Friday, January 07, 2005
Definition of AAA game titles
I don't know why I am wasting my time on this.
But I am still provoked by the fact that nobody really knows what this Absurd-Alcohol-Allergy is about. What does tripple-A mean (in game related contexts) and what does it stand for? Well... 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.
There are numerous and similar definitions floating around on the net. 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?
Anyway. I found an insightful article from 1998, which also discusses this matter:
"...Presently, in 1998 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 wont 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 thats 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 folmann @ Friday, January 07, 2005