The Rise Of Double-A Video Games

With few exceptions, AAA games tend to cling to the most firmly established of genres, because when a publisher is spending potentially over $100 million on a new blockbuster title, why would they stray from the "safety" of cinematic action games, open-world RPGs, online shooters, and so on?

But with AA games being produced at a lower, less-risky price point, developers are emboldened to dabble in less-commercial genres - quirky platformers, narrative-driven adventures, and experimental puzzle games.

The AAA business model typically isn't compatible with left-field thinking, because when you're asking players to fork out top-dollar for a new release, why risk alienating them with weird characters and oddball gameplay mechanics?

But AA is conversely a fertile ground for this. You're never going to see games like Psychonauts or The Witness with tentpole budgets, but by accepting a lower tier of production, developers are able to deliver unique experiences with considerably less financial pressure.

If it's a common argument that the AAA sphere feels too "samey" nowadays, dominated primarily by flashy yet shallow fare, AA is where developers get to be unrestrained Artists in the truest sense.