Players aren’t won over as easily as before; nobody’s impressed just because we can count every strand in Kratos’s beard. Meghan Morgan Juinio, formerly a producer at Santa Monica Studio, argues that major publishers need to take a step back and admit that the AAA formula has become unsustainable. Her prescription is clear: diversify, and make room for smaller AA and even indie projects. That’s how the industry stays viable—and how truly fresh ideas can break through again.

The games business is in a rough patch: sweeping layoffs, ballooning budgets, and riskier bets define the moment. In that climate, Meghan Morgan Juinio—who worked on God of War (2018)—delivered a straight message to giants like Sony and Activision: broaden the portfolio. AAA publishers, she says, should carve out space for tighter-scope AA and indie titles that can drive innovation while lowering the sector’s existential risk.

Speaking to Game Developer (via GameSpot) at Gamescom Asia, she called out the post-pandemic wave of “unsustainable decision-making.” Flagship series like Call of Duty and Battlefield still mint money, but players increasingly seek different experiences: modest budgets, reasonable runtimes, and development that isn’t bloated. In her view, the industry’s biggest players must “reflect on what kind of product they want to offer,” and intentionally plan toward a more balanced ecosystem.

As models to follow, she cited projects like Astro Bot and Split Fiction—compact, budget-controlled, idea-driven releases that fit a “smaller-scale AAA” approach. Their recent wins, she argues, aren’t just about friendlier pricing; they deliver fresh, creative experiences many big-ticket launches lost while chasing realism and spectacle.

Too Much Pixel Perfection, Not Enough Fun?

Juinio contends that runaway technical ambition pushed the industry to a breaking point. Players, she says, have become “desensitized to realistic graphics,” so what truly matters is whether a game is fun and powered by a strong idea. “If it’s not fun, it doesn’t matter how pretty it is.”

Even so, she strikes an optimistic tone: “I’m a glass-half-full person.” Creativity and innovation, she believes, will win out. Structural shifts ahead could open doors for everyone—and as long as passionate developers bring new ideas, there will be an audience ready to meet them.

Source: 3DJuegos