Generative AI start-up, Titan AI, has just secured over $500,000 in pre-seed funding, led by Berkeley SkyDeck. This investment underscores the growing interest in generative AI, particularly within the gaming industry.
Cheaper mobile game development
Creating mobile games can be a costly endeavour, with some projects exceeding $250,000. Titan AI has devised an innovative approach to this challenge.
The company is a generative AI gaming company that aims to streamline the production of 2D and 3D content for games, reducing both cost and development time.
Leveraging image generators like Stable Diffusion and DALL-E, the company crafts 2D graphics. It then employs proprietary technology to seamlessly integrate these elements with 3D models. Furthermore, Titan AI is actively training its AI to design game levels of varying difficulty, ranging from easy to hard, a task that typically demands significant human effort.
The studio’s primary objective is to create more inclusive gaming experiences, addressing underrepresentation in the gaming world.
Three prototypes in the making
One of Titan AI’s inaugural games, “Aztec Spirit Run,” challenges the prevailing trend by featuring a protagonist racing against Conquistadores to protect the temple’s treasure, offering a fresh perspective on Mesoamerican culture.
In addition to “Aztec Spirit Run,” Titan AI has introduced three other game prototypes: “KPop Dream Run,” “Reptile Dream Run,” and “Holy Bible Run: Jesus Miracles.”
While the runner game template may seem familiar, Titan AI brings its generative AI prowess to the table, offering hundreds of in-game character customisation options, including outfits and tattoos. Future plans involve enabling characters to run faster and collect more items, such as golden skulls.
Titan AI’s decision to pursue endless runner games aligns with research indicating that many underrepresented players enjoy this genre. However, the company remains open to exploring other possibilities within generative AI gaming, such as allowing players to design their own in-game avatars from scratch.
To ensure accessibility for underserved audiences, Titan AI has made all its games free to play, generating revenue through in-app advertisements and paid features.
According to co-founder Fabien-Pierre Nicolas, Titan AI’s funding round signifies “a story of hope and optimism in the current ‘doom and gloom’ in the gaming industry: a new studio raising money with a positive mission for the world”.
Key takeaways
- Titan AI secures $500,000 in pre-seed funding, highlighting the rise of generative AI in gaming.
- Titan AI aims to reduce mobile game development costs and time by harnessing generative AI for 2D and 3D content.
- The studio’s inclusive approach challenges gaming norms, offering unique game prototypes and customization options for underrepresented players.
