New year, new me, but the same controversies around AI-generated content, be it in advertising or video game development, continue. The latest, surprisingly, is Nintendo, which introduced the My Mario product range, described as “a collection of products, games, and experiences inspired by Mario and his Mushroom Kingdom friends, designed for young children and their parents.”
A cute enough sentiment to introduce younger folk to the Mario franchise before their dexterity allows them to experience the games. There’s just one problem: Many called out the tweet’s images for reportedly being AI-generated. These include one where a model’s fingers were seemingly too long, as noted by Yelowin on Twitter.
The plot further thickens with model Brittoni O’myah Sinclair denying that GenAI was used in the images. “As one of the models, I can promise you this is not AI, guys,” she said in the comments of a post (shared by Insider-Gaming’s Robert DeFelice on Twitter).
If that wasn’t enough, Nintendo straight up told DeFelice that it didn’t use any generative AI. And while this could be a case of mistaken observations, the debate over GenAI tools remains as relevant as ever. Last year, companies like Electronic Arts and Square Enix announced commitments to AI.
Even beloved developers like Larian announced the use of AI for developing concept art in Divinity (before eventually backtracking). That doesn’t mean it won’t explore possibilities for future development, though. Whether you believe Nintendo or not, at least it’s steering away from the same (for now).
