When a "longevity" online game that has been in operation for over ten years meets the most cutting-edge generative AI, an old tree blooms with unexpected new flowers.

Recently, gaming giant Square Enix officially announced that it will integrate Google's Gemini large model into its national-level online game Dragon Quest X. This move is not only a cross-industry technology breakthrough but also a bold attempt to use AI to solve the challenge of attracting new players for aging online games.

The most eye-catching feature of this update is the new companion character Chatty Slimey. This talkative slime integrated with generative AI will become a player's personal guide:

Real-time Interaction: Players can freely chat with it, and Slimey will generate voice responses automatically.

New Player Guidance: To address complex tasks and guidance challenges faced by new players, the AI will provide accurate real-time assistance.

Emotional Support: Slimey is no longer a rigid NPC. When you defeat a strong enemy or luckily obtain a rare item, it will even jump out to "chat" with you, sharing your joy.

Dragon Quest X, since its launch in 2012, still maintains an amazing vitality with tens of thousands of active players every month in the Japanese market. However, it also faces the dual pressure of losing old players and having a high barrier to entry for new players. By introducing Gemini, SE is trying to break the dullness of traditional online game tutorials and attract the new generation of players with more human-like AI interaction.

Interestingly, the game once entered the Chinese market in 2016, operated by Shanda Games, but unfortunately stopped service in 2019. Now, watching the Japanese version revive with AI, many domestic veteran players lament: If the slime back then had been so smart, the outcome might have been completely different.

From "fixed instructions" to "generative dialogue," Square Enix is redefining the social and guidance experience of mass multiplayer online games with AI. When a classic IP meets Google Gemini, this slime that can not only be cute but also "teach you things," will it successfully lead this decade-old veteran game? The market is watching closely.