[–] borth@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 day ago

How would the assistant "proceed to chat and guide the user through the process of acquiring the gem", if it already took "control from the player"? 🤔

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