‘Starcraft II’ Latest Features, Additions & Update: Blizzard Collaborates With Google’s DeepMind To Produce A Starcraft II-Based AI Research Platform

Google's scientific AI research arm DeepMind will be making use of Blizzard's "Starcraft II" as a testing platform for Artificial Intelligence and machine learning research. Google and Blizzard will be working hand in hand to work within the "Starcraft II" game so that artificial intelligence users worldwide would have something to use.

ZDNet reports that this announcement was made during Blizzard's BlizzcCon big event, which took place in Anaheim, California just last Sunday. While it is primarily for both companies to use, the "Starcraft II" testing platform is open to anyone across the globe when it hits full bloom in 2017.

"Starcraft II" Latest News: DeepMind Recognizes Game As The Perfect Model For Artificial Intelligence

In its official blog, DeepMind reveals that they have been working closely with the team behind "Starcraft II" to develop an API that will support something similar to previous bots that were made with a scripted interface. This will then allow programmable control of each unit and full access to the game with some new options in the game.

It is also revealed there that "Starcraft II" players will ultimately be playing from pixels so to get them there, they have developed an image interface that will show a low resolution image data for map and mini-map. DeepMind also recognizes the status of "Starcraft" as the pinnacle of 1 on 1 competitive games and that it is one of the best PC games of all time.

They also give praises to Blizzard with the longevity of "Starcraft" in the competitive gaming industry as a testament of their continuous effort to balance and refine their games as the years go by. As "Starcraft II" is a continuation of the tradition of excellence that Blizzard has showcased throughout the years, this could be one of the best platforms for AI developers worldwide for research.

"Starcraft II" Latest News: DeepMind Also Developing Memory Training Neural Tech

Previously, DeepMind had used early retro 2D games on Atari and some complex games, such as GO, to test their AI system. This time, however, they chose "Starcraft" for its conduciveness in being a platform for AI research.

This is since many different players would behave differently from choosing one of three different races to farming minerals, hording troops and more in "Starcraft II". Other recent developments by DeepMind include a differential neural computer that trains its memory through a process as it compares its own answers with the correct ones and a human-like text-to-speech system.