Fable sets itself apart from AI: its over 1,000 characters have voices of real actors

Playground Games confirms that the long-awaited RPG has opted for human performances to bring its vast world to life.

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One of the most common debates in the video game industry currently revolves around the use of artificial intelligence to create voices and dialogue. While some studios are starting to experiment with these tools, Playground Games has made it clear what their philosophy has been during the development of Fable.

The British team has confirmed that all characters in the game are played by real actors, ruling out the use of AI-generated voice synthesis to bring the inhabitants of Albion to life. Fable bets on real actors to create a more vibrant world

• According to the studio, around 100 actors were selected to create the so-called “Living Population” of the game, a system that will allow each character to have their own identity and a completely human interpretation.

The project’s figures reflect the enormous scope of the work done:

• Over 1,000 NPCs created by hand.
• Over 150,000 lines of dialogue.
• Around 100 actors voicing characters.
• Over 1,000 hours of recording just this year.
• Several dubbing studios working at the same time.

Playground Games assures that “loads and loads of dialogue” were recorded, with the goal of making the world of Albion more alive and believable during the adventure.

The decision also reinforces one of the messages the studio has wanted to convey in recent weeks: Fable aims to offer an experience built in an artisanal way, from its characters to their interactions, betting on the work of real actors versus automatic solutions based on artificial intelligence.

With a world full of unique inhabitants and a huge amount of conversations, everything points to the new Fable being one of the most ambitious projects ever developed by Playground Games and one of Xbox’s big bets for the coming years.