Ken Kutaragi criticizes gaming industry stagnation, predicts AI revolution

Ken Kutaragi, known as the ‘father of PlayStation,’ has criticized the current state of the gaming industry, suggesting that technological innovation has stagnated compared to the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence.

In a recent interview with 4Gamer, Kutaragi noted that since his retirement, the PlayStation platform has become increasingly similar to a PC. While this convergence expands the market for developers, he argues it has failed to drive significant technical breakthroughs. He pointed out that former partners like NVIDIA and AMD have shifted their primary focus toward AI, a field he believes is operating at a much higher technical level than current game development.

Kutaragi contrasted the efficiency of early development, such as the creation of ‘Battle Arena Toshinden’ by fewer than 10 people in three months, with modern AAA titles that require massive teams and long durations for incremental improvements in graphics or NPC dialogue.

Looking ahead, Kutaragi predicts that by 2028 or 2029, AI-generated video and music will reach speeds comparable to current gaming consoles. He envisions a future where ‘imagination itself becomes content,’ potentially transforming the global gaming market from its current 30 trillion yen valuation to as much as 3,000 trillion yen as the medium evolves into a new form of interactive entertainment.