S&box Penalizes AI Thumbnails, Updates Review System
The policy directly confronts the homogenizing effect of generative AI on user-created content platforms, a problem the developer says makes everything look the same.
Reporting from 1 sources: GameBusiness.jp.
Facepunch Studios announced that s&box, the spiritual successor to Garry's Mod, will penalize AI-generated thumbnails and lower rankings for games that look like common low-quality products. The update also adds ratings, tags, an upscaler, and an open mic option, while addressing Mixed Steam reviews and the developer's stance on AI content.
Facepunch Studios is taking a hard line on AI-generated thumbnails in s&box, the Garry's Mod spiritual successor that launched on Steam in late April. Moderators can now flag thumbnails as AI-made, reducing their visibility in lists and search results. The developer acknowledged the desire to use AI but said overuse has the major drawback of making everything look the same, and that it does not intend to encourage making half-baked garbage games.
The update also overhauls the review system with ratings and tags, adds an upscaler, and includes an open mic option in sound settings. Facepunch addressed the game's Mixed Steam reviews directly, calling them painful but explaining that comparisons to Garry's Mod are a matter of expectations and preferences, and that Workshop integration is under consideration.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.