Youve probably come across the term NPC quite a bit.
Lets chat about that.
But heres where it gets interesting: NPC is also slang now.
Vlada Komar
Have you ever heard of the NPC Wojak meme?
Its a big thing on the internet, symbolizing someone not thinking for themselves.
Then theres TikTok, where creators like Pinkydoll have taken this idea and run with it.
NPC in Cyberpunk 2077
They do live streams acting like NPCs, repeating phrases and actions based on viewer interactions.
Free Guy is a perfect example.
Its all about an NPC who becomes self-aware.
This film shows how the concept of NPCs has moved beyond gaming into pop culture.
So lets look into it.
What does NPC mean?
In a nutshell, NPCs are non-playable characters in games.
These guys are like the actual residents of the game world, except you cant control them.
Think of them as neighbors in the area, each with their own story and personality.
Remember the merchant in Skyrim?
Or how about themysterious strangerin Red Dead Redemption 2?
But theyre not just standing still with blank expressions.
They might offer you a quest, tell a story, or even provide crucial information.
The most exciting thing about NPCs is how theyve evolved.
In old games, they were often simple and predictable.
But today, thanks to advanced AI and complex scripting, NPCs can be incredibly complex and profound.
They can remember your actions, change their attitude towards you, and even help you solve puzzles.
Think about talking to a game character who remembers what you said last time.
Its pretty much like talking to a natural person, right?
What is an NPC in slang?
When people use NPC outside of gaming, they often joke about someone who doesnt think independently.
Its their way of saying, Youre just repeating what everyone else is saying.
Theres also this meme called NPC Wojak.
Its a grey-faced cartoon character used to represent someone who seems to lack original ideas.
Youll find this meme all over social media.
Butusing NPC in this way isnt always kind.
Sometimes, its used to dismiss someones thoughts, suggesting theyre not thinking for themselves.
Its a quick way to invalidate someones opinion because theyre just going along with the crowd.
But just like anything else online, we must consider how we use these words, right?
What does NPC mean on TikTok?
Okay, lets discuss a wild trend in NPC acting on TikTok.
Some creators have started doing live streams where they act like NPCs.
Theres this Canadian TikToker namedPinkydoll.
Shes super popular in this NPC streaming world, with over 1.7 million followers on TikTok.
Shes making thousands of dollars a day from it!
When viewers send her gifts, she reacts to them in her NPC character.
She repeats the same actions and phrases repeatedly, just like characters in games who follow a script.
Its pretty cool how these video game characters have jumped out of the screen and into other media.
Take the movie Free Guy, for example.
Its about a guy named Guy, whos a character in a video game.
Hes played by Ryan Reynolds, whos pretty funny in this role.
Guys just an ordinary guy, living his life, doing the same things every day.
But then, one day, he discovers hes actually in a video game.
Hes not a player but an NPC.
Once Guy realizes this, things get interesting.
He starts making his own choices and doing things that arent in his programming.
Instead of just being part of the games background, Guy becomes the main character.
And its not just Free Guy.
Other shows and movies also feature background characters, like NPCs, starting to play more prominent roles.
Future of NPC
NPCsve changed a lot over time, right?
Take the NPCs in GTA San Andreas, for example.
It made the game world feel alive.
Now, lets fast forward to modern games like Baldurs Gate 3.
NPCs have evolved a lot in these games.
Theyre not just background characters anymore.
In Baldurs Gate 3, NPCs can build relationships with you, the player.
What you do and how you interact with them can change the storys direction.
This kind of complexity and interaction was just a dream in the early days of gaming.
At the CES 2024, NVIDIA blew everyones mind with what might be coming soon.
Theyve expanded their Ace microservice, a powerful toolkit for creating NPCs.
This development is a huge step towards more exciting and interactive gaming worlds.
Picture this: Youre playing a game and entering a virtual bar.
You meet an NPC bartender entirely created by computer algorithms.
This character is far more advanced than any NPC youve encountered before.
Instead of just giving pre-recorded responses, the bartender listens to what you say and responds organically.
The bartender can give you a virtual drink.
They move and talk like real people, responding to what you do and say right away.
The games AI understands how people talk and act, making it realistic.
