Highlights
- Studio Wildcard’s trailer for Ark Survival Ascended heavily utilized AI, but the results feel overly calculated and lack emotional depth.
- Critics argue that AI’s efficiency undermines the human artistry vital to storytelling and creativity in gaming.
- The gaming industry risks homogenization if AI continues to dominate creative processes, compromising originality and innovation
AI seems to have replaced the glory of cutting-edge innovation as far as the Survival Ascended trailer is concerned. As the hype behind AI has permeated almost every aspect of game development at present its role in the creation of game trailers is the topic of discussion today. The studio Wildcard’s latest entry AI-assisted trailer for Ark Survival Ascended is quite something in this regard, but not everyone is convinced that it propelling the industry forward.
A High-Tech Step That Falls Short of Expectations
Let’s face it: Ark has always been an extravagant idea-from sprawling prehistoric landscapes to larger-than-life dinosaur battles. So when Studio Wildcard disclosed to fans that AI played a major role in the birth of the game trailer, the bar was set high for falling disappointments. Well, unfortunately, in the end, this product pretty much feels like a technical experiment rather than an emotionally resonant exhibition of what the game offers.
Automation vs. Creativity
Of course, it checks all the right boxes on paper: dynamic visuals, thrilling sequences of survival, and an epic soundtrack. But it feels… well artificial. AI was used to analyze gameplay footage, splice together “cinematic” moments, and even shape the trailer based on feedback from prior releases. While this might sound impressive, however, the resulting work lacks soul and spontaneity, which have defined some of the most memorable game trailers in recent years. Instead of feeling handcrafted, it comes across as calculated-more like an algorithmic output than a creative vision which feels alienating.
Studio Wildcard turned to AI for such tasks even as creating animations and synchronizing music to visuals. These technologies may have expedited production speed, yet, unfortunately, have taken the magic from such artistic expression. The trailer feels polished to the ridiculous point of being too mechanical as if it were designed to satisfy a checklist of trailer tropes rather than invoking genuine glee about the game.
Homogenization: The Danger of Over-Reliance on AI
More worrying is that far-reaching effect: on creative industries in general. AI is efficient; genius sprouts largely from imperfections, happy accidents, and light-bulb-like moments. With most of the trailer production outsourced to AI, Studio Wildcard may have inadvertently instituted a reduction in the sense of wonder and individuality that has come to be expected by the fans.
This isn’t to say that AI doesn’t have a place in game development or marketing is very much a powerful weapon when brought to bear on human creativity rather than replacing it. But this one crossed the line too far. At first glance, the trailer dazzles with sleek visuals and dramatic flair, but a closer inspection reveals an underlying void—something intangible feels missing, whether it’s depth, originality, or emotional resonance, leaving viewers intrigued yet slightly underwhelmed.
The marketing department used still images of some of our assets to create an AI-animated trailer. That was not part of the development team; we did not know that they were doing it. – Matt Kohl
Ultimately, it’s not flashy visuals that count when it comes to a game trailer; it’s the spark of an emotional tie to what will come shortly for eager players. Sadly, the cost of this AI approach may have come at too high a price in taking humanity out of the equation, with the trailer feeling more like a highlight reel than an introductory heartstring tugger to Ark’s next adventure.
