Take-Twois targetting the modding community yet again, this time reportedly shutting down aGrand Theft Auto 5mod that adds AI voice-acting to NPCs. The modder has hit back, saying this action was taken with no explanation, and even attackingRockstarover itsrecent remakes and re-releases.
Speaking in a YouTube community post, the modder, Bloc, tells Rockstar to “focus on creating proper remakes with better pricing policy”, in reference to thefull-price Red Dead Redemption re-release. They say that the copyright strike has not only removed the mod from Nexus, but has also forced a video on the mod to be taken down too. Bloc says this has put their YouTube channel at risk, stopping them from monetising other videos.
Related:Why Is Rockstar So Committed To Doing The Bare Minimum For Its Old Games?
“Yesterday, Take-Two Interactive hit my channel with [a] copyright strike about my video on [my] GTA 5 mod,“says Bloc. “YouTube removed the video immediately without giving [me] any chance to explain myself. No one from Take-Two Interactive contacted and ask[ed] me anything prior to this, they just took down the video out of nowhere.
“I am a single modder who does this in my free time for fun, so I don’t have the resources to legally defend myself in this situation […] Rather than chasing small mods, perhaps they should focus on creating proper remakes with better pricing policy or should stopremoving cars from Onlineto sell same cars to people.”
Following this statement, the mod is still offline, as is the video Bloc made to showcase it. It is, however, still available to watch on Twitter.
Using AI to write and voice dialogue is, of course, a controversial topic right now. Particularly as many writers and actors are on strike, partly to secure their own rights as big studios turn to AI. In this instance, Bloc is just an individual making mods for free. In the description of one of their AI showcases, they are also quick to praise the work of the original writers who created the games and their characters in the first place.
However, actors we have spoken to in the past have stillexpressed discomfort with AI mods such as this. This is especially the case if it is their voice being made to read lines they never recorded, since in the wrong hands, it wouldn’t just replace their work, but potentially misrepresent their views.
In any case, it’s not clear what Take-Two’s motivation was here. Given its previous hostile stance toward its modding communities, it’s unlikely that the company was motivated by concern for actors and writers.
