Actually the answer is quite simple. The road to get there.. well… that’s the tough part. Anyone can become a AAA developer. Literally your two left feet brother could… your granny could.. your uncle Steve that sits home daydreaming about pizza all day could… I think you understand what I’m saying. It all boils down to the hard work you put in and how bad you want it; just like everything else in life.. nothing is given to you or is easy.. nothing worth it, anyway. So, sit yourself down, grab a piece of paper and a pencil and write your goals… study said goals… then study more. When you think you’ve studied enough… study more… never stop. One day you just might get your foot in the door and have some give you a chance with what you know… do some Udemy classes online; learn from connections; take the steps that are proper. Never take the easy way. Be extremely visceral as everyone that is in or wants to be in this industry is as well, because I can guarantee there are plenty of people that go out of their way to study their craft for hours on in… never ever stopping day by day…. unless you are coming from a loaded family and money is nothing (even still you will work work work), prepare yourself to totally flip your mind and study like a pro. That will set you aside from 2 left foot bro, granny, and uncle Steve… the time and the knowledge you put forth along with the beauty of your work. Being a AAA developer can be done.

A developer doing what? Programming? Design? Art?

Since you said you have a little C I'll assume either engineering or a technical design role (scripting or maybe level designer)

For AAA you need C++ and gobs of it regardless of the type of engineering you want to focus on.

If you want to be end user focused (UI, gameplay, AI, etc) then I'd get one of the publicly available engines (Source or UE4) and start putting together games. Lots of games. Make an FPS, RTS, Fighting game, Third person action. All of this and more.

If you want to do graphics/architecture/engine work then make an engine or 5 showing off various pieces of tech.

You'll also likely need a 4 year degree from a decent school unless your personal work is outstanding. And if its that outstanding then you should be selling your personal work and go indie.

Game development twenty years ago was very different than it is today. In 1996, game budgets were in the six figures. Today, AAA game budgets are in the eight or nine figures. You can't create a competitive AAA title now with a small team of developers who were just breaking into the game industry. You could in the 1990's, but not today.

However, it is possible to create low-budget game that goes viral and becomes a big hit. Flappy Bird is an example. To do that, you need to create the right product at the right time, and all the stars and planets, which you have no control over, have to align. You need luck, and lots of it.

If you want to break in the game industry, your best bet is to develop smaller-scale games, knowing that your first game, or third, or seventh might not be profitable. And if you don't have someone to bankroll your learning curve, join an experienced team that already knows how to make a competive game.

The longest shot:

You would need to get a group of talented developers that have high recognition for their achievements. After that, you would need to have a good design/prototype of a game that you want to do. Once you have the first two, you start using contacts for funding. If I were to start a new studio, I’d pitch large companies for their intellectual property rights (such big IP’s are Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, etc). If you land a good IP (after getting good funding…roughly 25–50 million), then you might be able to push for a triple-A game. However, you’ll probably need around 100 million to get to that level.

Very few to no companies that do not exist today (meaning…starting a new company from scratch) can pull off something like what I described above. Your better bet is to go for smaller games and build a portfolio to build towards making triple-A games. Constantly contacting large companies for their IP is a must have skill.

Say you want to create an FPS blockbuster.

What I noticed is that many of the AAA titles started small and developed gradually into what they're now. (GTA1 was 2D, sport games improve annually)

Given they're 20 yrs ahead in development, how'd you create a competitive title if you were to start today?

No, what you noticed is that some of the longer running FRANCHISES started smaller (or as entirely different games) compared to the modern versions.

Guess what - there is no code or assets from those early games still in the current ones. Nothing. The advantage these teams have are the money/reputation/respect from the previous work AND the individual skill and team cohesion from working together.

If I wanted to compete in the AAA space right now and I had a VERY sizable amount of money (~100-150 million) and I had a solid prototype done, then I'd just start calling friends and people I trust and drop tons of money on them to leave their current projects to come work with me. I'd staff up 200 of my closest friends (and their friends) and make it work. My situation might be different than yours since most of my friends have 10-20 yrs experience making games.

