Is DOTA 2 an Indie or an AAA game... or something in between?

[I Stomp You Stomp]

It started as a MOD, it was developed, tested, balanced, popularized as a MOD (that's ~below~ Indie, it's not even game designers but enthusiast volunteers). It had no financial backing from an AAA company budget, no exposure through advertising.

It was ~bought~ as a finished, tested, released product, without any risk, after it innovated the game industry and created a genre.

What possible argument could anyone have in favour of categorizing it as an AAA title?

If one was to state "something in between"... what is it?
What is it closer to, AAA or Indie?

[Lixire]

It goes more to the Triple A side but it doesn't really fit either but it's certainly not an indie game at all. Valve isn't really your "smol indie company" at all.

[Woody]

引用自 Archmage：

引用自 Woody：

Triple a I'd say, it's the flagship game from valve and the most played game on the platform as well.

Did you read anything in the post, m8 :) ?

Yes, you described DotA while talking about Dota 2 so it was mostly wrong.

[MUSTAN]

What ??

[BossGalaga]

引用自 Fluffy Bunny：

引用自 BossGalaga：

Do you know the definition? Because it seems like you don't. Dota 2 is not an indie game. Seriously, look up the definition of what AAA is in terms of the game industry. This is not an indie game.

Also, in regards to your comment about how easy it is to find an idea, sell hats and make money from it, tell that to Blizzard because it sure didn't work for them. Also, don't forget to save some of that attitude for Riot, since they did the same thing too. Except, instead of an actual free game, you have to spend hundreds to a thousand plus bucks or grind for years just to unlock every character in LoL. So perhaps you should be directing your disdain for hat selling to them.

Ehm, okay, lets bring some facts out.

Indie definition:
An indie game or independent video game is a video game that is often created without the financial support of a publisher, although some games funded by a publisher are still considered independent. These games often focus on innovation and rely on digital distribution.

AAA game:
In the video game industry, AAA (pronounced "triple A") or Triple-A is a classification term used for games with the highest development budgets and levels of promotion. A title considered to be AAA is therefore expected to be a high quality game or to be among the year's bestsellers.

If i recall, dota started in WC 3, it was a mod in that game, a game made by Blizzard, an AAA game. Dota was played for a long time, was improved and developed over time in that game. Eventually the mod was moved to Steam and taken over by Valve. THat same mod got a new name. Almost all was the same from WC3, same heroes, same spells, same mechanics, it got some small changes like MM, report system and so on, which every game should have but which should work better than this one, lets be honest.
Dota have 0 marketing, have 0 sales since its free, have started as a mod with 0 financial support. So yeah, what does it sound like, AAA game?

Dota 2 is not an "indie game." Dota (the original game) was a mod. Dota 2 is NOT now nor was it ever a mod. Dota (the WC3 mod) was not "moved to Steam." Valve hired Icefrog to develop Dota 2 as a completely new game, while building on the basic idea of the original mod. Dota 2 is not a mod. Valve pumped a lot of money into developing Dota 2 and Dota 2 definitely has marketing and it definitely has sales. In fact, it's one of Valve's top revenue producing games, despite the fact that it's free. Just because a game is free, doesn't mean they don't make sales. I guarantee that you, your hypothetical children and your children's children will never probably never in your combined lifetimes make as much money as Dota 2 does in a year, hell much less a month.

[Fluffy]

引用自 BossGalaga：

引用自 Fluffy Bunny：

Ehm, okay, lets bring some facts out.

Indie definition:
An indie game or independent video game is a video game that is often created without the financial support of a publisher, although some games funded by a publisher are still considered independent. These games often focus on innovation and rely on digital distribution.

AAA game:
In the video game industry, AAA (pronounced "triple A") or Triple-A is a classification term used for games with the highest development budgets and levels of promotion. A title considered to be AAA is therefore expected to be a high quality game or to be among the year's bestsellers.

If i recall, dota started in WC 3, it was a mod in that game, a game made by Blizzard, an AAA game. Dota was played for a long time, was improved and developed over time in that game. Eventually the mod was moved to Steam and taken over by Valve. THat same mod got a new name. Almost all was the same from WC3, same heroes, same spells, same mechanics, it got some small changes like MM, report system and so on, which every game should have but which should work better than this one, lets be honest.
Dota have 0 marketing, have 0 sales since its free, have started as a mod with 0 financial support. So yeah, what does it sound like, AAA game?

