Indie publisher Hooded Horse issues total ban on AI in its games because it’s a ‘cancerous’ technology

In the midst of increasing AI usage across the board, one publisher is taking a firm stance against the technology, labeling it “cancerous.” It has therefore issued a total ban on the use of AI in the games it publishes.

The publisher in question is Hooded Horse, known for supporting countless indie games, some of which are immensely popular and successful. Some of its most notable published games include Manor Lords, Against the Storm, Cataclismo, Endless Legend 2, and Darkwood 2, among others. It’s certainly one of the most prominent indie publishers on the market, and it’s now using its position to fight against what it perceives as a harmful technology.

In an interview with Kotaku, chief executive Tim Bender said the only thing AI ever did was “[make] our lives more difficult.”

“I fucking hate Gen AI art,” Bender said, adding that Hooded Horse’s publishing contracts include a clause for “no fucking AI assets.”

Bender went on to say that the publisher “got to the point” where it communicates to its potential partners that no AI should be used, even as placeholders, because there is always a chance it would “slip through” into the final build.

“Because of that, we’re constantly having to watch and deal with it and try to prevent it from slipping in, because it’s cancerous,” he said.

Bender concluded by saying that it’d be a “betrayal” of all the people in the company’s marketing team who produce all sorts of promotional art if they were to be forced into working with something that relies on generative AI. “I wouldn’t be able to face them if we had that,” he said, indicating that this is more of an ethical stance than a PR-related one.

Enforcing these rules is difficult, but I for one believe it’s the right course of action. Sure, some of these devs will use AI and mask it well, especially as the technology gets better, but it’s important to have rules in place that openly stand in defiance of this worldwide corporate push toward a reality where things are purely artificial, built on the foundations of millennia of human work and effort just so some CEO somewhere could rake in even more cash than he does now.

At least before that selfsame CEO had to produce something of value, something original and striking enough for people to want to experience, so he could rake in the cash. Now, it’s a machine doing everything, regurgitating borderline stolen art into pure slop for the enjoyment of absolutely no one and in the service of exclusively a small portion of people who never cared about art in the first place.

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StarRupture becomes a different proposition when you’re aiming to survive Arcadia-7 together with your buddies.

The current system of the early access build allows you to play in co-op lobbies of up to four players (including yourself). The multiplayer relies on the classic ‘host-based‘ gameplay, but there’s a modern twist that Creepy Jar has put in place.

How to play Multiplayer in StarRupture

To play in co-op, one of your group members has to be the host. The host is the person who creates the main world and sets up the game. Being the host doesn’t have any in-game advantage, so you can relax on that part. Once they have created the save, the host has to choose between ‘Friends Only’ or ‘Invite Only’.

The first option requires the host to invite every player for a session manually. The second option takes that requirement away, but the other players will have to be present on the host’s Steam friend list. To invite a player, the host will have to open the menu. By pressing on the empty slots, they can invite other players via Steam.

Once the other players have accepted the invite, they will be able to play together with the host. Usually, the host leaving the game would have meant the server shutting down. That can be prevented with the use of SaveSync (this is a third-party application that currently supports StarRupture and plenty of other co-op games).

How to use SaveSync in StarRupture

To use the software, both the host and other members in the group will need to own the software. SaveSync can be purchased and installed directly from Steam. Once done, you’ll have to open the app and click New Save after selecting StarRupture. All the available saved sessions will appear. Pick one and click Create Save.

The process above has to be done by the host. Once the sync is complete, there will be a green tick. The host can now share the save with the rest of the group. To join, you’ll have to open the SaveSync app. The shared file will appear automatically in your list of saves when you pick StarRupture. Choose Activate after selecting the saved file to make it available. Once done, you’ll be able to play in the same co-op world irrespective of the host’s presence.

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