From September 20th to September 23rd, the "Tencent Games Youdianling · Hunan Malanshan Group AI Game Training Camp" was held in Changsha, Hunan. Co-hosted by Tencent Games' self-developed AI game creation platform "Youdianling" and Hunan Malanshan Group, this event marked the first public appearance of the platform since its official renaming from "Code Name: Craft" to "Youdianling."
During the training camp, developers from various fields gathered at Malanshan, using natural language interaction as a starting point to create games with AI. The resulting works spanned multiple genres, showcasing ingenuity in both gameplay design and artistic presentation. Many developers with zero prior experience completed playable game prototypes within just two days.
At the opening ceremony, Ding Cheng, Party Secretary and Chairman of Hunan Malanshan Group Co., Ltd., stated that competition in the game industry ultimately boils down to creativity and talent. Turning a game idea from inspiration into a playable version used to require overcoming multiple hurdles in planning, art, and programming, but AIGC is dismantling these barriers. He also mentioned that Malanshan will rely on special support policies for animation and games to continuously provide project support, resource matching, and incubation acceleration, expanding cooperation with Tencent Games in areas such as talent cultivation, joint R&D, and industrial ecosystem building.
Zhang Jian, General Manager of Tencent Games' Domestic Publishing Ecosystem, also mentioned that Malanshan has recently focused on the integrated development of artificial intelligence and the digital content industry, actively promoting the growth of new creative entities such as AI projects and OPCs. This aligns closely with "Youdianling's" exploration direction in AI and digital content. The changes brought by AI are not just about making existing production tools more efficient; more importantly, they are empowering more people with new creative capabilities.
In addition to the training camp activities, the platform has officially launched a small-scale online test. Developers can sign up for the experience via the official "Youdianling" WeChat account.
Continuous iteration of product capabilities expands the imaginative space for AI game creation
Generating games through natural language to lower the barrier to entry, allowing developers to focus more on gameplay design, content creativity, and experience refinement, is the direction "Youdianling" continues to explore. At the training camp, this process of going "from idea to game" was demonstrated in real-time.
For developers encountering AI game creation tools for the first time, this experience is particularly intuitive. "At first, I only gave a very simple command, and it produced a decent-looking game," said a gaming enthusiast with zero prior experience. In the past, making games seemed like an unattainable goal, but now, even without programming or art skills, one can share their ideas with AI and gradually build upon them to create a game.
Lowering the barrier to game creation is not just about enabling non-programmers to make games; more importantly, it allows developers to turn a creative concept into a verifiable game prototype faster.
Some developers noted that AI tools can help quickly filter and validate ideas, allowing them to generate individual game prototypes first and then decide whether to invest more time in refinement based on actual experience. For game development, which requires repeated trial and error, this reduces the cost of turning ideas into prototypes, meaning developers can find directions worth polishing more quickly. When developers present new requirements, AI can interact based on context, transforming creation from a one-time generation into a continuous iterative process.
Currently, "Youdianling" supports game creation across multiple categories, including 2D and 3D. Its cloud-based premium asset library has expanded to over 40,000 items. Combined with full-chain AIGC capabilities, it covers the complete creation workflow from ideation and development to debugging and release.
The training camp also saw the emergence of many excellent game works, covering genres such as racing, simulation, tower defense, and casual games, with distinct differences in gameplay, themes, and visual expression. These works demonstrate that AI is opening up new imaginative spaces for game creation.
Exploring new paths for talent cultivation to co-build a creator ecosystem in the AI era
AI lowers the technical barriers to realizing creativity, but what truly determines the direction of a work remains the developer's thinking regarding gameplay, content, and experience.
The "Tencent Games Youdianling · Hunan Malanshan Group AI Game Training Camp" was a practical exercise in bringing AI game creation tools into real-world development scenarios. Leveraging Malanshan's foundation in the digital content industry and its open innovation ecosystem, AI game creation has the opportunity to further integrate into actual industrial contexts. This provides young developers with more space for practice and offers new pathways for cultivating AI digital content talent and incubating projects, fostering a tighter connection between technology, talent, and industry.
In the future, "Youdianling" will continue to optimize its product capabilities and provide developers with more opportunities for practice, exchange, and showcase through developer events, collaborative tournaments, and other initiatives. Additionally, "Youdianling" will take this training camp as a starting point to deepen cooperation with Malanshan Group, jointly exploring the construction of a talent ecosystem for AI game creation.
Currently, recruitment for relevant tests of "Youdianling" is ongoing. Developers can follow the official "Youdianling" WeChat account to make reservations. The "Youdianling" team is also continuously recruiting talent in development, planning, product management, and art. Recruitment information is also available through the WeChat account.