Just last weekend, Yuji Horii, a 72-year-old veteran game developer who has worked on classic RPGs such as the Dragon Quest series and Chrono Trigger, spoke on his personal Twitter about the changes AI technology is bringing to the game industry and shared with players a game he created using generative AI. Even more astonishingly, it took only 30 minutes from conception to completion.
According to him, when he used a PC to create the text-based mystery game “The Port Town Serial Murders” in 1983, he spent a lot of time conceiving the story, drawing graphics, and writing programs, and ultimately completed the work alone. After AI generation technology flourished, even people who cannot draw or program at all can create a decent game on their own just by entering prompts into AI.
その昔、PCで『ポートピア連続殺人事件』を作った時は、自分で物語を考え、絵も描いて、プログラムもして、ひとりでゲームを作りました。そして今、ＡＩを使えば、絵を描けなくても、プログラムしなくても、ＡＩに指図するだけで、ひとりで、そこそこのゲームを作れてしまいます。ホントびっくりです。ちなみに下のゲームの制作時間は、ほんの30分ほどでしたよ。あ、ブーストするボタンは押さないように。 https://t.co/slczyG52ZQ
— 堀井雄二 (@YujiHorii) October 11, 2026
In the post, Yuji Horii included a web mini-game titled The Pawnshop Vault Theft Incident and said that with the help of AI generation technology, he had managed to create such a work in only half an hour. It is a text game centered on interrogation, in which players must make the correct choices from a series of “questions” and “evidence” options, trying to change the suspect’s attitude and gradually pressure them into confessing to the crime they committed. However, given the controversy surrounding AI generation technology, many fans left numerous dissatisfied comments under the post and hoped the producer could understand how the related technology often operates by plagiarizing other people’s work.
However, this is actually not the first time Yuji Horii has publicly praised the convenience of AI generation technology. Last year, for example, he said he intended to incorporate AI chatbots into future game titles, and during the G-Star game show held in Korea, he discussed in depth the various possibilities of AI technology in the gaming field.
At that panel discussion, the veteran developer said that AI technology is particularly well suited to games in the “question-and-answer” or “deduction” genres, such as talking with subordinates to identify the culprit, having AI handle interrogations, or even letting players themselves speak by voice with AI-driven suspect characters and generating a variety of reactions in real time, creating a more interactive gameplay experience. When he was later asked whether he had considered actually introducing AI technology into future works, he readily gave an affirmative answer.
Even with the endorsement of this legendary producer, generative AI remains highly controversial among players and within the gaming industry, especially regarding the copyright issues behind the technology or the often inconsistent quality of generated content. However, in recent years, many game development teams and individuals have indeed expressed strong interest in AI technology, hoping to use it to reduce development costs and shorten production timelines.
What’s more, a recent questionnaire survey of the “Japanese online game developer community” even found that 100% of respondents said they had used generative AI tools in their work. However, the Japan Online Game Association (JOGA) emphasized that the report focused only on games “played online” in Japan and did not classify by device platform. Therefore, it does not include an in-depth analysis of game consoles or PC, nor does it count mobile games that have no online connectivity and can be played offline.
Source: KOCPC Chinese