The AI Game Plan: What to Automate, What to Keep Human, and Where the Real ROI is in Game Production

Where does AI create measurable value in game production, and where should human expertise remain firmly in control?

Game studios, service providers, and investors are under pressure to improve productivity without sacrificing quality, creativity, or trust. Yet most conversations about AI remain long on speculation and short on quantified guidance.

The AI Game Plan brings the discussion back to evidence. Drawing on business cases, hands-on experimentation, industry research, and expert interviews, game industry executive Mathieu F. Lachance examines generative AI and automation across the video game production pipeline, including design, engineering, visual art, audio, quality assurance, and localization.

Across the modeled applications studied, the research estimates that AI-assisted processes can generate 76% more output at equivalent cost, or lower average costs by 43% for equivalent output. More importantly, it explains where those gains come from, where limitations remain, and where human judgment is essential.

Inside, you will learn how to:

• Decide what to automate, what to augment, and what to keep human
• Evaluate the real ROI of AI across 6 core production disciplines
• Assess the implications for studio economics, service models, team roles, and competitive advantage

For game producers, studio executives, service leaders, developers, investors, and anyone responsible for deciding how games will be built next.

Separate real value from speculation. Use AI where it strengthens the work, and keep people where human judgment matters most.