Dead Space and Callisto Protocol creator has had enough of people "putting down AAA" games

Is AAA dead? Has AAA gaming run its course? Should we ditch it all for premium-feeling AA and indie experiences? We've asked these questions, as almost every other outlet has, as it seems what was once the pinnacle of game quality has now diminished at a rapid rate. Glen Schofield, the creator of Dead Space and The Callisto Protocol, thinks quite differently. He believes there are fixes to the AAA woes being experienced right now, and we should all be a little kinder to the top studios.

"Everyone is putting down AAA these days. Who do you think started every single new console or platform? It started with AAA games blasting through it," Schofield told Gamesindustry.biz. He explained that COVID was a huge moment for the industry, as it showed AAA developers they couldn't make games fast enough to keep up with demand, as everyone was at home, wanting to play games.

"Billions of dollars poured into the industry. When you have that much money coming in, you inevitably give it to the wrong people. I look at who they are (and some of them I know) and I think, 'He's 10 years away, she's 5 years away from being able to do this'. They're handed a studio and a game at the same time," Schofield said.

He added: "The due diligence by the people who are investing is terrible. Think of Bungie! They were overpaying, and they weren't paying the right people in many cases. All you have to do is find who the true creative person is, as opposed to the person who just says they're creative. There are a lot of people who copy very well. The non-creative people just have to scratch the surface harder to find some creative people that in turn will help them hire the right creative people."

Unlike other industry vets, Schofield isn't calling for smaller teams on AAA projects, just more focused development, with the "right people" being picked for the jobs. Sounds easy on paper, but it might be difficult considering the state of the industry right now.