Topic: AAA Titles...

[UncleBob]

http://jobs.gamasutra.com/jobseekerx/viewjobrss.asp?cjid=28706&accountno=17672

Capcom Game Studio Vancouver [...]

We have two new AAA titles currently in development. Contact us now to see what all the excitement is about!

Since when does a studio get to determine that a game they're making is "AAA"?  I thought that the players (and those who review games, I suppose) decided if a game was AAA or not...

[Evan_B]

Maybe they're BOUND to SUCCEED!

[Kairon]

I thought AAA was last-gen? Aren't companies aiming for AAAA or even AAAAA nowadays?

[Chozo Ghost]

I thought that the players (and those who review games, I suppose) decided if a game was AAA or not...

Maybe they've played their own game and therefore they are players and get to decide? But since it is their own game they probably have a bias.

[Ian Sane]

AAA has become bullshit marketing speak for "big budget game".  A real AAA game gets decided by the players.

Though not all games are approached from the perspective of making a great game.  I'm pretty sure for licenced games that have to come out in time with a movie release or the start of a sports season that there is no real attempt to make a good game, just to get something out in time.  A lot of shovelware is also so terrible that I'm certain that they did not try to make a good game and the whole business model is on tricking stupid people into buying crap.

What you can gather is that with these two games Capcom is going to spend a good amount of money on development and is trying to make a great game.  They might fail or they might change their minds partway through development but right now they want to make something good.

[Louieturkey]

Does this mean that Capcom is only working on 2 games?  Or have they decided that not all their games will be AAA quality?  I hope they tell us what these two titles are as I will be glad to avoid all the other games they deem to not be AAA.

[ShyGuy]

I have an AAA card in my wallet. If I get a flat tire I'm all set!

[nickmitch]

I think it's fair that Capcom can say they're working on AAA games. Like Ian said, it means they're putting time, money and effort in to the games. Fair enough. CoD games are "AAA," and so is Mario Galaxy. I don't think you can really put a finger on what's AAA aside from budget.

[Chozo Ghost]

I have an AAA card in my wallet. If I get a flat tire I'm all set!

So Capcom is working on two games which involve driving automobiles?

[Stogi]

I agree with Ian. Does anyone still use AAA anyways? Most people say 'Must-Buy' 'Must-Have' 'System Seller' and of course, 'Killer App'.

[nickmitch]

I thought people stopped saying 'Killer App' in favor of 'AAA title.'

[ShyGuy]

I say "Da Bomb" when I mean AAA. "Da Bomb Diggity" when it's quadruple A.

[Ian Sane]

I think I used to say "AAA" at times until it was stolen by the marketers.  That is usually how it goes.  A term is fine until THE MAN starts using it and makes it mean nothing.  I do recall differentiating between similarly named "A titles" and "B titles" where the A ones are the big games that a company intends to be a big hit while the B titles are more niche or have a smaller scope are intended more to fill a hole in the release schedule.  For Nintendo, Zelda would be an A game while something like Excitebots would be a B game.

[TJ Spyke]

Does this mean that Capcom is only working on 2 games?

Seems like it is just for their Vancouver studio.

As for "AAA title", i've always viewed it as just a marketing term and it's been used that way for years. Same thing with films and "blockbuster movies". It's just a term used for big budget titles. A movie can suck and bomb, but still be called a blockbuster movie.

[S-U-P-E-R]

I thought that the players (and those who review games, I suppose) decided if a game was AAA or not...

Uhh you can buy review scores, it is directly related to a game's advertising budget

[Pixelated Pixies]

I've never thought that AAA was necessarily synonymous with quality. For me it always meant polished, highly marketed and usually expensive. A 'triple A' game might also be fun and interesting, but one did not necessitate the other. Maybe I just misused the term though.

[Sarail]

I've never thought that AAA was necessarily synonymous with quality. For me it always meant polished, highly marketed and usually expensive. A 'triple A' game might also be fun and interesting, but one did not necessitate the other. Maybe I just misused the term though.

I agree, but with the exception being "polished." I've always just viewed the "AAA" game as one that's overhyped, highly marketed, and very expensive to make. For instance...

Mass Effect.

It's considered a triple A title, but I've always viewed it as a bug-laden, turd of a game (series). I've played enough of the games to know this to be true. It may be triple A to the mass core gamer market, but definitely not to me.

Uncharted, Zelda, Mario, Halo, Metroid... those are good triple A games.