Jake Solomon’s determination to maneuver from making a number of the greatest technique video games ever to an formidable life sim was a perplexing however thrilling one. Spinning up a brand new studio, Midsummer, he pitched it as “a life sim that actually tries to raise the alternatives the participant makes of their life” when he spoke to us again in 2024. Impressed by The Sims, this is able to open up a good wider narrative sandbox than Maxis’ iconic collection. Nevertheless, the previous XCOM and Civilization developer has confirmed that Midsummer is closing its doorways, and that the brand new recreation (titled Burbank) won’t ever see the sunshine of day. As a parting reward, he is shared a primary have a look at what the sport might’ve been, and the most important shock is that its narrative and dialog is AI-powered.
Burbank at all times appeared like an intriguing prospect. A life sim set in a small city, with interconnected characters and a player-driven strategy to how the narrative pans out and the way relationships develop. In that aforementioned interview with Solomon, he instructed us the purpose was to create “emergent drama” – it undoubtedly sounded extra zoomed in and narrative-focused than one thing like The Sims or Inzoi. I definitely thought on the time that, if Midsummer might really create that stage of narrative depth and freedom, it might have the potential to be top-of-the-line life video games of latest occasions. Nevertheless, we’ll sadly by no means get to play it.
“We constructed a studio, we made a recreation, and I am actually happy with each,” the previous XCOM artistic director says in a put up on X. “Earlier than we shut the doorways at Midsummer Studios I would wish to share a glimpse of Burbank, the sport we poured our hearts into. It is like ‘life sims + The Truman Present,’ however it’s greater than that. I imagine individuals are storytellers, and I would like them to share no matter tales and characters they will dream up. Burbank helps you to try this. We’ve got moments taking part in this recreation the place characters come alive in a method we have by no means skilled. And for an previous recreation developer like me that is particular.”
Solomon additionally shares “pre-alpha” footage of the sport, which exhibits how one can create sitcom-like eventualities with a customizable forged. You may power completely different kinds of interactions between the characters – you’ll be able to, for instance, command one particular person to interact with one other in a humorous or confrontational method, and an acceptable interplay will then observe. As your forged ranges up, they achieve new skills like audience-pleasing catchphrases. Over time, you may unlock new settings and characters in Burbank’s city you could direct.
We constructed a studio, we made a recreation, and I am actually happy with each. Earlier than we shut the doorways at Midsummer Studios I would wish to share a glimpse of Burbank, the sport we poured our hearts into.
It is like “Life Sims + The Truman Present,” however it’s greater than that. I imagine individuals are… pic.twitter.com/RuYvDhdEZO
– Jake Solomon (@SolomonJake) February 19, 2026
Nevertheless, it rapidly turns into clear that the conversations and dialog are being partly or wholly AI-generated. For instance, a characteristic helps you to dig deeper into a personality’s backstory by typing in no matter immediate you need, they usually’ll reply with an acceptable reply.
Replying to his preliminary assertion about Midsummer’s closure, Solomon confirms this, however assures that Burbank’s artwork is not AI-generated.
“Our characters use AI for reminiscence, reasoning and speech. That is what helps you to create anybody you need and drop them in any story you write. However all of our artwork is created by our gifted artists. We had no real interest in changing any builders with AI.”
That is shocking for a few causes. Firstly, using AI was by no means beforehand disclosed by Solomon – in a Bloomberg interview in 2024, he stated: “We’ve got checked out it. I feel each developer has checked out AI. It is fascinating – you have a look at it with some pleasure and a few horror. I am certain it would turn out to be part of video games, however I feel it stays to be seen if it turns into as ubiquitous as multiplayer. I do not assume all video games could have it. Anyone afraid of AI taking up the world has not labored with it a lot each day.”
Whereas different video games have used AI in comparable methods to energy dialog, with a latest and notable instance being the free-to-play The place Winds Meet, I feel it is a bit disappointing to comprehend it was being utilized in Burbank given the main focus was on high quality storytelling. I sympathize to an extent, as AI is the one reasonably priced method to get the breadth of narrative prospects Midsummer wished. However, as video games utilizing comparable AI-voiced or written characters have discovered, the standard of these interactions usually suffers.
The second shock is that Midsummer is shutting down in any respect. After all, studios are slicing again and shutting left, proper, and heart in the meanwhile, and discovering monetary backing is extraordinarily arduous proper now. But when something goes to catch the attention of buyers, certainly it is AI integration? The studio was solely shaped two years in the past, and managed to safe an preliminary $6 million in enterprise capital to assist construct Burbank, based on that Bloomberg report.
