The Problem With AAA Game Design

With the next generation of home consoles fast approaching, the scrutiny placed on AAA game studios is higher than ever. A system's early success hinges largely on the blockbuster titles that release alongside it, and if the subsequent months following its release are frustratingly spent waiting for the next big thing as opposed to playing it, the console's sales often suffer as a result.

Though the current landscape of video games is littered with innovative indie titles and unique projects from up-and-coming developers, the bulk of the industry's bread and butter are high-budget games from mammoth companies like Ubisoft, Bioware, Bethesda and Rockstar. Seemingly never-ending funds of epic proportions are poured into most AAA releases, yet the financial vacuum that such games often rely upon are becoming increasingly stagnant, offering limited innovation in a development cycle that far surpasses anything that we've seen before.

There will always be a vast array of unique experiences to be had in the realm of interactive entertainment, and the video game ecosystem is infinitely better for it, but with AAA releases proudly carrying the flag for the entire industry it's a wonder that the financially-secure, creatively ambitious, high-budget releases are plagued with issues that are holding the medium back from achieving its unrivalled potential.

There is a major issue with the culture and production of AAA games, and acknowledging such setbacks surely hold the key to success in the future.