AAA
I'm gonna waste my time on this, but I found some interesting info that I thought some of you might find pretty cool. So please bare with me. Okay, if any of you follow gaming news which i'm sure none of you don't (Save for probably neto), you might have heard the term "AAA game" being tossed around a few times. What is a AAA game? Assasin's creed is considered a AAA game, as is Halo. My most qualified guess is that the term "AAA" was invented by producers and/or publishers. Its the equivalent of Super-MEGA-sized burger meals or XXX porn movies. More is more and bigger is better. Its that simple. Though I am still positive that the first real XXX games will end up being AAA games as well. But thank God I am not the only one speculating about this.
Basically "AAA" refers to very large and expensive production titles, which include a highly productive PR/marketing apparatus. Several companies are now referring to their titles as having "AAA" potential, which is basically just to hype it up. In my opinion "AAA" is only something which makes sense after release, reviews and sales records. Or maybe it would be more easy to say that the definition of "AAA" is something that has sold at least a million copies? I don't know.
I found this insightful article from 1998 that dwelled into the subject matter a bit as well.
"...Presently, you have basically three types of games: AAA, A, and B games.
AAA game means games that have almost unlimited budgets and are media events. Blizzard is the AAA game company these days. They won’t release anything that doesnt fall under AAA.
They killed Warcraft Adventures not because it was a bad game but because it would have been only an "A" rated game. AAA, A, and B level games have nothing to do with how good the game is. If I wrote the worlds greatest space invaders clone today and even if it had great graphics, great sound, and was totally rock solid, it would still be a B class game. Only a handful of games each year make it out as AAA because the bar is so high to be a AAA game. It costs millions of dollars to create a AAA game. My personal favorite game, Total Annihilation, barely makes it out as a AAA game because it didnt have full motion video through out, the units didnt talk. Its a AAA game still but just barely. So even the best and funnest games may not be AAA games. Starcraft is a great example of a AAA game and Ill use it because its also an excellent game.
Games like Entrepreneur, Panzer General and Warlords III would be great examples of A games. They may be as fun or even funner than AAA games but dont have the budgets behind them of a Starcraft. No full motion video between every level, they are about the game, not the game and experience.
Deer Hunter is a great example of a B class game in quality. Cheap to make. And where Deer Hunter changed the world was in discovering that a B level game can now make as much money, if not more than a AAA game. And believe me, the game designers of AAA game companies are probably sweating a bit about Deer Hunter. Because corporations are about profit and if they can make more money cranking out B titles they will. But that’s for another discussion entirely.
Historically, AAA, A, and B games represented how much money youd put in and get back. A AAA game may cost a ton to create but they bring back the big bucks. They are the games of the year, they are the 2 million plus unit sellers. Myst, Dialbo, and Starcraft, these are AAA games..."
Basically "AAA" refers to very large and expensive production titles, which include a highly productive PR/marketing apparatus. Several companies are now referring to their titles as having "AAA" potential, which is basically just to hype it up. In my opinion "AAA" is only something which makes sense after release, reviews and sales records. Or maybe it would be more easy to say that the definition of "AAA" is something that has sold at least a million copies? I don't know.
I found this insightful article from 1998 that dwelled into the subject matter a bit as well.
"...Presently, you have basically three types of games: AAA, A, and B games.
AAA game means games that have almost unlimited budgets and are media events. Blizzard is the AAA game company these days. They won’t release anything that doesnt fall under AAA.
They killed Warcraft Adventures not because it was a bad game but because it would have been only an "A" rated game. AAA, A, and B level games have nothing to do with how good the game is. If I wrote the worlds greatest space invaders clone today and even if it had great graphics, great sound, and was totally rock solid, it would still be a B class game. Only a handful of games each year make it out as AAA because the bar is so high to be a AAA game. It costs millions of dollars to create a AAA game. My personal favorite game, Total Annihilation, barely makes it out as a AAA game because it didnt have full motion video through out, the units didnt talk. Its a AAA game still but just barely. So even the best and funnest games may not be AAA games. Starcraft is a great example of a AAA game and Ill use it because its also an excellent game.
Games like Entrepreneur, Panzer General and Warlords III would be great examples of A games. They may be as fun or even funner than AAA games but dont have the budgets behind them of a Starcraft. No full motion video between every level, they are about the game, not the game and experience.
Deer Hunter is a great example of a B class game in quality. Cheap to make. And where Deer Hunter changed the world was in discovering that a B level game can now make as much money, if not more than a AAA game. And believe me, the game designers of AAA game companies are probably sweating a bit about Deer Hunter. Because corporations are about profit and if they can make more money cranking out B titles they will. But that’s for another discussion entirely.
Historically, AAA, A, and B games represented how much money youd put in and get back. A AAA game may cost a ton to create but they bring back the big bucks. They are the games of the year, they are the 2 million plus unit sellers. Myst, Dialbo, and Starcraft, these are AAA games..."
posted by ingenium at 3:31 PM
4 Comments:
Rennie,
Nice post. I don't really pay attention (without knowing it) to AAA vs. A vs. B games but it does have an effect on what I find more interesting. In the long run, though, I'm a little worried about what this will do to gaming. Will our games become bloated, filled with expensive effects and amazing sound rather than involve us in a thrilling storyline with engaging gameplay? Will games, in essence, turn into our high budget films, lacking in any redeeming quality but hyped up so much just to get their money back after a good opening weekend?
Also, it says 3:31 PM as your post date. Are you posting from work? Cuz I am.
Joeeey,
thanks, and yes i post during work sometimes, mostly all the time, i get some free time on occasion and its no big deal.
I don't believe AAA games are judged on how much is spent on them, rather than how much they sell.
AAA games are classed as that because they are the best of their genre.
It sounds obvious, but any development company really has to aiming to produce AAA games. Because of the Superstar Effect the additional takings from a AAA game, compared to an A or B game are considerable.
whoever you are, my friend, I'm gonna have to disagree with you there. Games like Assassin's Creed and Halo 3 were already being called AAA long before they even came out; yet they aren't always "The best of their Genre". At least it depends on who you ask. Halo 3 in mine and half the video game world's population's opinion, is nothing compared to games like Bioshock and Call of Duty 4. Although I think your and my theories are similar; for example, you and I both believe that this "AAA" title is more of a title given by publishers and journalists to improve hype and sell more. I disagree on the fact that AAA games are given considerably more funding than A & B, and they[the video game] are given this title in advance.
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