Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is "the best of our medium," says former Microsoft Game Studios head, because games are art and human: "I don’t think you can say that about AI girlfriends"

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 screenshot of Verso, a man with black hair with white streaks running through his fringe — (Image credit: Kepler Interactive)

The former Microsoft Game Studios head who ushered in the original Xbox, Ed Fries, compares video games to art, calling Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 "the best of our medium." He further says that he doubts AI will ever be able to create games like it, as it removes the human element.

In an interview with GamesBeat, Fries shares his views on how AI will affect video games moving forward, particularly following the appointment of Asha Sharma, former president of CoreAI, to Phil Spencer's former post. Second in command and Sarah Bond's replacement, Matt Booty, has said that there's "no directive" from Microsoft to use AI despite Sharma's background, but we continue.

"I think of games as I think of books and movies," Fries says. "I think of them as, at least, escapism… At best, I think they’re art. They can change the way we feel about ourselves and the world, and what we think is important. I think you can say that about books. I think you can say that about movies. I think you can say that about games. I don’t think you can say that about AI girlfriends."

"In the end, we’re producing experiences for people that they can’t have any other way," says Fries.

However, as part of the tech industry, it seems games are unique in the creative marketplace in that companies often feel the pressure to incorporate AI as a burgeoning technology. "The question is, how much can AI create those experiences for us itself?" posits Fries. "How much do we need a human being involved in the creative process so that it’s authentic, so that it speaks to us as human beings?"

In opposition to the notion that AI can create its own high-quality, and ultimately worthwhile games, Fries evokes the record-breaking, infinite award-winning Clair Obscur, and the human experience at the heart of the story. "That’s what people got out of Expedition 33. I know I did," he says. "It was an incredible story at its heart, a story about a family grieving their loss, expressed through a video game. That’s why it won every game of the year award this year. That’s the best of our medium. That’s what we should all aspire to."

Ultimately, he defaults to the idea that AI can be used as a tool, but he doubts the technology will ever make its own games. "Will AI accelerate our ability to make more products like that? For sure," Fries posits. "Will it take over and completely be able to generate them by itself? I kinda doubt it. Again, it’s a tale about what it means to be human."