Back in March, Square Enix announced that it was teaming up with Google Gemini for an AI-powered “Chatty Slimey” companion on Dragon Quest X, a Japan-exclusive MMORPG. Following a divisive reaction, yet another Gemini-powered Dragon Quest announcement is here.
Via Automaton, we’ve learned Square Enix and Google Gemini are keeping their collaboration going with an in-person event in Tokyo set for 30th July, two days from now. The ‘Gemini Quest’ event will take place across four different locations in Tokyo’s Shibuya and Harajuku wards.
Though the participation details aren’t exactly clear, Famitsu‘s report explained players need to team up to “seal away the Dragon King who has been resurrected in the real world”. Apparently, “giant statues of monsters such as slimes will appear at the venues”. Those looking to join the event can use the Gemini app to take photos of the statues and cast spells via AR (augmented reality), generating images of themselves “facing off against the monsters” in the process.
“Players who successfully complete the quests will be eligible for a limited edition physical ‘mini medal’ reward featuring engravings of iconic dragon quest monsters such as slimes and killer machines,” the event’s website adds. By the way, you can explore the link to take a look at a handful of image examples – like the main article image above – that make it very clear we’re dealing with generative AI here.
While there’s been a tangible pushback against the deployment of generative AI in video game development, recent reports suggest the technology is being enforced more aggressively in the Asian industries. Back in January, we also learned about the South Korean developers’ intent to compete on the global stage with the support of AI.
