Quick definition:An informal label for a big-budget game produced and promoted by a large publisher, usually with a big development team, high production values and an extensive marketing campaign.
Meaning
AAA describes the top tier of commercial game development. A AAA game is expected to have a large budget, a big team spread across several studios, advanced graphics and sound, and a marketing campaign that begins long before release. Such projects often take several years to complete.
Because the stakes are high, publishers tend to favour familiar genres, popular franchises and proven designs. A failed release can cost a company a great deal, so many are cautious about new ideas, and critics sometimes accuse the biggest games of playing it safe.
The label is informal and loosely applied. Some players use it as a compliment for polish and scale, while others use it as a complaint about repetition, rising prices and heavy monetisation. No official body decides which games qualify, so the boundaries are a matter of opinion.
Origin:There is no official rating behind the term. It is generally said to have been borrowed from the grading of financial bonds, where triple A marks the highest quality, and to have been adopted by publishers around the turn of the century to describe their most expensive releases. The exact point at which it entered common use is unclear.
Example:Studio executives announce a new fantasy adventure with a team of several hundred developers, a famous voice cast and trailers shown during a major industry event. Reviewers expect a polished world and a huge campaign, and many players wait for the launch day. Meanwhile, a two-person team releases a quiet puzzle game, which nobody calls AAA.
Did you know?Smaller labels followed. Games between the largest and the independent scene are sometimes called AA, and a few commentators have used AAAA for the most expensive projects, though that label is mostly marketing talk and has no agreed meaning.