Lacking a badass prototype where all the details have been worked out does change the situation. In that case, I'd hire 10-30 people (depending on how much server work you need and how much art you'll need) to build one or more prototypes to work out the various key features and see exactly what is fun and how that really works. My personal preference is that each key feature in a title should be fun on its own - ie. that feature should be able to be the sole key feature of a small game. So I make that game and iterate on it.

Once I have that all solved out then I do the thing from above (call people, spend money, make game)

Don't have 100+ million. Then you won't be able to play in this sandbox. A new company needs a solid 50 million startup + dev costs and 50 million in advertising just to get the MVP out and selling. If you need a badass server authoritative MP game in there as well then you need 20-40 million more.

Mirroring what others have stated, time, money and talent go a long way. If you're looking to start a studio to develop a AAA title, you'll need money (usually investors or publishers who show interest in your project), a talented project manager, developers, then artists and writers who have solid knowledge of game development design from concept to animation to gameplay programming.

If you're just looking to work for someone who develops AAA titles like Rockstar, Bethesda, EA, etc, then it's all about applying for jobs and showcasing what you can bring to the table. Connect with these developers and publishers and present them with various examples of your work, be it art, programming logic, story writing, or even a small demo game.

"You" don't create an FPS blockbuster.

Very large teams create FPS blockbusters.

If you want to join a AAA development team, get a degree. Computer science for a programmer, one of the various art and design degrees, maybe project management.

While you're getting that degree, build up a portfolio of game projects that show what you can do.

Learn how to write a resume and ace a job interview and you'll be well on your way to AAA.

Your first job won't be core design or programming though. You'll be programming UI or making little models.

From there it's all about working your way up over the years and projects.

It is a common misconception that somehow making triple-A games is better and more profitable for the ordinary worker bees than working on indie games.

The game Super Meat Boy was made by two guys: one programmer and one graphics artist. It was a huge success and turned them into millionaires over night.

The life of ordinary workers on big games is perilous. Triple-A is a high-stakes game where investors demand profits.

This in turn results in majority of workers to be let go as soon as their work is finished. Graphics artists, level designers, sound artists - gone. Sure, there are promises that this is big company and they will keep you, but all it takes is for their next game to be even slightly delayed, and instead of keeping you on payroll for couple of months, "doing nothing", they will fire you.

And they of course expect you to work 14 hours a day during the last year of development, so your family life suffers.

Sure, if you form a small group of fans and work on a smaller game, you will have to self-fund, and you will work on it in the evenings when you feel like it, but at the same time, your game will take couple of months to make, and it may be a huge hit once it releases.

The general recommendation is to EXPAND YOUR SKILLSET with every game you work on. NEVER do the same thing twice, because then you're not learning. Then one day, when you show some big company your portfolio and answer some challenging questions like "What did you learn on this game?" and "What surprised you the most on that game?", you may land a job with them, but chances are you won't want to by that time. Who knows...

The tasks of a AAA title, say 3500 developer months of tasks for the small side of AAA, can technically be taken out of a parallel structure, where they are done by 145 people in 2 years and put into a serial list for one super talented artist/engineer/designer to complete in 291 years. So, 6 generations of mother to daughter, each trained until 20 then working alone for 49 years.

The even bigger problem is game concepts, and certainly art styles, like fresh food ingredients in your fancy cooking, have a shelf life. There will be no interest in a nearly 300 year old concept or antique graphics, when you are finished. It wouldn’t even be recognizable as a game. Pong was released this week in 1972, 47 years ago. It wouldn’t do well launching today against Wolfenstein 2 or Divinity 2.

The reason we spend all that development money to apply 300 developers for 2 to 5 years, is to get a game out in 2 to 5 years, when the core concept and graphics tech are still valid.

