Everyone will essentially 'project' around the AAA tag as a comparison instead, even indie games.
So something like this:
-Jerry: HEY!
-IGN: HOLA!
-Jerry: So yeah, this is our new-game, Super Saturday Swords: Shadows of Shogun
-IGN: Cool, explain to us...X, Y, Z
-Jerry: Yadda, Yadda, Yoda!
-IGN: Cool, now would you consider your game to be what? Triple A? Indie? Etc?
-Jerry: Well, in the perfect world, I could say that our game should stand on it's own, but since we're a group of 10 guys, who spent months working in a basement, we're going to have say indie to get a 'cred' thing going on the industry, and also, at the same time, we're going to compare to Triple A titles, because gamers only understand simple numbers, like 8, 9 and 10 for anything lower is shit, and because compare ourselves to Full-Life 4, BASS 12 and BFF5 is the only way we can expect to get things done.
-IGN: Cool, now if you don't mind, include our local working gal in your game as a nerd bait thing if you want a cool review, and we're done here!
-Jerry: I wish I was a bee.
Really there's just AAA and indie. If it was a game that got shipped and you see it on Gamestop's shelves, it can be considered AAA.
Seems like there should be a third category, considering that there are shovelware games released all the time that are neither indie (that is, they have a publisher) nor AAA (that is, they're crap).
Seems like there should be a third category, considering that there are shovelware games released all the time that are neither indie (that is, they have a publisher) nor AAA (that is, they're crap).
I hereby declare these shovelware games to be included in the Poopstick category.
I think its more like as I do not agree with every game that isnt indie is a tripple A game.
Smart Phone Games - Games made specifically for smart phone devices. Facebook Games - Games made specifically for Facebook. Flash Games - Flash based games made for the web. Indie Games - Games made by extremely small teams. Platform dosnt matter, could be on PSN/XBLA or iphone. (Minecraft PC/Insainly Twisted Shadow Planet XBLA) Shovelware - Crummy games that are quickly made to try and make a profit off a gimic, a movie, or rip off of a popular franchise. Video Games - The majority of video games, there not tripple A, but there not crappy, there just video games. Tripple A Games - Very high budget titles, generally high quality games. High marketing behind these projects. Generally done by big named studios.
what Autocon said.
e.g. Crysis series would be AAA, Diablo III would be AAA. Torchlight I? While its a great game I wouldn't rank it as AAA.
AAA for me involves state of the art techniques and technology used - possible a lot of in-house R&D - the aim for top notch gfx and gameplay, full use of the hardware and large teams and budgets.
Although anything inbetween and below (except for Shovelware, which is really a negative term) has the possibility to be just as great and fun as a proper AAA title.
AAA is a stupid title anyway. It reeks of e-penis competitions.
well, I've been to a "AAAAAA tourist destination" here in China. Was okay. I wonder how many A's the real cool stuff gets...
just wait till this makes it to games. We're working on an AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA game!
I do think games could have neither the indie or the AAA title though, think of the smaller games like phone app ones etc. There's companies who makes and have been making these for a long time, while selling the games (in other words, not indie imo). But it's still not something I'd call AAA :P
I think it's all about the budget only and I rather see only two categories: AAA and low budget games. AAA is simply game of quality that needed a lot of money to spend on. Of course money doesn't make it good game. It still can be crap.
Low budget games just use cheaper technologies, less people, less of everything. Some of these are games which are great and have potential but budget was low and it can be seen in game's look. Kind of games when during playing you think "If they would have more money for this..."
There's no such thing as an A or AA game. It's not a term that is used. AAA is a term used, it was around before games, whether people think it is stupid or not. God knows where it came from. It's not really something to be dissected or get upset over.
There's no such thing as an A or AA game. It's not a term that is used. AAA is a term used, it was around before games, whether people think it is stupid or not. God knows where it came from. It's not really something to be dissected or get upset over.
[/end thread]
Actually A and AA gradings were used in the past - not for games though.
What happens here is grade inflation. Grades used to be A - D, derived from grades used in school. When everyone can give themselves grades, then everyone, of course will be A. I mean really, who advertises a B grade product? (exceptions are B grade or "B-grade style" movies, when it became hip to make something that looks as if it were "B-grade" stuff).
