You might want o have a look at OOlite - the freelance effort to create a new Elite - it shows that with a good use of state machines even a single programmer can make games with good AI.
Ausraider, concerning your comments about graphics, i should note that I dont understand why I should believe that game logic / AI is left out nowadays because it is hard. I actually think that doing graphics is much harder. While I personally could certainly improve most graphic intense games with much better game logic, and without overworking myself, I found that making programs with 3D graphics is tedious - I spend way too much time with try and error (mostly to check how something looks) - until in the end I could puke when I look at my program, because I cant stand it anymore.
So I am not sure if I understand the loathness to write good AI/game logic, maybe they just hire the wrong people, or maybe they are really telling them that making a game deep is "bad".
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