My route in was surprisingly easy. No CV, no interviews, no degree. Simply I dropped out of university, started writing games and the really crucial part is 1-3 times a month I met up with a variety of game developers, both local and several hours travel away. I showed them my stuff, asked for feedback, listened and improved my games. After about 7 months I was a known quantity and had people offer me jobs. I worked a string of freelance stuff for about 3 years till I found a company I didn't want to leave.

Networking is the best path in and it's a fun one too, have some drinks, talk games, show your skills and get on with people.

Microsoft Windows on a PC.

“Wait!” I hear you say. “A PC isn’t a gaming console! It’s a computer!”

Okay, first off, there’s no such thing as a “gaming console”. That would be a game console for gambling, which doesn’t exist. Well, as far as I know.

The Xbox series, PlayStation series and Nintendo consoles are game consoles. There is no “-ing”. Adding “-ing” turns them into gambling apparatuses, which I don’t think you’re asking about.

Next, all game consoles are computers. They’re just special-purpose computers meant for playing video games. I know, duh, right?

That being the case, you should start game development on a PC. If you can’t develop video games on a PC, it’s incredibly unlikely you can develop for consoles. If you haven’t crossed that hurdle, you won’t cross the harder ones.

The game programmer on the left tried developing for the PS5 before even developing a simple game on Windows. The programmer on the right developed several games on Windows before attempting their first Xbox Series S game. (image credit)

Why?

It’s far easier. Windows has great tools for game development and you don’t need a special development kit. It has great IDEs and game engines that work amazingly well for game development as well as boring old regular application development.

And with its facilities, you can really learn about game development without having to worry about all the fuss that goes into console development.

So, always develop for Windows first.

After that, Xbox is probably the easiest console to develop for. The series S and X are the latest and greatest Xbox versions, but you can probably get away for developing for just the plain old Xbox One. You probably won’t be doing anything so special that requires an S or X and One games are completely compatible with the S and X. Sure, the X and S are faster, but it’s unlikely you’ll need the extra horsepower for your first game, unless you’re a really crappy programmer.

“Xbox One”, “Xbox Series S”, and “Xbox Series X”: Microsoft still earns an “F” in product naming (image credit)

And as Christopher Beckford said, you can develop for the One by developing UWP apps. They deploy really easily to the One and several game engines deploy to the One as well. Debugging them on the One is another issue, but you said you wanted to develop for consoles, not me.

Good luck!

It is very difficult to get a job as a beginning game developer, except for a position as a tester, or at a smaller game studio as an artist or level designer. Other exceptions are graduates of USC’s GamePipe Lab, who get snapped up pretty quickly for game programmer positions.

Sometimes beginners get a lucky break by knowing someone who is looking for or can recomnend them for an entry level position. I got my first break because I made friends with someone who had a start-up publishing company, I made some games for him as an indie, and then he hired me when I graduated college. Decades later, I hired a couple of people right out of college because one of their professors was a friend of mine and recommended them to me.

But most likely you will have to publish some games on your own or as part of an indie team before you can compete against other applicants for positions at game studios.

Question answered: How do I get a job making video games as a beginner game developer?

Naughty Dog

They are true innovators. They continuously push the limits of video games with each new release and can invoke all forms of emotions.

With Crash Bandicoot, they can make innocent children laugh. With Uncharted, can give you pure adrenaline, making Indiana Jones' movies to life. Blending the line between Movie acting and Video game acting since the first Uncharted.

They truly reached the epitome of progress with The Last of Us. Besides pushing a 7 year old console and utilizing it to it's absolute limit, they set a milestone in acting so incredibly high and giving excellent visuals and fluid animations.

Not even mentioning the shiver inducing soundtrack that perfectly fits the gritty mood of the game. With TLOU's cliched but very well realised, depressing story and never before seen acting, it can make a grown man cry.

