What are AAA Games?

Though it is not a popular concept but, in the gaming industry video games are classified in three basic categories, namely, AAA, AA, and Indie games. These terms are usually used in an informal manner and generally by game developers and publishers for creating an identification for their video game. They also provide information to customers about the games’ potential.

AAA Games have always been the most special video game category and to a very large extent responsible for pushing the gaming technology to achieve create some new and futuristic. Let us see what exactly are AAA Games.

What do AAA Games mean?

AAA games in general terms are high graphic video games which can only played by a high end GPU. These games are so much technologically driven that the cost of making these games are usually n the higher side. With the advent of innovative technology like ray tracing, AR and VR coupled with production and marketing cost, the price for making these games are sky rocketing which are conventionally developed by major studios and publishers. Most of these games are even more expensive than some high cost Hollywood films.

Due to this, any technical fault, bug, glitch or not up to the mark graphics can absolutely ruin the game.

Some of the important aspects of any AAA game are:

Development budget: These games have a massive budget. Most of these games would easily cost around a $100 million. Red Dead Redemption 2 itself is estimated to be roughly cost around $540 million dollars including development and marketing budget.

Team size: The production teams for AAA title video games are huge, with at least 50 to 100 employees working on it. For instance, at Ubisoft, AAA game development involved 400 to 600 staff for open world games, split across multiple locations and countries

Gameplay: These games usually are very big in size and scale and are mostly narrative based and RPGs.

Graphics quality: These games usually carry high graphics created through latest technology. No small processor or gaming unit is capable of playing these games. Only gaming computers and professional gaming consoles can run these games, provided you have a top notch.

Technology usage: They tend to use the latest technologies like game engines, custom development tools, and more. These studios often develop their own proprietary game engines, such as Epic Games’ Unreal Engine and use expensive technologies like motion capture to render gorgeous cinematics and smooth character movement. These games are made for newer generations of consoles and a higher calibre of PCs.

The Most Famous AAA Studios

Now that we’ve examined what exactly makes a AAA game, below are some of the most beloved and prominent Triple-A studios with their popular releases. This isn’t an exhaustive list by any means- it is just meant to provide you with an idea of what kind of studios develop and publish these games.

1. Square Enix (Final Fantasy, Tomb Raider)
2. Ubisoft (Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry)
3. Rockstar Games (Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption)
4. Naughty Dogs (Uncharted, The Last of Us)
5. Nintendo (Mario, Pokemon)
6. Activision (Overwatch, Call of Duty)
7. EA (FIFA, Battlefield)
8. Bethesda (The Elder Scrolls, Fallout)
9. Capcom (Resident Evil, Street Fighter)
10. Santa Monica (God of War)