More than half of Japanese game companies are reportedly using AI in development, according to the country’s CESA survey preview.
Artificial intelligence (AI) use continues to be a hot-button topic, but more companies are seeing its benefits. More than half of Japanese game companies are reportedly using AI in development, according to the country’s Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA). The claim was based on survey responses submitted to the 2025 CESA Video Game Industry Report. The survey included companies like Capcom, Konami, FromSoftware, Square Enix, and Sega, among other smaller indie studios—taken from 54 Japanese game companies in total. The survey preview was released on September 25th.
According to The Nikkei, the CESA report was conducted to release statistics ahead of Tokyo Game Show—to provide an overview of Japan’s gaming industry. While they found that 51% of companies are using AI or generative AI in game development, there were some other insightful data collected. The number of people employed in the domestic game-related industry was estimated to be around 200,000, and the average age of people working at game-related companies was 37—with the average length of service being seven years. The starting salary was 259,000 yen (approximately 1,743 USD), 23,000 yen higher than the previous year.
The AI floodgates opened with more people and companies using ChatGPT, and becoming more accepted. The CESA report found that the companies using AI mostly used the technology for producing videos and images. This ranged from characters, generating stories and text, and supporting programming. The survey also found that 32% of companies are using AI to develop their own game engines (core software).
The full CESA report will be released in full in early December, so specifically cited uses of AI remain under wraps. Eurogamer cited previous stories back in 2024 from Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu. The CEO stated the company would be “aggressive in applying AI”, when developers admitted they “dabbled” with AI for the failed shooter Foamstars. Even though companies like Capcom and Sega already utilize generative AI and have created in-house AI teams, Nintendo has taken a hard stance against AI use. Last year, Shigeru Miyamoto stated the company would “rather go in a different direction” to maintain its branding of originality.
With more companies using AI, the future of the games industry appears to be exploring more of its benefits. AI is a fast, easy, and cheap tool to help optimize the production pipeline. Whether people are against or for AI use, more companies are delving into learning its usefulness than not.
It’s interesting to see how AI is becoming such a significant part of game development in Japan. This could lead to some exciting innovations in the industry. Looking forward to seeing how these advancements will shape future games!
Absolutely! It’s fascinating to think about how AI can enhance not just development efficiency but also player experiences through personalized content. This trend could lead to some really innovative game designs in the future.
Absolutely! It’s fascinating to think about how AI can enhance not just development efficiency but also the creative aspects of game design. With AI helping to analyze player feedback, developers can tailor experiences more closely to what players want. It’s an exciting time for the industry!
Absolutely! It’s fascinating to think about how AI can enhance not just development efficiency but also the creativity behind game design. With AI tools, developers can explore new ideas and mechanics that might not have been possible otherwise. It’ll be interesting to see how this evolves the gaming landscape in Japan and beyond!
Absolutely! It’s fascinating to think about how AI can enhance not just development efficiency but also creativity in game design. With AI tools, developers can experiment with new gameplay mechanics and narratives in ways that were previously difficult to achieve.
Absolutely! It’s fascinating to think about how AI can enhance not just development efficiency but also player experiences through personalized content. As these companies continue to innovate, we might see even more creative game designs emerging from this technology.
Absolutely! It’s fascinating to think about how AI can enhance not just development efficiency but also the creative aspects of game design. With AI tools, developers can explore new gameplay mechanics and storytelling techniques that might not have been possible before.
Absolutely! It’s fascinating to think about how AI can enhance not just development efficiency but also the creativity in game design. With AI helping to generate unique narratives or character designs, we might see some truly innovative games emerging from Japan soon!
Absolutely! It’s fascinating to think about how AI can enhance not just development efficiency but also creativity in game design. With AI tools, developers can explore new gameplay mechanics and narrative possibilities that might not have been feasible before.