According to recently polled Japanese game developers, 100% of them are currently using Gen AI

[iamthemilkman]

A new report on the Japanese Online game industry has shown that 100 percent of polled developers are currently using generative AI.

This report, the 2026 edition of Japan's Online Game Association's (JOGA) Online Game Market Research Report, digs down into the topic of generative AI use in earnest. In a preview of the full report published by Famitsu, some insight can be gleaned into the adoption of the technology.

The most staggering of generative AI findings from this report is that 100 percent of polled Japanese developers are utilizing generative AI. Google's Gemini is the most popular entity among generative AI software, with 94 percent confirming its use. Following it comes Anthropic's Claude at 84 percent, and Microsoft's GitHub CoPilot at 76 percent.

Eurogamer

Unsurprising to me since there isn't anti-AI sentiment in the east like there is in the west.

 

[Moreno909]

As long they don't use AI art, it's fine for me

 

[Gabrinius]

I'm sure its not only those generic gachas that use it. I think it is being used to make a lot of those horribly isekai novels too.

But that's it, if the consumers is happy paying for this, give it to them.

 

[BrawlMan]

They're much more forgiving towards AI in most east Asian countries. That said there needs to be limits and regulations. No AI art nor AI art assets. Even for something that's a placeholder. Just make an actual placeholder on your own.

I think it is being used to make a lot of isekai novels too.

But that's it, if the consumers is happy paying for this, give it to them.

Then they have shitty tastes, standards, and I hope they have fun reading constant regurgatating copies of a copy of another copy to that copy is cop's pathetic version of a different copy that at least tried to be somewhat original, before the AI usage kicked in.

 

[Strategist Strategist]

A lot of mobile games use AI assets, even in the west. That's why I don't touch any of them.

 

[kbcinharoxa kbcinharoxa]

well...crap.

 

[iamthemilkman]

Looking forward to seeing a lot of the anti-AI folks on social media doing a 180 on not supporting games using it. I just don't believe that the vast majority of them have the self-control to not buy the newest Capcom, Square Enix, Sega/Atlus, etc., games.

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

I mean... it's the new toy.

Remember when everyone went Bloom crazy? Or Flash crazy? *Shudders*.

It'll sort itself out.

It always does.

 

[Clippy]

Japanese companies were the ones pushing NFTs the hardest back when that blight was relevant so this doesn't really come as a surprise

 

[zerodayhx]

another reason why modern gaming is a complete crapshoot

 

[MajorMachina]

the least they can do is be transparent about their use so i can know what games to skip

 

[koren]

Doesn't really sound like they're using "AI" to actually, like, MAKE the games or anything. Though I should point out that this article is talking specifically about online game developers. So, the live service stuff, lol.

(In case you missed the words online game in the first post, that is.)

 

[BrawlMan]

Though I should point out that this article is talking specifically about online game developers. So, the live service stuff, lol.

Still not a good look, and I don't like it.

 

[Ken190d]

Let's be honest here, literally every modern studio is using one form of Ai and probably also generative Ai.

But most will stay quiet, not long ago Swen Vincke from Larian had the anti Ai luddite mob coming after him after talking about gen Ai in an interview, even though he's hiring more artists, etc. Can't please this rabbid mob, sadly they don't understand they have lost already. Or they're coping hard to believe they can stop the trillions being poured into Ai worldwide.

Anyway hope this will atleast give us faster development cycles and less workload on devs. Could help crunch immensely, also ironic the biggest luddites were always talking about how crunch was so terrible in the past, now we finally have a tool to tackle that problem effectively.

 

[Don Patch]

I mean... it's the new toy.

Remember when everyone went Bloom crazy? Or Flash crazy? *Shudders*.

It'll sort itself out.

It always does.

Came here to say something akin to this.

 

[BrawlMan]

Anyway hope this will atleast give us faster development cycles and less workload on devs. Could help crunch immensely, also ironic the biggest luddites were always talking about how crunch was so terrible in the past, now we finally have a tool to tackle that problem effectively.

You already know that part's going to be abused by a good amount of people, and especially the Western AAA industry thinking they can lay off a bunch of people, and hope that AI will always carry them through. Can't wait to see this inevitably backfire.

 

[Pearly]

ALL TECH!!!, and I do mean ALL TECH WORKERS are expected to use AI as a productivity tool, if you don't use it, you will be layed off and replaced with someone that will.

I cannot speak for other aspects of the business, but for the most part the programming side definitely will be using AI at all times.

 

[iamthemilkman]

Doesn't really sound like they're using "AI" to actually, like, MAKE the games or anything. Though I should point out that this article is talking specifically about online game developers. So, the live service stuff, lol.

(In case you missed the words online game in the first post, that is.)

Sony and Capcom are also using it. But let's be honest, they all are to some extent. Those who say that they're not are bullshitting hoping that they'll get away with it, and then when they don't they'll say "Oops, we didn't mean to ship it like that, we're replacing the AI assets ASAP! Please forgive us!"