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As independent game development began to make waves in the early ’00s, various terms followed to help make sense of the endless sea of new releases. Along with the term “indie game” came its polar opposite: the “triple-A game”. While quite loose in definition, what we’re examining in this piece are examples of video games that are large in scope, require a large team of people to complete, and shoot for a high level of immersion (notably in the graphical department). For our purposes, an example of a modern triple-A game would be 2022’s Elden Ring, while an early example would be 1996’s Tomb Raider. If you’re interested in understanding the mindset of a shifting industry, read on!
The early days
But first, let’s look at what set the stage for this shift. In the industry’s earliest days, Atari was top-dog. Games were of a much simpler nature, and although it wasn’t typically a one-man show, the bulk of the design and engineering could be done by an individual. This led to certain publishers crediting the designer directly, most notably Activision, a company formed by disgruntled Atari employees looking to create a more developer friendly environment. It became common for the designer’s name to appear on the game cartridges themselves, as seen with 1982’s Pitfall, which notes prominently that it was ‘Conceived and designed by David Crane’.
Entering a new era
As computer technology advanced, video games continued to grow as companies grew more ambitious with fewer limitations in the way. Designing a video game was no longer as simple as creating a fun time wasting idea. Players began expecting more out of games as each console generation was outperforming its predecessor by huge leaps. By the mid-1980s, Nintendo was dominating the market with its expansive adventure-themed releases such as Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. These heightened expectations resulted in larger development teams, an upward trend that has continued each generation since.
Once the 3D era was firmly established, any hope of creating a top-tier video game with a small team was all but dashed. With the increased hours and manpower required to get a release out before it was outdated, it was becoming less and less viable for smaller and medium-sized businesses to keep up. By this point, the public had acquired a thirst for massive high quality games, as the medium was no longer limited to blocky sprites and synthesized audio. Game companies with massive funds were going all out to impress audiences with massive stories amplified by 3D graphics and crisp audio. Titles such as Final Fantasy VII were closely mimicking the experience of a motion picture. With the release of 1998’s Metal Gear Solid, Konami and Hideo Kojima were able to flesh out ideas that were not possible when the franchise was conceived in the 1980s.
Bigger and bigger
The term AAA (triple-A) started being thrown at around at gaming conventions in the late 1990s to describe high tier, big budget titles. The industry was showing no signs of slowing down, as advancing technology continued to open up possibilities for game designers. The release of Grand Theft Auto 3 in 2001 marked a new era for open world games, encouraging other developers to try and outdo one another with larger and denser environments. In 2005, Shadow of the Colossus released featuring enormous enemies, rich with detail that helped set a new standard for graphics. Meanwhile, the first-person shooter genre was still going strong from the phenomenon that the industry mavericks at id Software had started. Franchises such as EA’s Call of Duty and Microft’s Halo were on fire!
An upward trend
2007’s Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune helped set a new standard for capturing the feel of a big budget film. Games continued to grow larger as more and more fans were expecting a more robust experience. Open world games were still growing with series such as Assassin’s Creed, Batman: Arkham, and Borderlands raking in huge profits. Games were bigger than ever in both map size and the scope of design.
Another new era
As with every huge movement that sweeps the entertainment landscape, there will ultimately be work that sets out to starkly contrast everything about it. Enter the indie game. Around 2004-2005, the industry saw a rising trend in games developed by small teams, sometimes only one person. While this was common in gaming’s early days and never entirely went away, the practice went against everything video game industry stood for at the time.
Independent releases such as Minecraft, Fez, and Five Nights at Freddy’s, demonstrated that you don’t need a huge team or multi-million dollar budget to make a successful game. The introduction of Steam allowed these games to reach new players, while the rise of YouTube gave the gaming community a platform to discuss lesser known releases. Even larger publishers were cashing in on the craze with titles such as Valve’s Portal and and Ubisoft’s Child of Light. Meanwhile, mobile phones had evolved into pocket-sized computers, giving simple but compelling games new life.
Perfect harmony
In many ways, the triple-A and indie worlds are complimentary of each other. Players today have more options than ever when it comes time to play some video games. Although many opt for a quick, casual experience, I don’t expect the triple-A game industry to go away any time soon. Modern gamers are always looking for something bigger and better on the horizon, and the way things are now, there’s still plenty to look forward to.