Dota 2 is not an "indie game." Dota (the original game) was a mod. Dota 2 is NOT now nor was it ever a mod. Dota (the WC3 mod) was not "moved to Steam." Valve hired Icefrog to develop Dota 2 as a completely new game, while building on the basic idea of the original mod. Dota 2 is not a mod. Valve pumped a lot of money into developing Dota 2 and Dota 2 definitely has marketing and it definitely has sales. In fact, it's one of Valve's top revenue producing games, despite the fact that it's free. Just because a game is free, doesn't mean they don't make sales. I guarantee that you, your hypothetical children and your children's children will never probably never in your combined lifetimes make as much money as Dota 2 does in a year, hell much less a month.

But thats the case, Dota 2 is not the brand new game, its a improved mod taken under Valve. Dota 2 was basicly same as dota 1, till last few patches (And in its core, its still the same game). Its still the same thing with small changes. Hell, it has even the same name, just II next to it.
I dont really understand, are you kidding me, or you really do believe what youre saying?

And they make sales, but that doesnt make it a AAA game, because its sales ingame, do you understand what youre saying? Almost every game has ingame items you can buy, but that doesnt make them AAA games. AAA game sales means the game sells itself, not items in it.
It makes sales, yes, but they are ingame. And promoting game on steam is not ww marketing,

I dont really care how much money it makes. It could make billions, but that doesnt make it AAA game. Its just a good earning game.
Minecraft made money too.
And it doesnt really matter how much money me or my children make, does it.

[NaughtNaught]

引用自 Fluffy Bunny：

引用自 BossGalaga：

Dota 2 is not an "indie game." Dota (the original game) was a mod. Dota 2 is NOT now nor was it ever a mod. Dota (the WC3 mod) was not "moved to Steam." Valve hired Icefrog to develop Dota 2 as a completely new game, while building on the basic idea of the original mod. Dota 2 is not a mod. Valve pumped a lot of money into developing Dota 2 and Dota 2 definitely has marketing and it definitely has sales. In fact, it's one of Valve's top revenue producing games, despite the fact that it's free. Just because a game is free, doesn't mean they don't make sales. I guarantee that you, your hypothetical children and your children's children will never probably never in your combined lifetimes make as much money as Dota 2 does in a year, hell much less a month.

But thats the case, Dota 2 is not the brand new game, its a improved mod taken under Valve. Dota 2 was basicly same as dota 1, till last few patches (And in its core, its still the same game). Its still the same thing with small changes. Hell, it has even the same name, just II next to it.
I dont really understand, are you kidding me, or you really do believe what youre saying?

And they make sales, but that doesnt make it a AAA game, because its sales ingame, do you understand what youre saying? Almost every game has ingame items you can buy, but that doesnt make them AAA games. AAA game sales means the game sells itself, not items in it.
It makes sales, yes, but they are ingame. And promoting game on steam is not ww marketing,

I dont really care how much money it makes. It could make billions, but that doesnt make it AAA game. Its just a good earning game.
Minecraft made money too.
And it doesnt really matter how much money me or my children make, does it.

As someone who works in the game development industry, I consider DoTA 2 as a AAA title. So what makes it a AAA? Valve, the developer AND publisher of DoTA 2, isn't an indie game studio aaand the game is hugely funded. That's all.

[Fluffy]

引用自 ReDust：

引用自 Fluffy Bunny：

But thats the case, Dota 2 is not the brand new game, its a improved mod taken under Valve. Dota 2 was basicly same as dota 1, till last few patches (And in its core, its still the same game). Its still the same thing with small changes. Hell, it has even the same name, just II next to it.
I dont really understand, are you kidding me, or you really do believe what youre saying?

And they make sales, but that doesnt make it a AAA game, because its sales ingame, do you understand what youre saying? Almost every game has ingame items you can buy, but that doesnt make them AAA games. AAA game sales means the game sells itself, not items in it.
It makes sales, yes, but they are ingame. And promoting game on steam is not ww marketing,

I dont really care how much money it makes. It could make billions, but that doesnt make it AAA game. Its just a good earning game.
Minecraft made money too.
And it doesnt really matter how much money me or my children make, does it.

