Key Takeaways
1. Pearl Abyss confirmed that their game, Crimson Desert, includes AI-generated images, although most artwork is human-created.
2. A player sought a refund after playing for four hours, but Valve denied the request due to exceeding the two-hour refund policy.
3. The player argued that a notice about AI usage should have been disclosed before the game’s release, potentially affecting sales.
4. Community reactions were mixed, with some players feeling AI images did not impact enjoyment, while others supported the player’s refund request.
5. Valve evaluates refund requests on a case-by-case basis, with some players successfully receiving refunds for other games that used generative AI without prior disclosure.
Pearl Abyss has confirmed what many suspected: their open-world game contains AI-generated images. The artwork featured in the game is primarily created by humans. This information, however, only came to light after the release date of Crimson Desert. One player, who opposes the use of AI tools in gaming, sought a refund through Steam. The platform denied the request, leading to discussions about how they should manage such situations.
Refund Request Denied
A user on Reddit, known as Extra_Lingonberry_79, asked for a refund after playing for four hours. Valve responded, stating that the gameplay exceeded the two-hour limit set by their policies. The player was frustrated because support said that a disclosure about generative AI was available on the Crimson Desert Steam page.
The player argues that if buyers had seen the notice prior to the game’s launch, it might have resulted in fewer sales. The platform mandates that publishers must disclose any use of generative AI in their products, which includes artwork, character models, and voiceovers.
Community Reactions
Unfortunately for Extra_Lingonberry_79, many Reddit users did not sympathize with their situation. They highlighted that Pearl Abyss only released the game with a small number of temporary images. The developer admits they could not replace these assets before the Steam release and plans to fix the issue through updates.
While many players believe that the AI images do not detract from the enjoyment of Crimson Desert, user barnabyjones1990 argues that there is a “very reasonable justification to ask for a refund.” Some critics worry that if Valve does not take action, game developers might disregard the policy entirely.
Looking at Success Stories
In this case, Steam refunds may be uncommon, but there have been instances where players were successful with other games. For example, a player known as Bricky received a refund for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, despite finishing the campaign. Activision had failed to mention that generative AI tools were used to create some calling cards and emblems.
It seems that Valve will evaluate these refund requests individually. Players might need to persuade support that the current version of Crimson Desert on Steam significantly differs from its original description.
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