Meta Connect 2024 explored new horizons in the domains of augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. From affordable mixed reality headsets to next-generation AI-integrated devices, let’s take a look at the salient features of the event and what they entail for the future of immersive technologies. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at Meta Connect, Meta’s annual event on its latest software and hardware, in Menlo Park, California, on Sept. 25, 2024. David Paul Morris / Bloomberg / Contributor / Getty Images Orion AR Glasses At the metaverse where people and objects interact, Meta showcased a concept of Orion AR Glasses that allows users to view holographic video content. The focus was on hand-gesture control, offering a seamless, hands-free experience for interacting with digital content. The wearable augmented reality market estimates looked like a massive increase in sales and the buyouts of the market as analysts believed are rear-to-market figures standing at 114.5 billion US dollars in the year 2030. The Orion glasses are Meta’s courageous and aggressive tilt towards this booming market segment. Applications can extend to hands-free navigation, virtual conferences, gaming, training sessions, and more. Quest 3S Headset Meta’s Quest 3S is priced affordably at $299 for the 128 GB model, making it one of the most accessible mixed reality headsets available. This particular headset offers the possibility of both virtual immersion (via VR headsets) and active augmented interaction (via AR headsets). Meta hopes to incorporate a variety of other applications in the Quest 3S to enhance the overall experience. Display: It employs the most modern and advanced pancake lenses which deliver sharper pictures and vibrant colors and virtually eliminate the ‘screen-door effect’ witnessed in previous VR devices. Processor: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip cuts short the loading time, thus incorporating smoother graphics and better performance. Resolution: Improvement of more than 50 pixels is observed in most of the devices compared to older iterations on the market, making them better cater to the customers’ needs Hand-Tracking: Eliminating the need for software, such as controllers mandatory for interaction with the virtual world, with the advanced hand-tracking mechanisms being introduced. Mixed Reality: A smooth transition between AR and VR fluidly makes them applicable in diverse fields like training and education, health issues, games, and many others. With a projected $13 billion global market for AR/VR devices by 2025, Meta is positioning the Quest 3S as a leader in accessible mixed reality. Meta AI Updates Meta Incorporated released new AI-assisted features, such as the ability to talk to John Cena through a celebrity avatar. These avatars provide a great degree of individuality and entertainment in the digital environment. Furthermore, one can benefit from live translation functions that help enhance multilingual art communication and promote cultural and social interaction. The introduction of AI-powered avatars and the use of AI tools for translation promotes the more engaging experiences with great application potential for international business communication, social networks, and games. Approximately, 85% of customer sales interactions will be run through AI and its related technologies. By 2030, these tools may have become one of the main forms of digital communication. AI Image Generation for Facebook and Instagram Meta has also revealed new capabilities of its AI tools, which allow users to create and post images right in Facebook and Instagram. The feature helps followers or users in this case to create simple tailored images quickly and therefore contributes to the users’ social media marketing. These AI widgets align with Meta’s plans to increase user interaction on the company’s platforms. Social media engagement holds 65% of the market of visual content marketers, stating that visual content increases engagement. These tools enable the audience to easily generate high-quality sharable visual images without any design background. AI for Instagram Reels: Auto-Dubbing and Lip-Syncing Advancing Meta’s well-known Artificial Intelligence capabilities, Instagram Reels will, in the near future, come equipped with automatic dubbing and lip-syncing features powered by the artificial intelligence. This new feature is likely to ease the work of content creators, especially those looking to elevate their video storytelling with less time dedicated to editing. The feature is not limited to countries with populations of over two billion Instagram users. Instead, this refers to Instagram’s own large user base, which exceeds two billion monthly active users globally. This AI-powered feature will streamline content creation and boost the volume and quality of user-generated content. Ray-Ban Smart Glasses The company also shared the news about the extensions of the undoubted and brightest technology of the — its Ray-Ban Smart Glasses which will become commercially available in late 2024. Enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities will include the glasses with hands-free audio and the ability to provide real-time translation. The company’s vision was making Ray-Ban spectacles more user friendly to help those who wear them with complicated tasks, such as language translation, through the use of artificial intelligence. At Meta Connect 2024, again, the company declared their aim to bring immersive technology to the masses by offering low-priced equipment and advanced AI capabilities. Meta is confident to lead the new era of AR, VR, and AI innovations in products such as the Quest 3S, AI-enhanced Instagram features, and improved Ray-Ban smart glasses. With these processes integrated into our digital lives, users will discover new ways to interact, create, and communicate within virtual worlds.

