The video game industry is no stranger to using machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) to advance its production, development, and marketing pipelines. From improving graphics to creating new levels, generating narratives, and adding intelligence to non-playing characters (NPCs), AI continues making game production more efficient and gameplay more engaging than ever before. 

While game production cycles are being streamlined through machine learning, marketers see myriad ways to reach targeted audiences through AI. The Indian gaming industry is expected to reach a revenue of $2.8 billion this year (as per KPMG India data), and game studios need to reach this broad audience of gamers in the most effective ways possible, which includes computer vision. 

According to a report by KPMG India and Google India, 250 game development companies in India are focused on innovating the publishing and design process through advanced tools and techniques from cloud computing to data analytics, to more recently, computer vision. Indian companies are teaming up with global gaming businesses through technology partnerships to leverage  AI-powered products and services to attract more players and engage viewers.

The increased efficiency of ML enhancements and the implementation of market data has made gamers expect increasingly personalized in-game experiences. Though sales, customer care and community moderation are the leading use cases for AI, marketing is increasingly becoming the most efficient way to understand audience trends, determine demographics, and reach the consumers where they are. This has enhanced the audience reach of video games, but there is increasing importance on promoting new game experiences through those who influence consumer spending. 

Like game developers, gamers are early adopters of new technologies like AI, enabling them to become better players and reach larger audiences. Gamers interested in building audiences range from Esports players and teams to video game streamers posting content across platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, Discord, and more. To build an audience, creators must stay consistent in their content production, which can be incredibly daunting. 

Esports teams and streamers must juggle playing and excelling at games their audiences will love, raising the bar on the overall quality of their production, and finding ways to grow their business through deals and partnerships. Prominent Indian esports teams like Nazara and Nodwin, and streamers like Total Gaming, Techno Gamerz, and CarryIsLive, often have teams of employees working on editing their videos and highlights to ensure the content is fresh and exciting. 

For popular players like these, AI enables streamlining content production, enabling more consistent distribution and allowing for higher creativity and better utilising the time saved to tell more profound stories. For rising talent playing games like Minecraft, PUB-G, GTA, Call of Duty, and Free Fire, they can play more, create more, and earn more through content automation. 

Further reasons why game developers, esports teams, streamers, and influencers should use AI to market their gaming content: 

• Higher engagement: in addition to skilled gameplay, the popularity of top players is thanks to their interactivity with their audiences by answering community comments and questions. AI gives players more time to read comments, engage with their fans, and speak directly to their communities through vlogs, stories, shorts, and content themes. 
• More games: to optimize channel reach, streamers often have to become experts at one game or pump their searchability with one title. With AI, streamers can save time on logging, tagging, and SEO optimization and bring more games into their repertoires, furthering brand partnership opportunities and audience interest. 
• Wider platforms: AI can now cut, log, and distribute video highlights in real time. With the press of one button or in the middle of a stream, AI will publish videos with tags, metadata, and even branding, to multiple social video channels. 
• Increased revenue: Not only can AI be used for gamers to share access to their latest plays and streams, but they can also further monetise their video content with cross-channel publishing and automated branding through pre-, mid-, and post-roll advertising. 

While AI has been integrated into game development for some time, it is now being utilized for marketing games and building a gaming community with exciting innovations around the corner. Fans of teams and streamers are currently seeking more diverse content; meanwhile, streamers and teams are looking for more ways to monetize. In all cases, automation is key. 

[The author is the CEO and Co-Founder of VideoVerse (Reely.ai)]

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