Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Technology

The gaming genome project

By Barry Fox

17 February 2001

Nintendo is patenting a method of creating computer game characters which is
based on genetics. Programming game characters to have different physical and
character traits adds to a game’s realism, but is time-consuming and expensive.
So Nintendo suggests employing just a handful of highly skilled programmers to
compile a library of evolvable behavioural and physical “genes” which describe
how a creature, such as a tiger, bird or mouse, reacts to stimuli (WO 0068893).
An unskilled artist can then simply mix and match these traits to create
characters with new abilities and personalities.

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