Microsoft has introduced a browser-based, playable level of the classic video game Quake II. This serves as a technology demonstration for the gaming abilities of Microsoft’s Copilot AI platform. However, the company acknowledges that the experience does not match that of playing a well-constructed game.
Individuals can try it out by using their keyboard to navigate one level of Quake II for a few minutes until the time limit is reached.
In a blog post detailing their work, Microsoft researchers highlighted that their Muse family of AI models for video games enables users to interact with the model via keyboard or controller actions, allowing them to see the effects of their actions immediately, essentially playing within the model.
To showcase these capabilities, researchers trained their model on a Quake II level, which Microsoft owns through its acquisition of ZeniMax.
The researchers expressed surprise and delight at being able to navigate within the world simulated by the model, replicating actions such as wandering around, moving the camera, jumping, crouching, shooting, and even exploding barrels similar to the original game.
Despite this, the researchers emphasized that this is primarily “a research exploration” and should be considered “playing the model” rather than playing the game.
They specifically acknowledged several limitations and shortcomings, such as fuzzy enemies, inaccurate damage and health counters, and the model’s struggle with object permanence, notably forgetting objects out of view for longer than 0.9 seconds.
This limitation was also viewed by the researchers as potentially amusing, allowing players to defeat or spawn enemies by altering their view, or teleporting around the map using a simple trick.
Writer and game designer Austin Walker, however, was less enthused by this approach. He shared a gameplay video where he spent most of his time trapped in a dark room. Walker argued that Microsoft’s gaming CEO Phil Spencer’s recent statement about AI models assisting in game preservation by making classic games portable across platforms indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of both the technology and the functioning of games.
Walker emphasized that the internal mechanics of games like Quake—including code, design, 3D art, and audio—produce distinct play experiences, including surprising edge cases, which are a significant part of what makes games enjoyable. He argued that without accurately reconstructing these key inner workings, access to those unpredictable edge cases is lost.
