AAAA Games: Future of the Industry or Fiction?
Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot recently justified the hefty price tag of $70 for Skull and Bones by referring to it as a “Quadruple-A game.” But what does this term really mean? Is it just a marketing tactic, or is there more to it? Let’s find out!
The origin of the term
The emergence of the term “Quadruple-A” or “AAAA” has sparked curiosity within the gaming community. While most of us are familiar with the concept of Triple-A games, the notion of going beyond that designation seems intriguing, if not perplexing.
Quadruple-A is an actual term employed by developers to describe the magnitude of their projects, encompassing both budget and quality.
When the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X burst onto the scene, the buzz surrounding ray-tracing was hard to ignore. This advanced rendering technique promises to bring real-life expressions of light into the virtual world. However, the reality is that many games only offered ray-tracing at the cost of a diminished frame rate quality.
Triple-A games
Now, turning our attention to Quadruple-A games, the question arises — will they have a significant impact on the games we play, or are they just a marketing ploy? To unravel the mystery, let’s first understand what makes a game Triple-A.
Think of Triple-A games as the blockbusters of the gaming industry, akin to movies like Red Dead Redemption 2, Call of Duty Vanguard, and The Last of Us Part 2. These games boast sizable budgets, extensive development teams, and often come from well-established developers. The budget for Triple-A titles can range from around $60 million to an astounding $300 million, resulting in cutting-edge graphics and exceptional performance.
Yet, Triple-A doesn’t always guarantee excellence. Although it signifies the involvement of major publishers like Sony, Microsoft, EA, or Epic Games, it doesn’t necessarily translate into a flawless experience. This begs the question — can anything surpass the realm of Triple-A?
The budget estimations
The statement suggesting budgets exceeding $300 million for AAAA games and the utilization of superior technology implies groundbreaking graphics, minimal glitches, and expansive worlds.
One possible interpretation of AAAA games could be the inclusion of minute yet immersive graphical details. Since Triple-A games have already pushed the boundaries of visual excellence, AAAA titles might enhance these subtleties further. Imagine incredibly realistic first-person shooting and gun animations, with the subtle yet captivating motion of a gun’s clip falling to the ground. Such meticulous attention to detail would undoubtedly be praised by enthusiasts, but casual gamers might overlook these finer aspects.
While the boundaries of Triple-A games remain somewhat vague, adding another A doesn’t seem to bring about a significant difference beyond providing the marketing team with an additional talking point.
The future?
In conclusion, the emergence of the term AAAA games poses exciting questions and sparks curiosity in the gaming community. While its exact definition remains elusive, it is more than mere marketing jargon.
Whether AAAA games will redefine the gaming landscape with groundbreaking advancements or simply intensify the focus on immersive details within the realm of Triple-A remains yet to be seen.
More to read:
- Where To Find Assets For Your Game?
- 3D Modeling for Games: Unveiling the Best Software Tools
- AAA Games: A Simple (But Complete) Guide
