Here we will be taking a closer look at why some of the most well-known video game producers of triple-A games keep on delaying their initial launch dates. AAA games are high-budget, high-profile games, and one of the main reasons there are so many delays is that the games are not 100% ready.
However, it’s not the only reason many of today’s triple-A games are delayed. Some say it’s a marketing strategy or a business decision. Here is a closer look at several of the most plausible reasons why new game releases are so often delayed.
What are AAA Games?
PC and video games are called AAA games (or triple-A). They can also be referred to as AA, A, B, or C-rated. The triple-A games are the high-end, big-budget games that have been developed or produced by one of the world’s leading publishers, such as;
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Electronic Arts
- Nintendo
- Ubisoft
- Epic Games
- The NineHertz
- Square Enix
Other notable mentions include Bungie Inc., Activision Blizzard, Gameloft, Zero Games Studio, iTechArt, and Juego Studios.
AAA is not an official term. However, it’s a general term that most people in the gaming community are familiar with and use regularly, and it has become a major part of video game slang. Since video games were first released several decades ago, some have been more memorable than others and made much more money than others. In movie terms, you would call them blockbusters or smash hits in the music world.
They are the more demanding games that require powerful operating systems or the latest gaming consoles to play them. Here are some examples of some of the most famous AAA games in history, based on how much money they have made since their release;
- Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (developed by Ubisoft and made a reported $439 million in revenue)
- Monster Hunter: World (made by Capcom and generated approximately $465 million)
- Red Dead Redemption 2 (Take-Two Interactive, which made somewhere in the region of $515 million)
- Grand theft Auto V (also from Take-Two, which made around $627 million)
- FIFA 18 (produced by Electronic Arts, or EA, and made a whopping $790 million)
Recent big-selling Triple-A games
In more recent times, some of the hottest selling AAA games include Activision Blizzard’s iconic Call of Duty: Vanguard game AND their Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War game. Electronic Arts Madden NFL game was also hugely successful, as well as Nintendo’s Pokemon: Brilliant Diamond game, EA’s Battlefield 2042 game, and Playstation Studios’ Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales game.
Other notable mentions include Mario Kart 8 Deluxe from Nintendo, Resident Evil: Village from CapCom, Super Mario 3D World from Nintendo, Far Cry 6 from Ubisoft, FIFA 22 from EA, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons from Nintendo. Forza Horizon 5 from Xbox Game Studios, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla from Ubisoft, and Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate from Warner Bros have also been highly successful. These cutting-edge games are quite different from the types of games that you can expect to find on today’s best online casino platforms or different from the types of low-budget games that you can play for free on hundreds of websites.
Why are AAA games delayed so often?
When a new game goes into production, a release date is often set, and with many AAA games today, they are not released on this date. This can be due to many unforeseen reasons during the development stages. The creative team may come across a few unexpected stumbling blocks, or they may decide to add things to the games that weren’t in the original plans. They might overspend on their original budget and require additional funding, which isn’t always easy to acquire (depending on the game development studio).
There can be anywhere from just a small team of 40 to 50 people working on any particular game at any one time, up to 200 or more people, and if there are problems within the teams, this can also cause delays, which can put the game back weeks, or even months before it’s released. While some teams may predict that the game will take six months to a year or more to develop, certain obstacles can get in the way and push the release date back as much as six months or longer.
They could encounter bugs in the game, which need to be addressed to prevent hacking etc., or new technology may be developed, which can take some getting used to. These are just some main reasons why certain AAA games are delayed.
Conclusion
As the saying goes, all good things come to those who wait. It’s not easy developing a triple-A game, and many factors can push back the initial release date. It’s just a case of being patient and expecting the games to be delayed to avoid disappointment rather than expecting them to arrive on time.