This is all from the top of my head. Credentials: I play a lot of video games.
AAA game (typical example: Skyrim):
* Sells for $50-$60
* Has cutting-edge graphics and (generally) runs on the newest generation of hardware
* Is available on most/all gaming platforms
* (Nowadays) Usually has some celebrity involvement (Skyrim had Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Michael Hogan. Oblivion had Patrick Stewart.)
* 20+ hours of gameplay
AA game (typical example: Far Cry: Blood Dragon, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger):
* Sells for about $25-$40
* Made with last year's AAA engine
* Runs on last year's hardware
* Typically available on fewer or only one platform
* 8 - 20 hours of gameplay
Anything below that is either a classic game remastered (for example, the recent Homeworld remaster), or an indie title.
Frequently a AAA game (like Diablo III) will have a AA game come out at the same time to compete with it (Torchlight II.) In a lot of cases, like Torchlight II and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, the AA game is actually a far superior game to the AAA games its competing with. ;)
Sometimes the sequel to a AAA game is a AA game, I'd say that's the case with Wolfenstein: The Old Blood.
Some games, like Portal and Portal 2, straddle the line. But I'd slot the Portal games as AA.
AAA game (typical example: Skyrim):
* Sells for $50-$60
* Has cutting-edge graphics and (generally) runs on the newest generation of hardware
* Is available on most/all gaming platforms
* (Nowadays) Usually has some celebrity involvement (Skyrim had Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Michael Hogan. Oblivion had Patrick Stewart.)
* 20+ hours of gameplay
AA game (typical example: Far Cry: Blood Dragon, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger):
* Sells for about $25-$40
* Made with last year's AAA engine
* Runs on last year's hardware
* Typically available on fewer or only one platform
* 8 - 20 hours of gameplay
Anything below that is either a classic game remastered (for example, the recent Homeworld remaster), or an indie title.
Frequently a AAA game (like Diablo III) will have a AA game come out at the same time to compete with it (Torchlight II.) In a lot of cases, like Torchlight II and Call of Juarez: Gunslinger, the AA game is actually a far superior game to the AAA games its competing with. ;)
Sometimes the sequel to a AAA game is a AA game, I'd say that's the case with Wolfenstein: The Old Blood.
Some games, like Portal and Portal 2, straddle the line. But I'd slot the Portal games as AA.