Creator of Apathy series admits using generative AI for new project

A new game in the Apathy series is currently in development.

Japanese developer Takiya Iijima, known for the visual novels Gakkou De Atta Kowai Hanashi and the Apathy series, confirmed that the debut teaser for the new Apathy installment was created using generative artificial intelligence.

The mysterious video published on August 1 previously raised questions among fans due to its unusual visual style. After several evasive answers, Iijima officially confirmed that the video was indeed created using generative AI and detailed his stance on the technology.

According to the developer, generative AI allows him to bring his envisioned concepts to life almost perfectly and select the exact visual style he originally imagined. He noted that he intends to spend the remainder of his career on independent development and release games through his own studio, 7Korobi8Korogari, priced at less than 1,000 yen without depending on major publishers.

During one of his broadcasts, Iijima also touched upon copyright issues and the use of generative AI. He stated that before applying the technology commercially, he made sure that legal matters were settled. The developer shared that he spends several hundred thousand yen every month on various AI tools, which are reportedly trained on works belonging to his own studio.

Iijima emphasized that the content creation process is not limited to pushing a single button. According to him, the team carefully refines prompts to generate character images from scratch that match the original creative vision.

The developer believes that using AI allows a small team of one or two people to create quality entertainment content at an affordable price. At the same time, he noted that he does not plan to use such technology in projects for home consoles yet, as major publishers and other interested parties are much stricter regarding the use of generative AI.

Despite actively using new tools, Iijima stated that he clearly separates the tasks where artificial intelligence is applied. Specifically, he is writing the script for the new installment in the Apathy series entirely on his own, without the help of generative AI.