AI in game development isn’t coming—it’s already here. According to Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino, as much as 80–90% of current games are being built using AI-powered tools. That’s not a rumor. That’s from a major Japanese publisher with a deep history in Nintendo titles like Professor Layton, Inazuma Eleven, and Fantasy Life.
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So what does that actually mean for Switch 2 development—and for the fans who love Nintendo because it feels handmade?
AI Is Speeding Things Up—But Not Always for the Better
From procedural asset generation to dialogue scripting and concept art, AI has become a major player behind the curtain. Games that used to take six years to develop are now being scoped in three. Sounds great—until it isn’t.
AI can speed up production. But it can also flatten it. As Jordan Ellis puts it: “Games need soul, not just output.” And while Level-5’s claim might be a bit inflated for shock value, it reflects what insiders are already seeing: the creative bottleneck is being replaced with an ethical one.
What This Means for Nintendo (and Switch 2)
Nintendo is famously slow, protective, and polish-obsessed. Their biggest games—from Zelda to Animal Crossing—aren’t AI-generated. They’re handcrafted. That’s part of the magic.
But as the industry changes, Nintendo will feel pressure. Pressure to lower dev costs. Pressure to hit faster timelines. Will Nintendo embrace AI-assisted tools quietly? Probably. Will they let it guide creative direction? Hopefully not.
AI Can Help—But Only If Devs Stay in Control
There’s nothing wrong with using AI to fill gaps: auto-rigging, shader math, voice matching, prototyping. It becomes a problem when studios replace core design and artistic voices with AI-sourced templates.
Hino’s quote reminds us that AI isn’t theoretical anymore. It’s shaping how games look, feel, and even play. For players who grew up on Nintendo’s most personal, imaginative IPs, that’s both fascinating and slightly terrifying.
Final Thoughts
The industry is changing fast. And Level-5’s CEO saying “90% of games are now built using AI” should get your attention—even if the number’s debatable.
AI in game development is inevitable. But we still get to ask the hard questions. Does it serve the game—or replace what makes it special?
What do you think? Would you play an RPG built entirely by AI if it still made you cry? Let us know in the comments. The future’s already here—and it’s thinking fast.
