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Intelligent games allow changing formats

SAN FRANCISCO (Wired) - When shopping for computer versions of board games, why choose one game, when you can have ... a zillion? Zillions Development Corporation, makers of the newly released Zillions of Games can't think of a reason. 

The Zillions package is a framework into which rules for individual games can be adapted. Its artificial intelligence engine is designed to be a strong opponent in all games, not just one. 

While the 292 plug-in games and puzzles shipped with the software are a far cry from a zillion, the company hopes that the framework will encourage users to create new games, as well as to download others from the company Web site. 

``We hope to make programs like ChessMaster obsolete,'' says the inventor of the software, 33-year-old Jeff Mallett. ``Is a consumer really going to be excited about a chess program that beats them 99.999 percent of the time instead of 99.99 percent? 

``Of course not. Much more to the point is what do you do when you're tired of chess? We have a product that can teach you a new game every day of the year,'' said Mallett. ``That's exciting.'' 

For the most part, the plug-in games are a slew of variations on some familiar old board games: chess, checkers, and goh. Tafl fans will be relieved to know that both Tawlbrydd and Tawlbrydd II are included, and who knew tic-tac-toe could inspire so much variation? 

So far, the company Web site has two additional games to download, as well as a standing invitation for players to send in games for sharing. Mallet says the AI engine should be able to beat players at any new games thrown its way. 

Imagine inventing a game and then being humiliated at playing it. 

Mallet, who has a background developing award-winning chess programming, believes that building an opponent engine that can play many games is a significant advance for computer gaming. 

``We've already passed the chess test with flying colors-Deep Blue's moves are as grandmasterly as any grandmaster's-but what we've found is that mastery of a single, limited domain is a far cry from human intelligence,'' he says. ''So the question arises: what next?'' 

Mallet insists that simply offering additional games is not so interesting, when AI designers could make a jump to something much broader. Modeling a well-rounded game player (as Zillions does) Mallet says, is ``a much more fundamental step to human intelligence than any victory by a Deep Blue.'' 

Those interested in learning and developing the thousand versions of checkers will need an online connection. While Zillions of Games is not in stores yet, and a FAQ on the Web site explains that it may never be, it is being sold on the company's site. The going price is US 29.95.

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