Eventually when everything was A grade some folks though they're better and AA was born. And the AAA. Triple A is just right - rolls off the tongue easily, compared to quadruple-AAA or whatever else follows.
Same thing going on with hotels. Until the Burj Arab opened 5 stars were enough... now it's 6, 7 or whatever. In most countries hotels award stars themselves.... welcome to grade inflation!
What they really mean:
AAA = Corporate publishers with lots of money that micro-manage the developers either to success or to the unemployment line
Indie = Fed-up former AAA developers looking for more freedom or start-ups looking to prove themselves
Casual = Willing to do anything to make a buck
What they should call them:
(insert genre) Games or (insert studio name) Games.
Applying labels such as AAA, indie, or casual tends to pigeon-hole a game to certain mind-set that leads a person to prejudge the game's quality (AAA>Indie>Casual, in that order). People think AAA is always going to be big scope, high quality, and highly polished. Indie is considered lower quality, smaller scope, and less polished. Casual is considered simple, hacked together games for simpletons and people looking to kill time.
I think saying a game is "A high fantasy RPG action-focused game by Double Fine" is a far better describer.
Do anyone really care how many A's a game has? I can understand that it fools grandmas buying games for their kids. I also gotta ask, how come company's don't up the amount of A's their game has, I mean no one cares anyway. Why not just make it a myria A game.
It's pretty simple, the more A's next to your game, the larger your penis is.
Don't forget gem/cult, games which were not hugely funded or very well marketed but after a few years have become extremely well liked beyond those that may have done better upon immediate release.
I get the feeling "cult" has become another marketing term these days. Every retro styled crap is "cult". All the kiddos who weren't around in the C64 era are probably easily fooled by this. No wonder they think old games are crap
Here at Microsoft, we're starting to make AAAA games!
ಠ_ಠ
I'd call some games just your normal games and some games b-grade. I'd be pretty hesitant to call anything but the most blatant, derivative ripoff shovelware. Seems more of a game fan term than one I'd hear from industry people.
I always thought AAA was pretty funny, I've always grown up seeing companies advertise in phone books with AAA when they were crap but wanted to be put at the top - AAAA PEST CONTROL
I get the feeling "cult" has become another marketing term these days. Every retro styled crap is "cult". All the kiddos who weren't around in the C64 era are probably easily fooled by this. No wonder they think old games are crap
Yeah I get what you mean, although I was thinking of games like Ico, Psychonauts, kengo:MoB, Okami, Bushido Blade, Gitaroo Man etc. The potentially hidden gems the average gamer may miss.
Replies
$$ = AA
$$$ = AAA
Budget, profit and sometimes quality are all factors but $ is probably the biggest.
You may be thinking about what has been recently coined "Blockbuster games," like Assassin's Creed or some other massively funded project.
Everyone will essentially 'project' around the AAA tag as a comparison instead, even indie games.
So something like this:
-Jerry: HEY!
-IGN: HOLA!
-Jerry: So yeah, this is our new-game, Super Saturday Swords: Shadows of Shogun
-IGN: Cool, explain to us...X, Y, Z
-Jerry: Yadda, Yadda, Yoda!
-IGN: Cool, now would you consider your game to be what? Triple A? Indie? Etc?
-Jerry: Well, in the perfect world, I could say that our game should stand on it's own, but since we're a group of 10 guys, who spent months working in a basement, we're going to have say indie to get a 'cred' thing going on the industry, and also, at the same time, we're going to compare to Triple A titles, because gamers only understand simple numbers, like 8, 9 and 10 for anything lower is shit, and because compare ourselves to Full-Life 4, BASS 12 and BFF5 is the only way we can expect to get things done.
-IGN: Cool, now if you don't mind, include our local working gal in your game as a nerd bait thing if you want a cool review, and we're done here!
-Jerry: I wish I was a bee.
Seems like there should be a third category, considering that there are shovelware games released all the time that are neither indie (that is, they have a publisher) nor AAA (that is, they're crap).
I hereby declare these shovelware games to be included in the Poopstick category.
Smart Phone Games - Games made specifically for smart phone devices.
Facebook Games - Games made specifically for Facebook.
Flash Games - Flash based games made for the web.
