Humanity, we've had a good run. Time to pat ourselves on the pack, take a bow and lap up the applause before shuffling off stage right so machines can take their turn in the spotlight.

The Restaurant Game is a research project at the MIT Media Lab that will algorithmically combine the gameplay experiences of thousands of players to create a new game. In a few months, we will apply machine learning algorithms to data collected through the multiplayer Restaurant Game, and produce a new single-player game that we will enter into the 2008 Independent Games Festival.

This single-player game might sound like a great idea now, but it can't be bargained with, it can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity or remorse or fear, and it absolutely will not stop - ever - until we are dead.

In case it does stop, though, and is happy programming indy games, this is super cool. Might put a lot of people out of work (EA worker bees: BE AFRAID) if it works, but that doesn't make it any less intriguing of a project.

If you'd like to help out the Restaurant Game by contributing playthrough data to it (and get your name in the credits as a designer while you're at it), hit the link below. Luke Plunkett

The Restaurant Game [Jeff Orkin]

Send an email to the author of this post at plunkett@kotaku.com.