As someone who works in the game development industry, I consider DoTA 2 as a AAA title. So what makes it a AAA? Valve, the developer AND publisher of DoTA 2, isn't an indie game studio aaand the game is hugely funded. That's all.

It doesnt matter what you or i consider AAA game, theres definition for that.

On what i read here on this topic, Minecraft is more AAA game than Dota 2 is. But then again, it doesnt matter what you or i think.

[BossGalaga]

引用自 Fluffy Bunny：

It doesnt matter what you or i consider AAA game, theres definition for that. it doesnt matter what you or i think.

Yes, there is a definition for that. And by the game industry definition of AAA, Dota 2 is a AAA game and like you said, it doesn't matter what you think. /thread

[Fluffy]

引用自 BossGalaga：

引用自 Fluffy Bunny：

It doesnt matter what you or i consider AAA game, theres definition for that. it doesnt matter what you or i think.

Yes, there is a definition for that. And by the game industry definition of AAA, Dota 2 is a AAA game and like you said, it doesn't matter what you think. /thread

By what definition? Can you post it here so everyone can see that?

You say it has big company name behind it, so it must be AAA game. Minecraft has Microsoft behind it, as well as Sony, does that make it an AAA game?

Edit: Dont respond. I give up, you win.
I really dont want to waste my keyboard on this.

[Absche]

I don‘t think that Dota2 is a AAA video game, to be compared to a blockbuster in movie making. High investment with a possible high return or risk if it fails. To stick with the movie example, Dota2 is more like a serial, a long running effort with reduced risk involved.

[BossGalaga]

引用自 Card Gamer：

I don‘t think that Dota2 is a AAA video game, to be compared to a blockbuster in movie making. High investment with a possible high return or risk if it fails. To stick with the movie example, Dota2 is more like a serial, a long running effort with reduced risk involved.

Right because Call of Duty 3,562,897, Madden/Fifa/NBA+current year, etc. are really "high risk" games. Risk does not determine if a game is AAA. That's silly. IGN has labeled Dota 2 and other high profile F2P games as AAA. By game industry standards, Dota 2 is considered a AAA game.

[I Stomp You Stomp]

引用自 tom：

what's even the difference?

imho, aaa and indie are just buzzwords to use in arguments over "which game is better" and excuses to make customers pay ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ of money for garbage games

If you research the terms, you will find that they're not buzzwords at all.

Budget, exposure, low-risk, innovation, monopolies, advertising... to name a few factors which make them very different. But go ahead and make an AAA game in your basement, then find ... 10 million dollars to advertise it, while a team of a 1000 people works their asses off for years, like little gears of a vast, strict, carefully constructed machine.

[Woody]

引用自 Archmage：

引用自 tom：

what's even the difference?

imho, aaa and indie are just buzzwords to use in arguments over "which game is better" and excuses to make customers pay ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ of money for garbage games

If you research the terms, you will find that they're not buzzwords at all.

Budget, exposure, low-risk, innovation, monopolies, advertising... to name a few factors which make them very different. But go ahead and make an AAA game in your basement, then find ... 10 million dollars to advertise it, while a team of a 1000 people works their asses off for years, like little gears of a vast, strict, carefully constructed machine.

I wouldn't be trying to talk down to people on this one, a quick google on what triple A games means shows MOBAs being described as AAA+ with the difference being AAA+ focusing on over time purchases like cosmetics.

[Vinnolo]

what is this post even, dota 2 has funding of Valve, one of the biggest gaming companies in the world, im sure the budget for this game was and is, much more than most games released nowadays. thats a AAA game. Revenue has nothing to do with a game being a AAA game or not.

[Woody]

引用自 Kill4rz：

what is this post even, dota 2 has funding of Valve, one of the biggest gaming companies in the world, im sure the budget for this game was and is, much more than most games released nowadays. thats a AAA game. Revenue has nothing to do with a game being a AAA game or not.

Even if you look at revenue Dota made something like ~1/4 billion dollars last year alone.