Party Animals review bombed after announcing AI video contest with $15K grand prize
Dexerto • • technology
Key Points:
- Party Animals announced an AI video contest called the "Golden Paw Awards," requiring entries to use Generative AI tools, with a $75,000 prize pool and submissions accepted from May 14 to August 31.
- The contest sparked immediate backlash from players, leading to review bombing on Steam and mass uninstalls, with critics accusing the game of "pushing generative AI" and being out of touch with its community.
- In response, the developers apologized for poor communication and explained that AI was included to lower creative barriers for participants unfamiliar with traditional editing tools.
- To address concerns, Party Animals introduced a fan vote allowing players to decide whether to cancel the contest, convert it to a non-AI competition, or add a separate handmade category alongside the AI contest.
- The voting poll is available on the game's official X profile, and the developers have invited further feedback from the community to guide the contest's future.