The Middle Market is Where the Magic Happens: Why AA Studios Are the Creative Heart of Games Today

At The NPC Guild, we’ve watched the video game industry evolve for decades. It moves in cycles — waves of small studios breaking out, acquisitions and consolidation into major publishers, followed by new waves of independent developers striking out on their own. This rise-and-reset rhythm is part of what keeps gaming vibrant, fresh, and often unpredictable.

But over the past five years, we’ve seen a slightly different version of this cycle playing out. The industry has faced massive layoffs, shifts in funding models, and volatility across both large publishers and independent teams. And yet, one consistent truth remains: much of the creative innovation, bold new ideas, and genre-defining risks continue to come from smaller AA studios and experienced indie teams.

In many cases, these new creative centers are built by veterans who’ve spent years inside major publishers honing their craft. Eventually, some of these creators step away to form new studios built around their own creative vision — nimble, passionate teams who aren’t afraid to take risks that larger organizations often won’t. These are the AA studios we see flourishing today — not quite AAA in size or budget but ambitious in vision, experience, and execution.

When we talk about indie developers or AA studios, the focus naturally lands on the creative side — the teams building the games. That makes sense. You can’t have a great game without talented people developing it. But what’s often missing from the conversation is the publishing side of the equation. You rarely hear about indie publishers in the same way. That’s because most “indie publishing” today really means one of a few things: angel investors funding promising projects, marketing agencies taking on extended publishing functions, or newer models, like shadow publishing, that sit somewhere in between. Someone still must fund, market, and distribute the game — but few independent developers are fully equipped to handle that on their own.

And here’s where the real challenge lies. For most AA studios, publishing functions — marketing, PR, platform relations, go-to-market planning — are often handled by the same creative leadership who are working on building the game. Not out of passion, but out of necessity. They’ve poured everything into creating something amazing and understandably do whatever it takes to get it across the finish line. But that doesn’t always translate into deep expertise in how to market, position, and launch the game effectively.

The reality is this: publishing and marketing are not separate from development. They are part of development. A poorly executed marketing plan can hurt a game’s chances just as much as a weak narrative or unbalanced gameplay.

This creates a clear Catch-22 for many studios. Most can’t afford to build a full in-house publishing and marketing team, but they also don’t want to surrender creative control or ownership by signing with a large publisher. So, they face limited options: go it alone, hope for organic discovery, or roll the dice and pray for a viral breakout — the industry equivalent of rolling a nat 20.

We’re not the only ones seeing this need. Across the industry, new agencies are forming specifically to support indie and AA studios. Individual consultants are building specialty practices focused on this exact segment. Even some major publishers and holding companies are developing dedicated AA publishing divisions to try to serve this growing market. The demand is real: talented studios want professional and specialized support — but delivered in a way that preserves their ownership, vision, and independence.

This is the space The NPC Guild was built to serve. We believe the industry needs new Biowares, new Respawns, new Supergiants — but those studios deserve access to professional, flexible, and trusted publishing and marketing support that doesn’t require giving up control. Our role is to act as an extension of the development team, helping studios:

• Build strategic go-to-market plans.

• Shape messaging that connects with real players.

• Engage influencers, media, and platforms early.

• Maximize resources and avoid costly missteps.

• Execute marketing that feels as thoughtful and intentional as the game itself.

The middle market — this AA and indie-plus space — is where some of the most exciting creative work is happening right now. It’s where new genres get invented, fresh voices emerge, and passionate communities form around games that don’t always fit neatly into AAA molds. Supporting these studios means respecting their vision while giving them the tools to succeed commercially and build healthy, sustainable futures.

We believe this space isn’t just important — it’s essential. And we’re excited to help the next generation of studios bring their ideas to life.