Naughty Dog has created some of the best games I have played and will play in all my life. Uncharted is the stepping stone for action narrative games. With amazing character development and off the chain set pieces. The Last of Us is one of the best or arguably the best game of the PS3 and PS4 generation or all time for a matter of fact. With an emotional story and beautiful graphics its amazing.

Even Crash Bandicoot and Jak and Daxter are timeless classics we all want another game to. Their past 3 games have gotten 10's and Uncharted 4 isn't looking to be any different in scores.

Much like valve, Naughty Dog has never come out with a mediocre game. Every game released by them had been a major success. Naughty dog is even respected by other game companies with how they make their games and looked up to as one of the most iconic game companies ever, as Gabe Newell even gave props to them for uncharted 3.

Since The original Crash Bandicoot there hasn't been a single Naughty Dog game I didn't think was great.

Why is this?

Because they take time with their games and don't rush it. The original Crash games, Jak and Daxter, Uncharted and The Last of us are all amazing games, and deserve the praise they get. Uncharted 4 is definitely my most hyped game of 2016!

Known for their outstanding stories in games, mixed with incredible graphics and gameplay make Naughty Dog #1 on my list. Since I started playing games, I was 4 at thet time, I was inexperienced, but always loved the story most about games. Naughty dog never fails to blow my mind with their stories. The last of us is a perfect example!

Naughty Dog not only made the best games on each respective Playstation console, but they also care more about consumers than profit. They even cancelled Jak 4 because they felt they weren't doing the franchise justice and the fans will be dissapointed, and thought it would end up being a cash grab. How many other companies can you think of that would refuse an obvious profit due to not satisfying the customer. That is something that deserves respect.

Can anyone seriously say they have ever made a bad game? I mean even their early games like Rings of Power & Way of The Warrior are not even considered bad games. Regardless of opinion on individual games that you may not like but can you seriously say they are bad. By far one of the best developers ever!

The team behind the sony exclusive company have put forth a series of ingenious minds to create some of the most incredible breathtaking masterpieces ever known to the gaming industry. Naughty Dog doesn't only sell their beautiful video games, they sell consoles! And that is why sony will continue to crush their competition.

Naughty dog may not release as many games as a lot of game developers but that's what makes the better because they release quality not quantity. They are only developer who can make games with characters that are well written, not just in terms of games, but in any type of media or literature.

First: Make games.

Most studios won’t care so much about your university if you are applying for entry level stuff. They want to see what you are capable of. Show us games you’ve worked on, from beginning to release. Show us your unfinished projects ONLY IF they are really something special.

Second: ?????

Third: Network

Go to trade shows, events, meet the people working on games, talk to them etc.

Fourth: Persist

You will get turned town tons of times. I mean it. Took me around 30 applications until I got my first job in the industry. It was a great job, and helped me set on the path that I am right now. But I could have given up. I didn’t. Keep sending those resumes, listen to feedback, and keep working at it.

Fifth: Make games.

Keep making games. Keep working on projects. Keep releasing them.

In addition to Witold Janiszewski's answer, I would just add that these early machines had very little RAM to work with, and most of it was used for representing the screen. The code itself was actually in read-only memory (ROM) inside the cartridge. It was manufactured that way and could not be changed. The program's variables were stored in RAM in the console, which was of course lost when the machine was switched off -- we didn't have flash RAM in those days.

Most of the time, the RAM representing the screen (the frame buffer) was not actually available to the CPU because it was being read by the other electronics to draw the screen. The game software only ran during the tiny amount of free time between when the electron beam reached the bottom of the screen and when it started over again at the top -- this was called the vertical blanking interval. (Remember we're talking about cathode ray tubes here.) During this period the beam is turned off while the magnets that control it are moving it back up to the top of the screen, and the CPU is free to access the frame buffer.

This limitation made such machines as the Atari 2600 particularly difficult to program. On the original Nintendo Entertainment System, you had about 2773 clock cycles, or maybe 700 CPU instructions, in which to update the graphics before the frame buffer became unavailable again. This is no longer necessary as modern graphics hardware has two frame buffers and flips back and forth between them.

