The term Triple-A or AAA typically describes a video game produced with an exceptionally high development and marketing budget, functioning as the industry’s summer blockbusters, commanding massive attention. So, how then does one categorize a game that seems to surpass even this elite tier? Luckily, one industry veteran may have the answer.
The AAA Arms Race Has a New Winner
According to Nigel Lowrie, a co-founder of the boutique publisher Devolver Digital, the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6 is labeled as a “AAAAA” release. He asserted that the GTA series is better than any of its rivals in terms of cultural impact or sheer scope. Additionally, he elaborated that the existence of AAA games and some publishers’ attempts to define AAAA games means nothing, as the game operates on a completely different level. While calling it the first true AAAAA game, he attributed its unprecedented scale and the unique cultural footprint it leaves as reasons for adopting its new labeling.
Previous industry attempts to use the AAAA label have provided further context to Lowrie’s statement. For instance, when Ubisoft applied the term to its live-service title Skull and Bones, they received significant criticism. Likewise, Microsoft similarly used it when recruiting for The Initiative, a studio that has since seen its project, a Perfect Dark reboot, cancelled. AAA essentially signifies a big budget and high public awareness, while AAAAA implies a monumental budget and a permanent place in the cultural consciousness. However, the terminology remains subjective and somewhat arbitrary.
Grand Theft Auto Earns a Five-Star Rating
Then again, what does this escalating terminology reveal about the current state of the game industry? The entire concept doesn’t seem based on any concrete metric; instead, it’s based on perception and marketing. Devolver Digital, in a related move, jokingly suggested the launch of a brand new mystery game on the same day as GTA 6, serving as a potential clever counter-programming strategy.
However, the publisher recently delayed its own game, Baby Steps, to avoid competition with the anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong, demonstrating a more cautious approach. According to Lowrie, risking a team’s livelihood and a five-year project simply to test a theory about market timing wasn’t something he was willing to do. Ultimately, the co-founder strongly believes in giving each game its own spotlight, a philosophy that suggests the company’s joke about competing with GTA 6 may not be a serious plan.
Given the situation, a broader challenge within the AAA sector is revealed. Consequently, the game now struggles to compete with the enduring live-service titans it created. To one industry analyst, a new release will not be the biggest competitor to GTA 6 but its own predecessor, GTA 5, a live-service behemoth that continues to generate substantial revenue years after its initial launch.
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