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[Lunatic_Gamer]

The article from GamesRadar+ highlights the perspective of various AAA game developers on the term "AAA" within the gaming industry.

Here's a summary by Grok 2:

- **Criticism of the Term "AAA"**: Developers like Charles Cecil of Revolution Studios express disdain for the term "AAA," calling it "stupid" and "meaningless." Cecil reminisces about an era when the term was used to denote high-budget games but has since lost its significance due to industry changes not necessarily for the better.

- **Origins and Misuse**: The term "AAA" originally comes from the credit industry to denote the safest investment opportunities but has been adopted in games to indicate high-budget, high-expectation titles. However, the term's use has been criticized for focusing too much on financial success rather than the quality or creativity of the game.

- **Industry Impact**: The term has influenced game development, particularly in how games are marketed and perceived by players. There's a noted shift where developers speak to fans using industry jargon, creating a false sense of expertise among players.

- **Evolution of the Term**: Over time, terms like "quadruple-A" have emerged in an attempt to differentiate or escalate the status of certain games, further muddying the waters of what AAA means. Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, for instance, used "quadruple-A" to describe "Skull and Bones," which was met with skepticism.

- **Developer Perspectives**: Several developers, including Alex Hutchinson (formerly of Ubisoft) and Kish Hirani (formerly PlayStation's head of developer services), discuss how the term was an attempt to differentiate from movies by focusing on financial investment rather than adopting terms like "blockbuster." They argue that this reflects a young industry trying to establish its own identity while still heavily influenced by movie production values.

- **Current Status**: The term "AAA" is seen by many in the industry as having lost its original purpose, now more a marketing gimmick than a measure of quality or innovation. Developers lament that it has led to a focus on profit over creativity, with games often being judged more by their budget than their merit.

AAA – Developers discuss the three little letters that have shaped an industry: "It's a stupid term. It's meaningless"

Feature | Edge talks to developers to unpack the baggage around the blockbuster marketing term

www.gamesradar.com

 

[Sept Terrion Of Nothing]

Agree. What is most important is making games for the gamers like old times. Not to follow political agenda. Or some stupid "triple ey"

 

[od-chan]

I misread the headline and thought the three letters to be "DEI", which I get is an annoying issue regardless of where you stand, but at least it's less of a nothing burger than whatever this rant is supposed to be about. Yes, calling a game AAAA is retarded, pulitzer price journalism right there.

 

[sankt-Antonio]

It was never about quality or innovation, it was always a barometer for cost of development. Always.

 

[LectureMaster]

Time for AAAA

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

I do remember when AAA was synonymous with quality - back in the early 2000s, it really did have validity, even if the term was intended to refer to budget rather than quality. These days, it's usually an indication that the game is going to be all sizzle, no steak - especially if it's from a western studio.

 

[Punished Miku]

It was never about quality or innovation, it was always a barometer for cost of development. Always.

Yep.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

It was never about quality or innovation, it was always a barometer for cost of development. Always.

And I found that out later on during the internet age after reading about it.

To me, AAA still means high production values, budget AND being a good game/movie. I dont care what the actual definition is.

If a game or movie has high budgets and is garbage, it's not AAA to me. It's an F.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

AAA means BIG, regardless of quality. For movies, it's Fast and Furious and MCU, generic trash with outrageous budgets. For games, it may vary, though. AAA is pretty much everything over 30M USD. The common denominator is "game which aims at a large audience with above average production values".

The thing is, many new studios are using this not only for marketing but to attract dumb investors. Star Citizen is the paradigm of this, with Firewalk a close second.

 

[intbal]

The first time "AAA" was used to describe video games was in the mid-90s, by Boot Magazine. And they intended it to be a joke. It was never supposed to stick as an official description.
The fact that I remember this, but nobody at GamesRadar does, tells me that they don't have anybody as old as I am working there. And probably most of the game development industry is younger than me, too.

 

[Little Mac]

If you’re Ubisoft it’s 4 little letters …

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

it's not meaningless, it's like blockbuster for big movies.