With news that GTA 5 may just be the most expensive game ever made, MyGaming decided to have a look at which games broke the piggy bank to make it onto store shelves.
The following estimated game budgets are listed from various sources.
Star Wars: The Old Republic – $200 million
Bioware’s ambitious Star Wars MMO, The Old Republic, has had its ups and downs since launch. However, given its size, it’s no surprise that it boasts one of the biggest development budgets out there.
GTA 4 – $100 million
GTA 4 is not only one of the biggest games around, but its high production value undoubtedly features an equally large cost. Rockstar’s giant GTA project reportedly cost around $100 million to develop and market, but rightfully so, because it proved to be a bigger hit than anyone ever expected.
Disney Infinity – $100 million
Disney’s new venture into the collectible figurine-video game crossover market segment has proved to be a success for Disney, but it definitely comes at a cost. Over $100 million was said to be invested into the development and marketing of the game – after all, the design and production of those figurines doesn’t come for free.
Red Dead Redemption – $100 million
Once again, Rockstar makes the list. Perhaps the developer spent a huge chunk of money on a time-travel machine, because Rockstar nailed the spaghetti-Western-inspired theme, setting, and mood in 2010’s Red Dead Redemption. Like other Rockstar projects, RDR had a bar of quality that many other developers couldn’t reach, making it a pinnacle of game design in the current-generation.
Gran Turismo 5 – $80 million
Every Gran Turismo game obviously takes a huge budget to put together – the tracks, car licenses and meticulous research into the automotive industry must cost a fortune, and the fifth instalment reportedly racked up an $80 million development budget.
Battlefied 3 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim are also said to be up there in terms of costs, with Battlefield 3’s marketing budget reportedly around $100 million alone, however, there are no final numbers regarding the overall costs of the games’ development.
Source(s): GamesIndustry.biz, BBC News, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal
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I think Shenmue stands out most for me. Not due to overall price – but the fact they made the game knowing full well it’d never stand to make a profit. Not only that, but they made a sequel. That game, as well as the Dreamcast were ahead of their time. It’s a shame the console’s life ended so prematurely in EU/US