Following the recent “Level-5 Vision” presentation, which featured announcements for Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Remake), Yo-Kai Watch 2: Haunted Domain, and the new project DecaPolice, a wave of criticism ensued. Fans took to social media, pointing out numerous inconsistencies in the trailer images, typical of generative AI. Now, studio head Akihiro Hino has publicly confirmed that AI was indeed used in parts of the presentation—and has apologized for it.
What Exactly Did Level-5 Create with AI?
According to Hino, the AI was exclusively used for the “preparation” of the presentation itself, not for the actual game content: “It happened solely out of a desire to make the presentation more impressive, that we incorporated a process that also served as an experiment with current AI,” he explained. Hino stated that the core creative elements of the games themselves – scenario, character design, and fundamental concepts – still originated entirely from human developers. Nevertheless, he explicitly apologized for the impression left on the fanbase: “It seems that some people felt uncomfortable because of this, and for that, I sincerely apologize.”
How Is the Community Reacting to the Apology?
The reactions to Hino's statements are far from conciliatory: numerous fans, particularly from the long-standing Professor Layton community, consider the explanation insufficient because it doesn't fundamentally question the use of AI, but rather portrays it as an unfortunate side effect. Level-5 itself has since affirmed that it intends to take the incident “as a lesson,” but at the same time, it remains committed to the fundamental experimentation with AI tools—a phrasing that many commentators interpret more as a continuation than a course correction.
From our perspective, this case serves as an exemplary illustration of how quickly AI accusations can overshadow entire reveals: instead of discussing the return of Professor Layton, the community is talking almost exclusively about image artifacts and studio communication. For a studio with Level-5's nostalgic standing, this is a significant blow to its image, even if the actual game content, as asserted, truly originated entirely from human hands.
Does the use of AI in announcement trailers bother you, or is it a minor detail as long as the finished game is good? Discuss with us.
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