Are Smaller Releases the Way Forward for Triple-A Publishers?

COG writes: Due to the high expectations on the shoulders of mammoth publishers, should they shift their efforts to smaller experiences?

[P_Bomb]

Waiting 5+ years for a sequel or whatever? Yeah, I’m over it.

[isarai]

There's no reason they can't release smaller projects in between large releases. They're just obsessed with only AAA blockbusters. They forgot that's how a lot the modern giant ips today got started.

[RupeeHoarder]

To a degree….new blockbuster IP’s have always taken a while though. You just don’t feel like it’s as long because you don’t focus on what you don’t know about yet as a gamer. For example before the last of us 1 did anyone really care? No we were focused on Uncharted. Then once that new IP hits you become hyper focused on clock watching for sequels.

[neutralgamer1992]

Waiting 5-6 years is too long. It should be 2-3 years max. Sequels shouldn’t be taking 5 years

Uncharted 1-3
TLOU

All in the same generation and we aren’t talking about long time ago. Now developers are just taking too long

There should be a healthy AA market where games are priced at $49.99

[Eonjay]

I think Helldivers 2 meets the bill here. First of all, it's a smaller title....plus it's coming in at $40. I think people want more of these kinda titles. I feel like if they pepper these in between the AAA games that will hit a nice balance.

[Psychonaut85]

Please do. I’ll take a smaller dense crafted worlds any day of the week over empty bloated bullshit that disrespects my time with lazy checklist crap.

[Antnee534]

If it replaces dlc I would be all for it

[jwillj2k4]

As long as price is reflected in the smaller projects then great. Can’t say a game is worth 70+ if the campaign is 10hrs. Doesn’t matter how incredible it is. And if they continue to stuff “collect 20 stickers” filler into that 10hrs then I would say it’s not AAA regardless of what it looks and plays like.

[Pyrofire95]

I think prices would definitely be cheaper. Uncharted Lost Legacy ($40) was barely shorter than any of the Uncharted Trilogy.(7 hours vs 8-11) Spider-Man MM was $40 and was able to be quickly produced because of all the work they already did for SM1. Alan Wake was a 21 hour game that could be done even quicker without the couple of side activities and that was $50. I love me some shorter games.

[Psychonaut85]

Yup. I’m a grown ass man with a more than full time job, a passion for gaming, and a huge backlog. Not everything has to be a 3 course meal. In the words of one of America’s greatest wise women, “ain’t nobody got time for that”.

[Rimeskeem]

I would enjoy some smaller games with smaller prices lol. It would be nice to have something like "academy devs" that work on smaller projects and if they do well they can work on AAA games with the big developers. Like how sports teams will have lower leagues such as the Minor League and G-League that help develop players.

[anast]

Smaller one for less money and no microtransactions in between larger ones with no microtransactions. They make billions.

[glennhkboy]

From the sales of AC: Mirage, the answer is no. Customer (myself includes) doesn't want to pay, say 80% of a full game price, yet only get around 60% of content comparing to AC: Origin.

[Pyrofire95]

Yes please. No more waiting 6 years for a sequel. They will cost less and take less time for devs. It let's them iterate faster and take more chances.There are so many benefits.

[Good-Smurf]

Anyone over 30 would say yes, I'm so ready for smaller AAA titles and I don't want to wait almost a whole gen for a sequel.
Rockstar is about to reveal first trailer of GTA VI after over 10 years of GTA V and I don't know if I'm still alive by the time they released GTA VII.
Not any devs can be as efficient as Insomniac but at least they should strive and try to be as good as them.

[anast]

I used to think younger people needed things quickly and older people slowed things down because of experience, but things are changing I suppose. I am the type a person that will read the same book for years, although, I am not overly concerned about my age in relation to my hobbies. So, I guess it depends on how we feel about time and age.