AAA (or triple-A) games are very popular nowadays. So every gamer worth their salt knows what we are talking about when this term comes up. Those are the top-tier blockbuster games: Assassin’s Creed, God Of War, Call of Duty or Horizon: Zero Dawn. You named it. They all have millions & millions of dollars as budgets and hundreds of studios working on them worldwide. A lot of people also use the term AAA when they talk about the retail price of a game. This usually refers to games that cost between 50-70$, no matter if they are from a publisher or an independent developer. If those games are referred to as AAA… What exactly is AAAA (or quadruple-A) then?Let’s look at the difference between AAA vs AAAA games.
The Myth Of AAAA Games: What Is A AAAA Game?
In recent years quadruple-A games have been mentioned more and more often. Especially with the very debatable Skull & Bones release and their advertisement a few months ago. But nobody really knows what they are supposed to be. So far people don’t exactly associate AAAA with something good or high-quality but sadly rather with scams and false advertisements. If you ask someone what they believe a AAAA game is, most of them would answer the same. That there is no such thing as a quadruple-a game and that it is pure nonsense. AAAA games are a totally new concept that yet has to be explored. But the people aren’t entirely wrong with their assumptions of it being just a term to gather attention.
The Definition Of Triple-A
Before we dive into the topic of quadruple-A games, let’s first take a look at its older brother: triple-A. It refers to the highest tier based on development and marketing budgets. No one really knows when this term got associated with video games. But articles and veterans of the industry date it as far back as the early 1990. Before that the lettering score from D-AAA had already been established in 1909 when referring to investment scores. Another instance of letter grading system could also be traced back to Sweden in its mid-1850s in their school systems.
As you can see, the term triple-A is the highest point on that scale. Those games work with big budgets, have high production value and are often referred to as blockbuster with widespread promotion. So if AAA is the highest rating on the scale, is it even possible to create a quadruple-A game?
AAAA As A Marketing Strategy
The term AAAA for a lot of people is just a simple marketing gag, Skull & Bones for example. Ubisoft’s latest big release which has been in development for an astounding 11 years, had a rather rough release. Prior to the publication, they advertised the game to their shareholders as the next generation of AAAA games. This sparked a whole discussion within the gaming community about quadruple-A games and whether or not Skulls & Bones can live up to the expectations. Sadly… It didn’t.
The supposed AAAA title, has used 200 million dollars during development which is less than the newest Assassin’s Creed Mirage which supposedly cost 300 million. So it couldn’t be the budget that made it a quadruple-A title. So maybe it’s the gameplay? No. It’s not. The gameplay is lacking and most of the things they had promised back in the days are not even implemented. But I am not going to go on a rant about the lack of quality and content in a game that has taken a whole decade to develop. But do any of those things make Skull & Bones a AAAA game? No. In my opinion, it is a triple-A game with a lot of potential to grow in the upcoming years if Ubisoft puts more work and time into it.
The Truth Behind The AAAA Myth
The term itself is still shrouded in mystery. Unlike AAA, there’s no established definition or confirmed release. Yet, the mere mention of AAAA ignites excitement and speculation within the gaming community. Both developers and players are dreamers. They are always looking for the next big thing that is going to blow people’s minds. So if someone talks about a quadruple-A game, it is because they hope that this game is going to be the next grand milestone in video game history. AAA titles have been called dull and boring more & more often over the past few years. So who could really blame people for hoping that the next game is going to blow their minds?
Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, the game industry has expanded like crazy. But sadly in 2023 and now in 2024… People are being let go left and right. Either because AI is taking up tedious jobs to speed up the process or because the studios simply don’t have the money to support their people any longer. A phenomenon like this is normal for a growing industry. Growth is exponential. At first it’s slow… Then you skyrocket into the air… Only to one day hit an invisible wall that, once again, slows you down.
Assassin’s Creed in its early days has attracted and captured the hearts of many people due to its innovative game design. But in recent years… Many people claim that their games feel more or less the same. So of course people are going to take the bait if someone claims that their game is going to be the next level of gaming experience.
The Future Of Quadruple-A Games
While so far AAA games are currently the peak of the gaming industry, it is only a matter of time until the first real AAAA title sees the light of day. Personally, I think the game that is going to hit the next milestone in gaming history is probably going to be either the next Elder Scrolls coming from Bethesda or Grand Theft Auto 6 which is going to be released in 2025 according to their publisher.
Rockstar has already mentioned that GTA 6 is going to push the limits, especially with the price you’re going to have to pay for it. Apparently, the base game alone is going to cost more than 100$. Though how much it will actually cost is unknown since the rumours are varying between 70$ and a whopping 200$. Games are definitely not going to become any cheaper over the upcoming years. But as long as the price is justified, people are probably still going to buy it.
Groundbreaking Innovation & Endless Possibilities
Aside from the current view people have on quadruple-A games, they are definitely going to be another milestone in the game industry. Games will consistently be growing in both popularity and technology. Developers and designers are always striving for bigger and better products so it’s only a matter of time before the first real AAAA game sees the light of day.
Ever-growing open worlds, AI-generated dialogues with NPCs or VR games that are so real that you don’t want to put down your headset and stay there forever. Those are the dreams of both developers and players alike which are going to revolutionize the gaming industry. But one thing is for sure: A game can only then be called a AAAA game if both the developers and their community are convinced that this is the next generation of video games.
The Higher The Budget, The Higher The Fall
Money is always the biggest issue when it comes to game development and like with everything in this world, there is no guarantee for success whatsoever. So it’s only natural that investors and publishers try to minimize their losses and maximize their income. We know that the budget is a huge factor in determining if a game is an AAA or a B-rank game. So how much money would be necessary for a game to be called a AAAA game? 1 billion dollars? Nobody knows.
The more money is in the game the more risky a project becomes. There have been both movies and video games that have flopped massively and resulted in the closure of whole studios like for example The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum that caused Daedalic Entertainment to close its doors forever. So it’s probably going to take quite some time for a publisher and the investors to take a risk to invest incredible amounts of money into a project that is going to result in the first AAAA game of all time.
Right now we can only speculate what’s going to define a quadruple-A game in the future. Be it budget, size or gameplay, nobody really knows. So far the term AAAA is only used in marketing to attract more customers and to peak the interest of the public. But one day there will be a game that pushes open the door to the next generation and maybe then the term AAAA will establish itself properly just like the AAA back in the early 2000s.
If you’re interested in the difference between AAAA vs. AAA games, you’re probably also curious about the difference between Eastern & Western games:
Eastern VS Western Games – Two World Colliding
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