Xbox is currently facing backlash for its approach to marketing indie games - a tough break for the brand after it had finally posted one of its best years yet.
In a recent move, Xbox's ID@Xbox program, dedicated to promoting indie developers, used an AI-generated image in a social media post. This decision stirred considerable controversy among gamers, artists, and developers, prompting discussions about the implications of AI in the creative industries.
On December 27, the ID@Xbox Twitter account posted an image captioned "Walking in an indie wonderlaaand," asking followers about their favorite indie games of the year. The artwork featured children sledding down a hill with the Xbox logo. At first glance, the art appeared normal, but upon closer inspection, AI-generated anomalies became evident. This includes children with mustaches, unusual black tendrils, and a man whose top lip was replaced with teeth. These irregularities led to immediate criticism from the community, with accusations that Xbox was using AI to create promotional content.
The backlash was swift and pointed, with users and artists expressing their dissatisfaction with Xbox's use of AI art. The criticism centered on the perceived lack of support for indie developers and artists by opting for AI-generated content over human creativity. This familiar sentiment echoed on social media with a prominent artist, NecroKuma3, voicing a statement that captured what everyone felt, "Nothing says 'we don't care about indie developers' like using AI." The controversy led to the deletion of the original tweet by ID@Xbox, though no official response or apology was issued by Microsoft.