You acquire the technical skills and portfolio to work in AAA console game development as an artist/designer or a programmer/designer... then work your way up to a more senior design role.

In other words, there is no path there that does not :

A) Require you to have professional technical skills beyond storytelling.

B) Require you to work your way up to the position from a lower level position.

There are a very limited number of jobs which are very fiercely competed for that instead require screen writing skills and interactive fiction writing skills and experience. However, the amount of professional experience required and the current level of competition makes these jobs basically impossible to break into.

The big take away is... you cannot get a job just doing "storytelling" for AAA console game development. The people who do "storytelling" are either also doing tons of other technical tasks or are part of an existing pool of professional writers who vastly outnumber the available jobs.

First of we need to clear up what “AAA game” actually means, that is a high-profile, high-budget typically made by large and renowned publishers/developers, games like The Elder Scrolls series, GTA, Call of Duty, Forza Horizon, these games are classified as “AAA Games” and a single individual isn’t capable of producing such a game.

Now, to be part of a AAA Game development you first need to join the industry, and this can be done in many ways and there are many directions one can take, all the way from Software Engineer to Quality Assurance. Majority of these directions in the industry can be learned at home in your spare time, like 2D art, 3D, Animations, Coding. There are also school directions for these, such as Computer Science for programming and coding, Art School for 2D, 3D and animations. There are also other branches in the gaming industry, and those will be such as HR, PR, QA, Anaysts, here you will need higher certificates and education for most, except QA as you can find companies hiring without many requirements and is an easy way to get into the industry.

The next thing is to build you portfolio, make games on free engines such as Unity or Unreal, or make models/art on Artstation and look for oportunities, apply to game studios!

Best of luck!

The defining feature of an “AAA” game is that it has an enormous budget—usually millions of dollars. That’s all. I suppose you can go and get some sort of business degree to “learn how” to make deals and sign loans or whatever to get the up-front money for that sort of budget. That’s not my wheelhouse, so I’ll leave it at those generalities.

You can create a perfectly good game with reasonably high technical standards on a shoestring budget, and that involves skill. Start off with “indie”-level stuff, making games that are fun to play even when you can’t afford to spend a million dollars just on a team of artists who do nothing but make textures for 3D objects.

That first project if successful can help finance your next, and you can build up towards making a “AAA” game. If your projects aren’t that successful, you can still use the skills you gain to burnish a portfolio that might land you a job at a place that’s already making AAA games.

In general games till 1995 were programmed in assembly language (size and speed were important). Video game developers purchased development kits from console manufacturer that included both hardware and software assisting in development of games. The programming work was done usually on general purpose computer such as PC with debugging done on hardware connected to it (essentially it was just like you do it today with micro-controllers) - this was the major difference.
So to sum it up console game programming is different from PC in following ways:

• All systems are identical - as such you can apply optimizations that would be too unsafe on PC. On the other hand you can't tell user to buy more RAM, faster CPU or graphics card - gameplay has to be smooth
• Console is embedded system and you develop on other system and then cross-compile - It is nothing unusual and in PC driver development such approach is used as well. This however makes independent game development difficult - you have to posses development kit to create games of commercial value on PC's you don't need anything like that

Learn a skill that allows you to contribute to game development, namely:

• Game Design
• 3D Modeling, rigging, texturing, animation…
• Programming
• Fine arts
• Music & Sound FX

Have a portfolio which showcases your strengths in a competitive manner. Show work first. Believe it or not, people who hire don’t care about the person at all; they want your work, not you.

If your thing is music, beware. There’s PLENTY of musicians offering their services for free, so it’s a crowded market. Don’t go in with high hopes.

Some mild marketing effort must be done before you can land your first gig, consider networking with fellow indie game developers, industry professionals and else. There’s lots of forums, Facebook groups and subreddits for that.

