What Are AAA Games? Everything You Need To Know With Examples

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Being someone who enjoys gaming as a hobby, I always wondered what are AAA games?

I see the term floating around on Reddit threads and in various online communities but never stopped to think what it meant. With that in mind, I decided to do some research to figure this out once and for all.

AAA games or Triple-A games as they are called, refer to video games that are created by a large studio, i.e. a massive team, using a huge budget. Some examples of AAA games include God Of War and The Last Of Us Part 2.

Now that we’ve established what AAA games are, let’s take a closer look at this term as well as look at some excellent examples of AAA games on PlayStation.

What Does AAA Stand For In Gaming?

Let’s look at the term Triple A in more detail to understand a bit more about what it means in video games.

1 Large Studios

As we mentioned AAA games are created by large studios.

Some of the main publishers of video games include Sony Interactive Entertainment, Bethesda Softworks, and Rockstar Studios to name but a few.

Let’s take Bethesda Softworks as an example.

They are the publishers behind The Elder Scrolls series. It is estimated that Bethesda Softworks employs about 400 people.

This more than meets the criteria of a large studio and therefore would class Elder Scrolls: Skyrim as a triple A game.

2 Large Budget

The next part of a Triple-A game is the budget for making the game. This includes the creation of the game as well as it’s marketing which can often double the overall cost of making a game.

Let’s take, God of War III as an example here.

According to an old article from EuroGamer, it is estimated that it cost $44 million to make all things considered.

This is more than enough to establish God Of War 3 as a triple A game.

How Much Do AAA Games Cost?

The cost of making a AAA game can be huge when you factor in employees, office space, equipment, marketing, and more. On average a Triple-A game can cost between 75-100 million dollars.

This is a pretty interesting discussion and something which I found myself looking into a lot more as I researched this article.

Take a look at this excellent and informative video from Extra Credits – Why Do Games Cost So Much To Make? – AAA Game Budgets

What Are AAA Games Examples?

PlayStation 4 AAA Games

PlayStation 3 AAA Games

What Are AAA Games – FAQ

Let’s look at some commonly asked questions when it comes to AAA games.

Is Fortnite A Triple A Game?

This question is a bone of contention for many gamers out there who consider Fortnite the game of the generation.

There’s no denying that Fortnite has become a hugely popular video game in recent years.

However, Fortnite is not considered to be a Triple A game. This is because it initially started as an indie game with a small team and a small budget. This is the opposite of the classification of a AAA game.

Is Skyrim A Triple A Game?

The Elder Scrolls series of video games to which Skyrim belongs have long been the favorite of many gamers.

It’s easy to see why as their games feature vast open worlds, incredible characters and endless stories to explore.

Skyrim is widely considered to be a Triple A game. This is because the game was developed by Bethesda, a huge video game publisher. Additionally, the estimated cost of developing Skyrim was around 100 million dollars.

Is Rainbow Six Siege A Triple A Game?

Rainbow Six Siege is a shooter video game that was released in 2015 and developed by Ubisoft.

Rainbow Six Siege is considered to be a Triple A game. This is because it was developed by the massive publisher, Ubisoft, and cost a substantial amount of money to create.

Is Death Stranding A Triple A Game?

Death Stranding is a difficult game to classify in terms of its triple-A status.

Technically, Death Stranding is classed as an Indie game and is therefore not considered to be a Triple-A Game. This is because it was developed by a small studio (Kojima Productions) with no ties to established triple-a publishers.

However, the game itself is priced like a Triple-A title and many consider it to be one due to the gameplay and its unique new genre.

Conclusion

We were able to cover a lot over the course of this article on what are AAA games. Let’s summarize before we finish:

• First, we answered the question what are AAA games?
• Next, we looked at what AAA stands for in gaming.
• After that, we examined how much AAA games cost.
• Next, we looked at some of the best examples of AAA games on PlayStation 4, 3, and 2 consoles.
• Finally, we took a look at some AAA games FAQs.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article. If you found some value in what you read, please consider sharing this article on social media. It will help other gamers like you to find it.

Finally, if you liked reading this article on what are AAA games, I recommend you read these next:

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