The AI-powered shift to “living games:” Meet the customers and partners leveling up the ways we play

The games industry is on a powerful ride, surging forward with innovation and a sharp focus on the player experience. For years, the industry’s evolution was defined by familiar IPs getting better graphics and gameplay. At Google Cloud, we believe we’re on the cusp of something far more radical — a shift on the scale of the transition from cartridges to CD-ROMs, or 2D to 3D graphics. This new era is defined by the rise of "living games," a new form of dynamic, ever-evolving experiences powered by AI that captivate players for years. 

With the global market for games surpassing $180 billion in 2024, this fundamental shift in how games are developed, played, and experienced creates an entirely new opportunity for the industry. A big part of what’s driving this shift is the transformative power of cloud computing and AI, and many cutting-edge developers and startups are already ...