Introduction The World of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Its Application in Content Creation for RPG Games Recently, the world of IT technology has been actively filled with various iterations of artificial intelligence. From advanced chatbots that provide technical support to complex algorithms aiding doctors in disease diagnosis, AI’s presence is increasingly felt. In a few years, it might be hard to imagine our daily activities without artificial intelligence, especially in the IT sector. Let’s focus on generative artificial intelligence, such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, and others, which have long held an important place in software development. However, special attention should be given to the application of AI in the video game industry. We see AI being used from voice generation to real-time responses. Admittedly, this area is not yet so developed as to be widely implemented in commercially available games. But the main emphasis I want to make is on the creation and enhancement of game content using AI. In my opinion, this is the most promising and useful direction for game developers. The Lack of Resources in Creating Large and Ambitious RPG Games and How AI Can Be a Solution In the world of indie game development, a field with which I am closely familiar, the scarcity of resources, especially time and money, is always a foremost challenge. While artificial intelligence (AI) cannot yet generate money or add extra hours to the day (heh-heh), it can be the key to effectively addressing some of these issues. Realism here is crucial. We understand that AI cannot write an engaging story or develop unique gameplay mechanics – these aspects remain the domain of humans (yes, game designers and other creators can breathe easy for now). However, where AI can truly excel is in generating various items, enhancing ideas, writing coherent texts, correcting errors, and similar tasks. With such capabilities, AI can significantly boost the productivity of each member of an indie team, freeing up time for more creative and unique tasks, from content generation to quest structuring. What is Artificial Intelligence and How Can it be Used in Game Development For effective use of AI in game development, a deep understanding of its working principles is essential. Artificial intelligence is primarily based on complex mathematical models and algorithms that enable machines to learn, analyze data, and make decisions based on this data. This could be machine learning, where algorithms learn from data over time becoming more accurate and efficient, or deep learning, which uses neural networks to mimic the human brain. Let’s examine the main types of AI Narrative AI (OpenAI ChatGPT, Google BERT): Capable of generating stories, dialogues, and scripts. Suitable for creating the foundations of the game world and dialogues. Analytical AI (IBM Watson, Palantir Technologies): Focuses on data collection and analysis. Used for optimizing game processes and balance. Creative AI (Adobe Photoshop’s Neural Filters, Runway ML): Able to create visual content such as textures, character models, and environments. Generative AI (OpenAI DALL-E, GPT-3 and GPT-4 from OpenAI): Ideal for generating unique names, item descriptions, quest variability, and other content. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each type of AI, developers can use them more effectively in their work. For example, using AI to generate original stories or quests can be challenging, but using it for correcting grammatical errors or generating unique names and item descriptions is more realistic and beneficial. This allows content creators to focus on more creative aspects of development, optimizing their time and resources. An Overview of the Characteristics of Large Fantasy RPG Games and Their Content Requirements In large fantasy RPG games, not only gameplay and concept play a pivotal role, but also the richness and variability of content – spells, quests, items, etc. This diversity encourages players to immerse themselves in the game world, sometimes spending hundreds of hours exploring every nook and cranny. The quantity of this content is important, but so is its quality. Imagine, we offer the player a relic named “Great Heart” with over 100 attribute variations – that’s one approach. But if we offer 100 different relics, each with a unique name and 3-4 variations in description, the player’s experience is significantly different. In AAA projects, the quality of content is usually high, with hundreds of thousands of hours invested in creating items, stories, and worlds. However, in the indie sector, the situation is different: there’s a limited number of items, less variability – unless we talk about roguelikes, where world and item generation are used. A typical feature of roguelikes is the randomization of item attributes. However, they rarely offer unique generation of names or descriptions; if they do, it’s more about applying formulas and substitution rules, rather than AI. This opens new possibilities for the use of artificial intelligence – not just as a means of generating random attributes, but also in creating deep, unique stories, characters, and worlds, adding a new dimension to games. Integrating AI for Item Generation: How AI Can Assist in Creating Unique Items (Clothing, Weapons, Consumables). One of the practical examples of using AI is creating variations based on existing criteria. Why do I consider this the best way to utilize AI? Firstly, having written the story of your game world, we can set limits for the AI, providing clear input and output data. This ensures a 100% predictable outcome from AI. Let’s examine this more closely. When talking about the world’s story, I mean a few pages that describe the world, its nature, and rules. It could be fantasy, sci-fi, with examples of names, unique terminology, or characteristic features that help AI understand the mood and specifics of the world. Here is an excerpt from the text I wrote for my game world. The Kingdom of Arteria is an ancient and mysterious realm, shrouded in secrets and imbued with a powerful form of dark magic. For centuries, it has been ruled by Arteon the First, a wise and just monarch whose benevolence has brought peace and prosperity to his…

Imagine you’re standing at the threshold of Apple’s new XR headset release, eyes keenly following the stock market reactions and your inbox buzzing with LinkedIn updates about Unity’s burgeoning open positions. The anticipation is almost tangible – it’s like the tech industry’s equivalent of awaiting the final season of a blockbuster TV series. But alas, the actual release isn’t due until next year. Does this mean we press pause on developments? Absolutely not! You might wonder, “Why not take a breather?” The reason is straightforward: MR (Mixed Reality) app development waits for no one. If the groundwork is laid properly now, adapting our apps for the VisionPro release later will be as easy as swapping out smartphone cases. The secret weapon here is experience with the Unity engine. Companies fluent in this technology will navigate VisionPro development with an ease and agility akin to a seasoned marathon runner approaching the home stretch. Having experience with ARKit? That’s a bonus akin to having an extra energy gel in that marathon. And there’s more! Early access to VisionOS SDK is like getting the keys to a treasure chest. It offers an exclusive chance to study, tinker, and try out the first elements of emulation. It’s an opportunity to dive in and get your hands on the technology of tomorrow, today. Previous encounters with MR devices like Magic Leap, HTC Vive, Pico 4, and HoloLens 2 also offer invaluable insights. These devices, with their distinct programming languages, offer lessons in MR app development that are as comprehensive as they are diverse. They serve as a practical guide to the symphony of MR tech. When it comes to eye-tracking, gesture control, and voice control, it’s like we’re in a familiar neighborhood. Experience from working on platforms like Meta Oculus and HoloLens 2 instills confidence, despite the anticipation of some subtle differences with the upcoming VisionPro. However, the fundamentals will likely stay the same. So, to all XR enthusiasts out there, keep those VR goggles firmly in place and maintain the momentum of your MR app developments. While Apple’s new XR headset is an enticing frontier, there’s a lot to be accomplished in the meantime. And when VisionPro does eventually launch, you’ll be primed to embrace it with open arms and innovative apps. Image: Apple