AAA games, big budget production
Triple A refers to a game with a large budget in terms of both development and marketing. In addition, the Triple A “rating” suggests a guaranteed financial return on investment. Publishers of a triple-A game are confident that the game will be profitable.
– a AAA game currently costs an average of 150 million euros, and the marketing portion must be at least 75% of this amount.
AA games – specialization and niche markets
These are low-budget productions with less technical ambitions, but placed in specific and promising niches. AA games, long considered B-games, have recently taken a step forward and become a real outsider in the video game world.
Double A’s also stand out for their ability to generate new game mechanics.
As such, today’s publishers do not hesitate to use the name AA to promote a title that was intended from the start to be an experience that differentiates itself from the current video game landscape.
Indie Games – Small teams, big talent
Games created without any financial or technical support from a major game publisher, unlike AA and AAA for example.
Often considered as games created by small teams with very simple and differentiated concepts. Independent games also have a cheap connotation, and games rarely exceed twenty euros.
In addition, because of their independence and freedom of development, independent games often focus on innovative and experimental games and adventures that AAA games usually do not, and they can explore this medium to produce unique experiences in art games.
Due to the lack of support from publishers, independent games are often sold through digital distribution channels rather than retail channels. A fact that has changed for a while so that the larger independent studios, with their massive success, can afford such an investment.
The rise of indie games is due in part to the sharp drop in development and distribution costs.
Games III – Indie on a budget
AKA “Triple I” has been used to refer to an indie-funded game that has achieved a similar level of quality in its field, i.e., an indie game with a relatively high budget, scope and ambition.
The development teams often include personnel experienced in developing real AAA games.
So, the Triple III, while relatively new, is largely due to the acquiescence of developers seeking to offer very personal work, away from the financial shackles of the big publishers, and the explosion of the independent game market. the last ten years.
