Position: Interactive Generative Video as Next-Generation Game Engine

2025-03-21

AI Summary

Traditional game engines rely on pre-authored assets, severely constraining creative expression and inflating development costs. Method: This paper proposes a generative game engine (GGE) grounded in interactive generative video (IGV), enabling dynamic, infinite, physically consistent, and user-controllable world generation. We formally define the IGV-driven GGE paradigm for the first time and introduce a five-dimensional capability framework—encompassing content generation, physics modeling, interactive control, long-term memory, and causal reasoning—alongside an L0–L4 progressive maturity roadmap. Technically, we integrate diffusion models, world models, embodied interaction interfaces, neural memory mechanisms, and structured causal inference. Contribution/Results: The work delivers a comprehensive GGE architectural blueprint and implementation pathway, establishing an AI-native game development paradigm that shifts game creation from “hand-crafted authoring” to “organic, adaptive growth.”

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: Game Design — Procedural Content Generation & Storytelling
• Natural Language Processing: Generation
• Computer Vision: Low Level & Physics-based Vision

Application Category

• Social Networks and Social Media: Generative AI / large language models and their impact on social systems
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Economic ramifications for generative AI infrastructure and applications
• Semantics and Knowledge: Data modeling to support human-machine intelligence, including LLMs agents, intelligent system behavior, explanations, and user-friendly interactions

Abstract

Modern game development faces significant challenges in creativity and cost due to predetermined content in traditional game engines. Recent breakthroughs in video generation models, capable of synthesizing realistic and interactive virtual environments, present an opportunity to revolutionize game creation. In this position paper, we propose Interactive Generative Video (IGV) as the foundation for Generative Game Engines (GGE), enabling unlimited novel content generation in next-generation gaming. GGE leverages IGV's unique strengths in unlimited high-quality content synthesis, physics-aware world modeling, user-controlled interactivity, long-term memory capabilities, and causal reasoning. We present a comprehensive framework detailing GGE's core modules and a hierarchical maturity roadmap (L0-L4) to guide its evolution. Our work charts a new course for game development in the AI era, envisioning a future where AI-powered generative systems fundamentally reshape how games are created and experienced.

Problem

• Overcoming creativity and cost limitations in traditional game engines
• Leveraging video generation for interactive virtual environments
• Proposing a framework for AI-powered generative game systems

Innovation

• Interactive Generative Video for game content
• Physics-aware world modeling in gaming
• Hierarchical maturity roadmap for evolution