Video game production is a world as fascinating as it is unknown to the general public. From independent studios creating games alone (or nearly so) to AAA behemoths mobilizing thousands of people, the models are radically different.
DLC, crunch, early access, microtransactions… This glossary pulls back the curtain on the inner workings of the industry.
AAA (Triple-A)
Refers to games with very large budgets, produced by major studios and publishers. The term references the highest financial credit rating. A AAA title often mobilizes hundreds of developers over several years.
Examples: Call of Duty, God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2.
Early Access
A distribution model where an unfinished game is sold to the public before its official release. Players fund development and provide feedback. Risky for the consumer but valuable for the studio.
Examples: Minecraft (historically), Hades, Baldur's Gate 3.
Alpha
The first testing phase of a game, often limited to the internal team or a very small group. The game is playable but incomplete, with many bugs. Precedes the beta.
Examples: closed alpha phases of most major multiplayer games.
Beta
A more advanced testing phase than alpha, sometimes open to the public. The game is nearly complete but still requires fixes. Also serves as a marketing tool.
Examples: open betas for Call of Duty, Diablo IV, Overwatch.
Battle Pass
A seasonal subscription system offering unlockable cosmetic rewards through gameplay. Gradually replacing traditional DLC in live service games.
Examples: Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, Rocket League.
Bug
An error in the game's code causing unexpected behavior: a character walking through a wall, disappearing textures, a crash. Some bugs have become iconic.
Examples: the totem bug in Skyrim, the bugs in Cyberpunk 2077 at launch.
Closed Beta / Open Beta
A closed beta is limited to selected testers. An open beta is accessible to everyone. An open beta serves as much as a marketing campaign as it does a testing phase.
Examples: open betas for Diablo IV, Battlefield.
Crunch
A period of intense overwork near the end of production, where teams work long hours to meet release deadlines. A major subject of ethical debate in the industry.
Examples: documented at Rockstar Games, CD Projekt Red, Naughty Dog.
DLC (Downloadable Content)
Additional content downloadable after purchasing the base game: new missions, characters, areas, cosmetics. Can be free or paid.
Examples: The Witcher 3 DLCs, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
Publisher
A company that finances, distributes, and markets a game, often without handling development directly. Can exert significant pressure on studios.
Examples: EA, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive.
Free-to-play (F2P)
A business model where the game is free but generates revenue through optional in-game purchases. Dominant on mobile and widely present on PC and consoles.
Examples: Fortnite, League of Legends, Genshin Impact.
Game Jam
An event where developers create a complete game in a very limited time (24h, 48h, one week). An incubator for creativity and talent.
Examples: Global Game Jam, Ludum Dare — the origins of Celeste and Thomas Was Alone.
Gold (Gold Master)
The development stage where a game is considered finished and ready to be pressed to disc or submitted to platforms. An expression inherited from the CD-ROM era.
Examples: an internal milestone at all major studios.
Greenlight / Platform Certification
The process by which a platform (Steam, PlayStation, Xbox) approves a game before publication. Can act as a barrier or a quality seal.
Examples: the former Steam Greenlight system, Sony/Microsoft certification.
Indie (Independent)
A game developed without funding from a major publisher. Independent studios often have greater creative freedom but limited resources.
Examples: Hollow Knight, Celeste, Undertale, Stardew Valley.
Kickstarter / Crowdfunding
A model where the public directly funds the development of a game before it's created. Allows atypical projects to come to life.
Examples: Shovel Knight, Pillars of Eternity, Bloodstained.
Loot Box
A virtual box with random contents, purchased with real money or in-game currency. Highly controversial for its similarities to gambling. Regulated or banned in some countries.
Examples: FIFA Ultimate Team, Overwatch (original version), Counter-Strike.
Microtransaction
A small in-game purchase, typically between $0.99 and a few dollars, for cosmetics, resources, or advantages. An economic pillar of F2P games.
Examples: Fortnite skins, battle passes, virtual currencies.
Patch / Update
A fix or content addition deployed after a game's release. A patch fixes bugs; a major update can add significant content.
Examples: No Man's Sky updates, League of Legends balance patches.
Modding
The practice of modifying a game using tools provided by the studio or developed by the community. Some mods grow into full games in their own right.
Examples: Counter-Strike (Half-Life mod), DayZ (ArmA II mod), Skyrim mods.
Post-mortem
A retrospective analysis conducted after a game's release by the development team. Identifies what worked well and what could have been handled better. Often published in industry outlets.
Port
The adaptation of a game originally developed for one platform to another. Port quality can vary considerably.
Examples: the PC port of Nier: Automata (notorious at launch), the Switch port of The Witcher 3.
Post-launch
The period following a game's official release, during which the studio continues to publish content, fixes, and updates.
Examples: the extensive post-launch support for No Man's Sky and Cyberpunk 2077.
Roadmap
A public schedule communicated by the studio, detailing planned content and updates over the coming months or years. A tool for communication and community engagement.
Examples: roadmaps for No Man's Sky, Minecraft, Sea of Thieves.
Season Pass
A subscription giving access to all of a game's DLC at a reduced price. Purchased upfront, before the content is even available.
Examples: Borderlands 3 Season Pass, Mortal Kombat 11 Season Pass.
Live Service (Games as a Service)
A game model designed to be updated and operated over the long term, with regular content drops and ongoing monetization.
Examples: Fortnite, Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XIV.
Speedrun (see also: Mechanic)
At a production level, speedrunning is also a cultural and community phenomenon: events like AGDQ (Awesome Games Done Quick) draw millions of viewers and raise funds for charitable organizations.
First-party Studio
A studio owned directly by a console manufacturer. Develops exclusives for its owner's platform.
Examples: Naughty Dog (Sony), 343 Industries (Microsoft), Nintendo EPD (Nintendo).
Third-party Studio
A studio independent from console manufacturers, developing games that can release across multiple platforms.
Examples: CD Projekt Red, FromSoftware, Capcom.
Trophies / Achievements
Optional objectives built into a game, rewarding specific actions. A meta-progression system that encourages replayability.
Examples: Steam Achievements, PlayStation Trophies, Xbox Achievements.
GOTY Edition (Game of the Year Edition)
A special edition of a game including the base game and all its DLC, typically released a year after the original at a reduced price.
Examples: The Witcher 3 GOTY, Dark Souls III GOTY.
Walled Garden
A closed ecosystem controlled by a platform, where purchases and content cannot be transferred to other systems. A subject of debate around digital ownership.
Examples: Apple's App Store, PlayStation Store.
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