[MayeulC]

Most game studios from that time wouldn't qualify as AAA today.

There are new indie gems all the time. Tunic, Hades, Hollow knight, Risk of Rain, Overgrowth, Return of the Obra Dinn, Kerbal Space Program, Factorio, and the list goes on. Innovative gameplay, music, visuals are everywhere. Often indie games cater to niches. They don't appeal to everybody, which is part of their charm.

Just like blockbusters are usually average in most respects other than their budget. That makes for pretty good results on every single aspect, but given the budget, studios won't take risks by innovating too much in unknown areas.

[Jensson]

> Most game studios from that time wouldn't qualify as AAA today.

They were still far larger than todays indie studios, todays indies are making great games but the kind of budget novel ideas had back then rarely exist for novel games today.

[MayeulC]

That's probably true in both gaming and cinema, as the genre becomes better known, and the unexplored possibilities space becomes smaller.

Still, there are AA games studios, even if most have been swallowed due to market consolidation lately.

GSC Game world (300 employees, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.), Team 17 (200 employees, worms, overcooked, escapists), PopCap games, etc.

But I kind of prove your point as most I can fit in the above list mostly churn out sequels to their previously succesful titles.

On the other hand, making good and technically impressive games has become easier and cheaper over the past two decades, with indies often reaching or going above the bar placed by AAA studios back then.

Tunic was made by a single developer, for instance.