Panic says the Playdate Catalog won't accept games made with generative AI
Source: Engadget
Policy Announcement
Panic, the company behind the Playdate console, has published an AI disclosure stating that, as of this month, the Playdate Catalog will no longer accept titles that use “Generative AI” for art, audio, music, text, or dialog.
Developers are still allowed to use AI assistance for coding, but Panic will flag any title and specify the extent of AI use (e.g., “Lua debugging”) so customers can decide whether to support it.
Season Three Context
The announcement comes a day after Panic revealed that Playdate Season Three is scheduled for later this year.
- Each Playdate purchase includes a “season” of games: 24 titles in total, with two revealed each week.
- Season Two, released last year, featured 12 games; one of those used generative AI for writing and coding (as noted by Game Developer).
On Bluesky, a user asked whether Panic would disclose which Season Three games used AI. Panic confirmed that developers must not use AI for art, music, writing, or coding in Season Three.
Specific Restrictions
Panic’s guidelines prohibit the use of:
- Large language models such as ChatGPT or Google Gemini
- AI image generators like Stable Diffusion
- Audio generators such as MuseNet and Suno
Previously approved games that employed generative AI may remain in the catalog, provided they carry a disclosure indicating the exact AI usage. Panic notes that these guidelines are under constant discussion and may change at any time.
Impact and Workarounds
While the new policy clarifies what is allowed on the official Playdate Catalog, it’s still possible to sideload games onto a Playdate. Developers who wish to use generative AI can do so, but they will face greater challenges in distribution and discovery for Playdate owners.
This article originally appeared on Engadget:
https://www.engadget.com/gaming/panic-says-the-playdate-catalog-wont-accept-games-made-with-generative-ai-160615022.html?src=rss