After you reach certain skill level/recognition in the community landing a job should be easy. From what I've seen most indie game developers are not very skilled which means the entry bar for those projects is low, so it shouldn't be too difficult. However, geographical constraints apply in most cases.

If you live in a third world country, the fastest way of getting to work on games is working for an outsourcing company. Your pay will be mediocre compared to the guys in the US, but at least you’re doing something that you like.

Good luck!

Now this is a story I love to tell….story of a mad but intriguing world known as games industry.

How do you get into any industry as an outsider ( to the industry ) ?

1. Learn a commercial viable skill. Either formal education(if you can afford) or self taught.
2. Sharpen your skills strong enough to be useful in the industry. Test your skills in fair comparison to someone in the industry.
3. Network around. Get to know groups that are working in the industry. Infiltrate their hangout areas, get a mentor. Rub some of their skills off on you.
   
   Those are some easy steps: now proceed to realism.
4. Measure yourself to the bar of the expected skill level needed industry. It’s easy enough to overestimate your capability early on because you’re blind of the depth of the problems but yet focus on your initial achievements. This can lead to wild disillusionment that you have a special talent and that you’re a special flake ( news : very likely you’re not ). Some might argue this is good motivation , i have to disagree because of these reasons :
   - Disillusionment is always bad , it makes you talk and think in different wavelength and you will disconnect yourself with valuable network.
   - You will think that you are a special breed and are above reproach. Ultimately you will not improve yourself and go nowhere.
5. On the same measure , be realistic with your expectations , if you’re new, don’t expect to overtake the skill level of someone who have spent years in the industry.
   Once you realistically measure yourself and fairly feel you’re ready.
6. Proceed commercially. As again; with any industry there’s always 3 choice:
   - WORK FOR THE KING: To work for an established corporation; in which you gain valuable insight of how a large organisation ( in this case games studios ) function. You are likely to network with some of the top elites. You will most likely be handsomely paid if you can land a decent job. If you reach the top of the ladder you get to a superstar. Otherwise layoffs are also a reality.
   
   - BE THE MERCHANT: Go the startup route. Start a dev team or go freelance. As with ANY industry , you are now officially partaking in a business venture ( with limited skills ) . So try to imagine the outcome of an average person who just learnt how to make a steak decides to run a restaurant. It’s not impossible , but you’re now competing with real people who have both skill , money , reputation and the will the destroy their competitors. In addition to cooking skill, you’re now dealing with hiring , managing , legal, real estate and a variety of other elements that are ready to jump at and smack you with a big bag of reality. So be realistic with the odds.
   
   - ROAM THE WILDERNESS: Do voluntary work. Modding and hobbyist project is another way to start. Requirement to enter is nil. You’re most certainly welcomed in any corner, but don’t expect to be paid. Expect to burn tonnes of money and time in this barren land of the free folk. Once in a rare moment you will meet a pro or two. But tread carefully in this area , because of the anarchic nature of this district , nobody runs this place, there is no order. You might learn the wrong workflow, the wrong tools and nobody will correct you. You might get stuck here for the rest of your life ( dramatic music cue …). The good people have left for the King and Merchants. If you find a group of outcast that you can work with and are nice enough, hold on to them dearly, for they are your best bet to navigate this wilderness. But if you wake up one day with them pointing a gun at you, hey sorry man. ( Hey it Happens!! , it’s the wilderness after-all ). Perhaps one day you could navigate your way back to civilization and be worth your weight in gold. Sometimes the merchant and the king recruits from the wilderness , but don’t count on it.

You can get into indie development by finding a development community - either in person or online. They’ll be able to teach you the stuff you need to know and share ideas with you. If you’re in school or university you might be able to find a club or society.

If you don’t have a community behind you, and you don’t know anything about programming, a great place to start would be Game Maker Studio - it’s free software with a simple graphical interface that can be used to make really great games. There’s a pro version, but most of the important features are available on the free version. Undertale was made in Game Maker Studio.

