Video game development costs have skyrocketed, as of late. The bar has never been higher, forcing developers to spend a lot more money on their AAA cinematic RPGs to hype players into buying.
Industry veterans recently shared their insights regarding the future of the AAA RPGs given the rising costs of video game development in recent years. Unlike before, gamers today are expecting over-the-top visuals, complex if unique gameplay mechanics, and multithreaded narratives as well as post-launch content.
The rising game development costs have been reflected in the recent price increase. AAA games are now being priced at $70, a move that has been controversial for games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade.
PC Gamer recently hosted a round table interview with CD Projekt Red’s Pawel Sasko, the lead quest director for Cyberpunk 2077, and Dragon Age series lead designer Mike Laidlaw. The pair gave their insight into the direction that cinematic AAA RPGs are going.
“When it comes to AAA, we are just running at a wall, I think, and we’re gonna crash on that wall really soon,” Pawel shared.
Pawel is referring to a technological wall. Games have been increasingly complex in both visuals and gameplay mechanics. Game developers are reportedly having a hard time keeping up with the complexities and new titles are getting harder to make.
While the development costs keep rising, the price of the final product has been capped by the market. For example, CD Projekt Red spent an estimated $310 million to develop Cyberpunk 2077. However, the studio cannot charge more than $70 as it may discourage gamers from buying the title.
CD Projekt Red was lucky as the sales for Cyberpunk 2077 made up for the development costs. However, not every studio has the financial flexibility of big studios. Some developers live and die with the success of a single AAA title.
Thankfully, it isn’t all bad news for developers of cinematic AAA RPGs. Recent technological advancements like Procedural Narrative Tools have allowed game engines to procedurally develop quests and dungeons making it a bit easier for developers.
Diablo 4 features procedurally generated dungeons that are related to quests. Bethesda’s Starfield will have procedurally generated quests. These procedural storytelling technologies will allow developers to save on cost and time while still delivering epic stories that players expect.
“I think that is going to be a game changer,” Strix Beltra, narrative director at Hidden Path Entertainment said of the new tools.
