After an 11-year drought, EA Sports has released a new college football video game that features likenesses of 11,000 players. To achieve the accurate appearance of all of these players, it was first reported that “EA Sports College Football 25” used artificial intelligence to create digital avatars. The Wall Street Journal. This AI is a major upgrade for the franchise and a milestone in the integration of AI across video games.
EA Sports wanted to create its own virtual athletes for its games. The company developed AI tools that could turn photos into detailed 3D avatars. But while full-body scans are the standard for the Madden NFL series to create virtual versions of NFL players, NCAA Division I football has six times as many players. So EA wanted a more efficient, cheaper option. With the players' approval, the company instead used college headshots and AI models to create virtual players that could be plugged into the game.
EA canceled the college football game series in 2013 after a class-action lawsuit over image rights. A new game and its real-world likenesses were announced in 2021 amid looming NCAA policy changes. Each player received a deluxe edition of the game and at least $600. More famous players received larger compensation for helping promote the game by appearing on its cover or encouraging purchases on social media.
EA NCAA AI
The models used in the new game are necessarily less detailed than the Madden NFL models, but they are far more specific than the generic players used in previous editions of EA Sports College Football. And the AI doesn't always create a perfect, usable model on the first try. In those cases, EA tweaks the images and data it provides to its AI models until it gets what it needs, which also helps teach the AI what the company wants from its creations.
Thankfully, the AI model will also lay the foundation for future annual releases of the game series. Once run once, the AI will likely perform faster and better when run again, especially for players already catalogued. It also sets a precedent for future sports titles such as car racing, hockey, etc.
By leveraging AI technology, the company was able to efficiently overcome the logistical challenges of scanning thousands of college athletes to deliver a more authentic and immersive gaming experience. The franchise is being rebooted with these innovations, setting a new standard for realism in sports video games and highlighting the potential for AI to enhance future titles in other ways as well.