Indie Games - Games made by extremely small teams. Platform dosnt matter, could be on PSN/XBLA or iphone. (Minecraft PC/Insainly Twisted Shadow Planet XBLA)
Shovelware - Crummy games that are quickly made to try and make a profit off a gimic, a movie, or rip off of a popular franchise.
Video Games - The majority of video games, there not tripple A, but there not crappy, there just video games.
Tripple A Games - Very high budget titles, generally high quality games. High marketing behind these projects. Generally done by big named studios.
e.g. Crysis series would be AAA, Diablo III would be AAA. Torchlight I? While its a great game I wouldn't rank it as AAA.
AAA for me involves state of the art techniques and technology used - possible a lot of in-house R&D - the aim for top notch gfx and gameplay, full use of the hardware and large teams and budgets.
Although anything inbetween and below (except for Shovelware, which is really a negative term) has the possibility to be just as great and fun as a proper AAA title.
Our game is A-level!
Well ours is A+-level!
But we made a DOUBLE A game!
AAA BITCHES!
Just name the game by using more sensible words. For instance a 'medium budget console port'.
well, I've been to a "AAAAAA tourist destination" here in China. Was okay. I wonder how many A's the real cool stuff gets...
just wait till this makes it to games. We're working on an AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA game!
I do think games could have neither the indie or the AAA title though, think of the smaller games like phone app ones etc. There's companies who makes and have been making these for a long time, while selling the games (in other words, not indie imo). But it's still not something I'd call AAA :P
Low budget games just use cheaper technologies, less people, less of everything. Some of these are games which are great and have potential but budget was low and it can be seen in game's look. Kind of games when during playing you think "If they would have more money for this..."
[/end thread]
What happens here is grade inflation. Grades used to be A - D, derived from grades used in school. When everyone can give themselves grades, then everyone, of course will be A. I mean really, who advertises a B grade product? (exceptions are B grade or "B-grade style" movies, when it became hip to make something that looks as if it were "B-grade" stuff).
Eventually when everything was A grade some folks though they're better and AA was born. And the AAA. Triple A is just right - rolls off the tongue easily, compared to quadruple-AAA or whatever else follows.
Same thing going on with hotels. Until the Burj Arab opened 5 stars were enough... now it's 6, 7 or whatever. In most countries hotels award stars themselves.... welcome to grade inflation!
AAA = Corporate publishers with lots of money that micro-manage the developers either to success or to the unemployment line
Indie = Fed-up former AAA developers looking for more freedom or start-ups looking to prove themselves
Casual = Willing to do anything to make a buck
What they should call them:
(insert genre) Games or (insert studio name) Games.
Applying labels such as AAA, indie, or casual tends to pigeon-hole a game to certain mind-set that leads a person to prejudge the game's quality (AAA>Indie>Casual, in that order). People think AAA is always going to be big scope, high quality, and highly polished. Indie is considered lower quality, smaller scope, and less polished. Casual is considered simple, hacked together games for simpletons and people looking to kill time.
I think saying a game is "A high fantasy RPG action-focused game by Double Fine" is a far better describer.
Let's make sure we include all that triple-A-ness!!!
I know of indi, AAA, budget, b-grade and niche. Though I always associate the title on the presentation of the product (ie marketing and general hype)
But if I play it and I like it, doesn't matter what class it falls under
At least that's what the job adverts claim.
Don't forget gem/cult, games which were not hugely funded or very well marketed but after a few years have become extremely well liked beyond those that may have done better upon immediate release.
ಠ_ಠ
I'd call some games just your normal games and some games b-grade. I'd be pretty hesitant to call anything but the most blatant, derivative ripoff shovelware. Seems more of a game fan term than one I'd hear from industry people.
I always thought AAA was pretty funny, I've always grown up seeing companies advertise in phone books with AAA when they were crap but wanted to be put at the top - AAAA PEST CONTROL
Exactly, read the first sentence you quoted again :poly124:
You post from two different accounts? :poly141:
Nah, they're good friends. One might say, great friends.
heh heh you say funny thing.
Yeah I get what you mean, although I was thinking of games like Ico, Psychonauts, kengo:MoB, Okami, Bushido Blade, Gitaroo Man etc. The potentially hidden gems the average gamer may miss.