Artificial Intelligence and Market Entrant Game Developers

AI is increasingly affecting creative activities, while its adoption and usage may vary by creators and characteristics of their work. To identify significant associations between AI adoption and usage, we analyze AI disclosure statements on Steam, the largest PC gaming platform. Specifically, we focus on indie developers who often work solely or in a small team with limited resources so would benefit from AI with respect to lowering entry barriers. Our analysis shows that more indie developers entered the market after generative AI was introduced to public. This pattern is not explained by the previous trend and predictions from a time-series model, whereas the number of newly entered non-indie developers is within the predicted range. In addition, we found that most AI applications were for images regardless of game developer types. The extents of AI usage for music, voice, and programming were substantially lower. Lastly, compared to non-indie developers, indie developers created more short playtime games and fewer adult-theme games. The results imply that AI facilitates creative activities by supporting individuals to develop and implement their ideas quickly.