The developer of recently-announced digital pet simulator recreation Catly has responded to allegations that the sport’s trailer and advertising and marketing was produced utilizing generative AI, saying that no such know-how was utilized in its announcement at The Recreation Awards, nor within the recreation itself.
In an announcement shared with IGN, a PR consultant licensed to talk on behalf of developer SuperAuthenti stated that generative AI was not used to supply the trailer, nor the sport. Moreover, the consultant stated the developer was “very shocked by such speculations,” including that “We don’t assume there are any current AI instruments that may produce a video like that. Trade specialists have echoed this opinion.”
The PR consultant additionally confirmed IGN a model of the trailer from The Recreation Awards that confirmed in-progress pictures interspersed alongside the ultimate model, which did appear to verify the shortage of AI use within the precise trailer manufacturing.
Moreover, the PR consultant stated that different allegations suggesting that Catly was a blockchain recreation had been equally unfounded. They stated that there was “zero blockchain know-how” concerned in Catly or the corporate behind it, SuperAuthenti, and equally there aren’t any NFTs. “Our firm/challenge has by no means issued any blockchain forex and any NFTs. Our firm doesn’t and has by no means owned any blockchain forex and NFTs.”
The spokesperson confirmed to IGN that Catly is being made in Unreal Engine 5, and stated the developer makes use of “varied software program” to supply hyperrealistic fur and hair.
Assertions that Catly was utilizing generative AI know-how started to flow into nearly instantly after its trailer debuted at The Recreation Awards final week. The trailer itself featured hyperrealistic cats with brightly coloured fur and options bounding round a fantasy playspace and interacting with a human carrying varied detailed, excessive vogue outfits. The artwork model current was flagged by many critics as harking back to the hyperrealistic model typically produced by generative AI. That stated, Catly’s assertion is in keeping with the present actuality that recreation trailers of this high quality should not throughout the attain of present generative AI know-how with out important, apparent artifacting and different points.
Nevertheless, others identified that whereas the trailer could also be legit, the opposite facets of Catly’s promotion are nonetheless giving some off vibes. As an illustration, the sport’s Steam description awkwardly reads, “A Cat Open World, with Lovely Cats. Hyperrealism, Actions, Cuddle, Velocity, Islands, Vogue, Desires, Snow, Robots, Vegetation — all with and by way of Cats.”
And some of the sport’s promotional artwork items had odd particulars much like AI artifacting, such because the odd paws and nostril of this cat:
And the textual content on the wall contained in the right-hand aspect of the constructing on this picture:
Others unearthed more images from the official Catly web site which have since been eliminated, however which seem to boost much more questions on their veracity.
Replace 5:57pm: A earlier model of this story claimed the web site had been down all weekend, however the URL for the official web site offered to IGN was incorrect, and the web site has remained stay.
Authentic story continues beneath:
Whereas SuperAuthenti confirmed to me that it didn’t use generative AI in both the trailer or the sport itself, it didn’t reply to my query about its promotional photographs on Steam or on its web site.
As for web3, hypothesis of the sport’s ties to the know-how surfaced as people unearthed the studio co-founder, Kevin Yeung’s, ties to other blockchain games. Moreover, the sport’s Steam web page includes a glowing quote from League of Legends and Arcane producer Thomas Vu, who himself is a outstanding web3 investor. Nevertheless, it additionally contained a quote from Hearthstone and Marvel Snap creator Ben Brode, who has taken to Bluesky to say that he is heard nothing about both AI technology or web3 concerned in Catly, and that his curiosity is honest. “I noticed 20 [minutes] or so of gameplay footage a couple of months again and thought it regarded cool in order that they requested me for a quote,” he wrote.
For now, it does appear that SuperAuthenti is telling the reality concerning the Catly trailer at The Recreation Awards, although the query of whether or not or not, or how a lot, generative AI has been utilized in Catly’s general improvement and promotion stays to be seen. Generative AI is turning into an more and more fashionable device for recreation corporations, too. Name of Obligation reportedly sold an “AI-generated cosmetic” for Name of Obligation: Fashionable Warfare 3 in late 2023, and followers accused Activision of using generative AI again for a loading screen this year. EA stated in September that AI was “the very core” of its business.
Sadly, because the know-how turns into each extra prevalent and extra complicated, it appears seemingly it’ll change into more and more tough to inform the distinction between AI-generated and human-crafted work. In Catly’s case, we’ll have to attend for 2025 to search out out extra about what precisely is behind these hauntingly rainbow cat eyes from the trailer.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You will discover her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Obtained a narrative tip? Ship it to rvalentine@ign.com.