| Let's leave the format war between Sony and | | | | when they sense your presence. It is noticeable |
| Microsoft and explore a gaming phenomena that | | | | especially when your Pac-Man does not change |
| unquestionably improves current gaming trends -- | | | | position at all -- the ghosts move according to the |
| Artificial Intelligence, or AI to many. Touted to | | | | path, changing directions only when they get close |
| make new breakthroughs and trends in the world | | | | to you.Twenty years later since Pac-Man, family |
| of gaming, AI is the enabling of intricate | | | | computers, and many computer hardware |
| decision-making capabilities in a software. Speaking | | | | changes, game developers still use the same |
| of AI, the Xbox 360 boasts of an AI-capable | | | | simplistic AI tricks. The hardwares evolve to |
| system designed and developed by many brilliant | | | | accommodate the intensity of the modern |
| and innovative engineers. Though the Xbox also | | | | graphics as well as the sound system for more |
| has this feature, it is more pronounced and better | | | | biting audio. However, despite these changes, AI |
| in the new console combined with the HD DVD | | | | programs continue to be a sort of last-minute |
| technology.Of course, such high-quality consoles | | | | addition. In fact, the programs are deemed to be |
| deserve top-notch games and the developers | | | | unimportant in gaming. As a result, the NPCs, |
| stepped up to the challenge. Game developers for | | | | largely remained as stupid bots who don't move |
| Xbox and its new improved counterpart also | | | | even if caught in a crossfire. This is what the AI |
| added AI programs to their games, giving the | | | | programs for the Xbox 360 take care of.Satchell |
| in-game personas the ability to think like a real | | | | affirms that the new processing model composed |
| person. With the vast power of the new | | | | of three powerful symmetric cores more than |
| consoles, the whole universe of gaming comes | | | | makes up for the lack of "reality" of the old |
| alive. A summary of the improvements AI bring | | | | console models. He asserts that this new |
| to online gaming: non-player characters or NPCs | | | | Microsoft innovation is really a paradigmatic shift |
| act in realistic manner, not to mention that allies | | | | because the standard for game consoles and |
| are more helpful and enemies become more | | | | computer hardware is the use of a single core. He |
| fiendish than ever.Such simplistic notions cannot | | | | added that this shift to a three-core system will |
| fully express the benefit of AI in a game | | | | add considerable burden to the lives of game |
| sequence. The simplicity of the summation only | | | | developers but add to greater delight of all Xbox |
| contrives to hide the complexity of the AI behind | | | | 360 gamers. This is because a fully AI-capable |
| the Xbox 360. But the concept of AI is not a | | | | three-core system provides greater flexibility and |
| modern one. In fact, AI is a subject of discussion, | | | | more cycles which make gaming more exciting |
| debates, and practical simulations within the | | | | and interesting.The key to achieving that is to |
| academic setting for years. Chris Satchell, | | | | make sure that the AI programs of the new |
| Microsoft's General Manager for Game | | | | Xbox run smoothly on all three cores. Therefore, |
| Development, attests to this fact. From the | | | | the developers need to take extensive sections |
| development of Pac-Man, game designers and | | | | from their codes and test it on all three cores. As |
| developers have been employing the use of AI, | | | | a result of all these great efforts, the CPU's main |
| even if it is just in its simplest state. Take | | | | processor does not take all the burden of handling |
| Pac-Man for example, wherein the main objective | | | | multiple tasks; instead, the added cores take over |
| is to eat as many golden pellets as possible | | | | the job. The results are more efficient gaming, |
| without being eaten by the "ghosts." This simplicity | | | | sharper graphics, quality audio, and thinking |
| is matched by the elementary pre-scripted AI | | | | characters which give Xbox 360 games |
| patterns used. The ghosts almost always follow a | | | | advantage over others. |
| straight line but they deviate from their path | | | | |