Think about what sort of games you want to develop, and look into engines that work well for what you want. Unity and Unreal are probably the most popular engines with free versions.

If you want to start making money from it, one way to do it would be to get publicity by sharing games online (in-browser, or as a download on a forum), then take commissions or crowdfund a larger gaming project - note that if you’re using one of these engines you will need to purchase the pro version if you want to profit from the games you make.

If you have a particular interest in a game already, you could look at modding as an introduction into game development without having to build everything from scratch. You might also be able to find other fan projects like AI development - I did this with Starcraft, and wrote a simple bot that plays it (not very well, but still).

If you really want to be ambitious, you could learn a programming language, and then you won’t have to deal with an engine or framework someone else has made, and you can get the game to look and work exactly how you want it to, as long as you have the ability to code it. If you take this route, even if the game developer stuff doesn’t work out, you’ve still gained a skill which is in huge demand in industry.

No, not really.

Sequelitis
What you are going to see over time in the game industry, is exactly what we are seeing in Hollywood when it comes to cinema. Sequels, prequels, remakes, and rehashes of old stuff. Why innovate when you can update and slap something on the store shelves for consumers to consume every year?

Where’s the Money At?
If you look at the return for investment, it’s all established franchises that make money. Your GTAs, your AssCreeds, your God or Gears of War, etc. The next tier down is your movie games and merchandise games. Games crapped out in the nick of time to catch the wave of fervor over a new movie. After that, AAA development is just a trash heap in the bargain bin of Gamestop.

Greater Costs Less Innovation
You can probably count interesting AAA games that aren’t a sequel or already part of a franchise from the last 5 years on one hand. If you can even think of one… The Last of Us… There you go, very fitting title too. But there’s a reason for that, and has a lot to do with the cost of development versus the potential return of investment if there isn’t an established audience.

Chasing the Audience
Much like a blockbuster movie, if there isn’t a built in audience already, throwing millions upon millions of dollars into the development of a AAA level title is absolutely prohibitive for any reasonable executive level producer to make. If they make a bad call, they not only lose their reputation (if not their job), but they potentially take out the entire game company that they let make it. Whatever the franchise is or was supposed to be will also be permanently laid to rest (Advent Rising anyone).

Marketing Can’t Innovate
So what happens? Marketing comes in and does surveys and gets reports on what people want. Guess what they want? They want things they can remember, because you can’t say you want something that doesn’t exist yet. Thus marketing is always right, and game devs are always wrong. The bigger the marketing department’s clout, the less innovation you get, until ultimately you have behemoth monsters like Ubisoft, Activision, and EA, mercilessly gobbling up existing franchises and murdering them by draining them of their essence and shitting on the remains.

Indentured Servitude
But seriously, why make AAA games when you can form a 3 man team and generate enough revenue on mobile games to remain sustainable permanently. Why chain yourself to a publisher that has an attached marketing department that will ultimately crap on anything innovative or new because they “don’t know how to market that.”

4K is Coming
AAA is going to go through another dark phase soon, as 4k becomes an actual big deal. The cost of developing assets is already astronomical. Requiring much higher resolution art is going to upend a number of studios. The end result will be further consolidation of project funding towards the chosen few studios and franchises that are proven to make money and innovation will become even harder to find in AAA.

Flee
If you’re a game dev and you enjoy making innovative games rather than rehashing and remaking old ideas and franchises… Stay away from AAA.

AAA games refers to games that push the envelope of what we think is possible in a video game.

The studios that make triple A games have already invested in the infrastructure, teams and knowledge resources necessary to make a triple A game and they will continue to make triple A games because that is their competitive advantage.

There is a huge demand for triple A titles and in fact these studios are not the ones that are at risk.

Today because of the online distribution channels available, it is easier to develop and market an independent game than ever before in history. However it is still much riskier to be an independent developer than a triple A title studio.