Robert Zubek

The topic of artificial intelligence for computer games has been catching the attention of developers, academics, and game enthusiast alike. However, the idea of 'game AI' is very broad, covering a wide range of topics, from pathfinding and navigation to scripting actions and events, to developing storylines and interactive storytelling.

The following is my modest list of resources for those interested in this flavor of AI.

Local Resources

Interactive Entertainment Group at Northwestern
Some game AI publications by yours truly

AAAI Meetings

2004 Workshop on Challenges in Game AI (co-located with AAAI-04)
2002 Spring Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Entertainment
2001 Spring Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Entertainment
2000 Spring Symposium on Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Entertainment
1999 Fall Symposium on Narrative Intelligence
1999 Spring Symposium on Artificial Intelligence in Computer Games

Conferences

AAAI Conference is an annual conference organized by the American Association for Artificial Intelligence, and it attracts mainly researchers, from both academia and industry. There are usually several talks and papers presented on computer entertainment AI of different forms.
Computer Game Developers' Conference (GDC) is an annual conference for the game industry, and it usually includes discussion sections on game AI.
AI Roundtables have become a standard feature of every year's GDC - and the moderators' reports paint a fascinating picture of the changing involvement of AI in game development:
- 2003 GDC: Dybsand, Kirby
- 2003 GDC: Woodcock
- 2002 GDC: Dybsand, Kirby , Woodcock
- 2001 GDC: Kirby, Woodcock
- 2000 GDC: Kirby, Woodcock
- 1999 GDC: Woodcock
- 1998 GDC: Dybsand, Kirby, Woodcock
- 1997 GDC: Dybsand, Kirby, Woodcock

Articles

Craig Reynold's immense collection of papers on game research and technology
Immensely enjoyable "Game AI: State of the Industry" articles from the Game Developer Magazine:
- 2000 part 1 (Woodcock) and part 2 (Pottinger and Laird)
- 1999 (Woodcock)
- 1998 (Woodcock)
Computer Games Magazine's overview of the history of online worlds: the past, the present (i.e. July 2001), and the future. Also, check out an interview with Raph Koster.
Behavioral Game Design by John Hopson.
Adapting the Tools of Drama to Interactive Storytelling by Randy Littlejohn.

Books

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach by Russell and Norvig. An very approachable and vastly popular AI textbook. Does not address video game AI in particular, but is an excellent introduction to this huge area of computer science.
Game Programming Gems, edited by Mark DeLoura. As the title suggests, a collection of info tidbits on different aspects of game programming. The gems are especially illuminating in showing what flavor of AI is actually used in the industry.