The world of video games is changing, and a new trend may well mark the end of blockbusters several hundred millions of dollars. The recent example of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Illustrates this development: despite a budget far below the current standards of AAA games, he knew how to seduce players, win several nominations at the Game Awards 2024, as well as at the Pegasus, and exceed the five million copies sold.
According to Matt Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive, the video game industry must review its financial priorities. In an interview with Game Filehe says that “the era of games at 200, 300, or even $ 400 million is ending ”. Indeed, while the cost of developing AAA games has exploded from one generation of consoles to another, their sales do not progress proportional.
Marvel’s Spider-Man on PlayStation 4 cost around $ 100 million, while its suite Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 On PS5 exceeds 300 million, without generating a tripling of sales. Faced with these colossal expenses, some publishers are more and more on aggressive microtransactions to make their games profitable.
The ascent of independent games and the category of AA
In this context, independent games and AA titles are experiencing renewed interest. The so -called “AA” games, located between independent productions and AAA blockbusters, are characterized by a more modest budget but a high quality of production. It is precisely in this category that registers Space Marine 2that Karch calls “double-a plus”. Some studios, Like Focus Entertainment or Larian Studiosproved that it was possible to offer games with appearance and mechanics worthy of an AAA, without adopting the pharaonic budgets.
Is this the sign of a deeper change as the CEO suggests? Some specialists believe that the mid -range game market has been swallowed up by behemoths like Fortnite et Call of Dutywhich capture an increasing part of the time and budget of the players. On the other hand, games like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Remnant 2 show that this segment can still prosper.
A necessary mutation?
Meanwhile, the superproductions continue to reach peaks. Grand Theft Auto 6expected in 2025, would have already cost much more than $ 400 million to produce. But with studios like Insomniac Games undergoing layoffs despite the success of their titles, the question arises: are these mega-budgets still viable?
The future will tell us if AA+ as Space Marine 2 mark the start of a new era or if they are only a temporary exception. But one thing is certain: players are increasingly attracted to quality experiences that do not necessarily require disproportionate investments.
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