Games with budgets bigger than movies

[Gemini-Phoenix]

What games have had huge budgets? I mean huge as in massive - On par with some epic movies!


As the industry grows, games are being given even bigger budgets - Sometimes even bigger tham movies, so which games would you say have had the biggest budgets so far?

I think one or two Square Enix games would come in the top ten most expensive games...

[it290]

Well, Shenmue I/II would certainly be good examples.

[rpepper9]

Doesn't Sony's new God of War have one of the largest budgets of all time. I think that Sony is really banking on this one being good and is pulling out all the stops!

[jslithy]

Shenmue is in the Guinness Book for most expensive video game. Maybe it's been surpassed recently. Some guesses would be God of War, Enter the Matrix and Resident Evil 4.

[SoulBlazer]

I know the recent Final Fantasy's have had huge budgets. I believe MGS3 had to be expensive to make also, as well as most recent RPG's.

[pacmanhat]

Do MMO's count?

[Neil Koch]

I would think the GTA games cost quite a bit because they had to pay for the actors and music licensing.

I don't think we've had any games that have cost $100 million to make (which is pretty much the average cost for any big movie -- hell, even "Son of the Mask" cost $120 million) but I'm sure there have been at least a few that cost millions, especially when you factor in advertising/promotion.

[dbiersdorf]

I think Shenmue costed around $50 million and that's going to be the big one for awhile.

[hydr0x]

Wing Commander III & IV

[SnappleMan]

I think Shenmue costed around $50 million and that's going to be the big one for awhile.

$50 MILLION? Holy hell o_O....

No wonder there's not gonna be a third game...

Seems a bit excessive to me. Don't get me wrong, Shenmue is one of my favorite game series, but $50 million?

[Gapporin]

$50 MILLION? Holy hell o_O....

No wonder there's not gonna be a third game...

Seems a bit excessive to me. Don't get me wrong, Shenmue is one of my favorite game series, but $50 million?

Eh, that's a bit of an exaggeration. Shenmue I and II both cost $20 million each to create and produce.

[SoulBlazer]

Several good websites list the development costs of FF7 as being around $55 million.

[hezeuschrist]

The Xenosaga games have to be ridiculously expensive as well. Serious amount of CG work done in them.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I would definately have said FFIX, as well as pretty much most Square Enix games... FFXII and Dragon Warrior VIII would have pretty high budgets I would imagine...

I'd think almost any game which has heavy CGI scenes in it would cost tons to make.

I also think Medal Of Honor Frontline / Allied Assault had a huge budget too.


If you think, many games we get are arcade ports, but many are made specifically for a certain console and a certain audience...


I would think RPG's would chart highly in a top ten of most expensive games ever produced...



And if you think, Shenmue I / II are knocking on a bit now, so I wouldn't be surprised if one or two games have cost more to make than those...

Hmmm, I would go out on a limb here and say maybe the new Zelda game would have a damn high budget!!!

[poloplayr]

Remember kids: the bigger the budget the crappier the game. sure it can be flashy and nice in the short run but hold no replay value. sometimes I feel the makers are failed film producers.

[SoulBlazer]

And I strongly disagree with you. The recent Final Fantasies, Xenosagas, Suikodens, and Shenmue's are some of my favorite games.

But that's a matter of personal opinon. :)

[hezeuschrist]

Remember kids: the bigger the budget the crappier the game. sure it can be flashy and nice in the short run but hold no replay value. sometimes I feel the makers are failed film producers.

"You think you know it all, don't you? You're 25 years old. You're a baby. You don't know shit. Look, I can appreciate this. I was young too. I felt just like you. Hated authority. Hated all my bosses, thought they were full of shit. Look, it's like they say. 'If you're not a rebel by the age of 20, you got no heart, but if you haven't turned establishment by 30, you've got no brains!' Because there are no storybook romances, no fairytale endings. So before you run out and change the world, ask yourself--What do you really want?"

[njiska]

Well if you factor lisencsing into it EA's new Football games are definietly up there. A five year exclusive deal with the NFL couldn't have been cheap. Now add music and development time you get some damn expensive games.

[boatofcar]

Well if you factor lisencsing into it EA's new Football games are definietly up there. A five year exclusive deal with the NFL couldn't have been cheap. Now add music and development time you get some damn expensive games.


Anyone know the numbers on this? Sounds like it might be a winner....

[njiska]

Well if you factor lisencsing into it EA's new Football games are definietly up there. A five year exclusive deal with the NFL couldn't have been cheap. Now add music and development time you get some damn expensive games.


Anyone know the numbers on this? Sounds like it might be a winner....

No one knows the real numbers but most market analysts that i've seen estimate over $500 Million. Oh and i for got to add the 15 year Espn deal. It's gotta be a lot too and will be added into the next EA NFL game.

[PDorr3]

why is god of war going to cost so much? just curious...

[hezeuschrist]

Well if you factor lisencsing into it EA's new Football games are definietly up there. A five year exclusive deal with the NFL couldn't have been cheap. Now add music and development time you get some damn expensive games.


Anyone know the numbers on this? Sounds like it might be a winner....

It was $300million for 5 years of NFL and $800million for 15 years of ESPN.

They just spent a billion dollars, but divide that out and it's still not going to reach the $100million mark. They do about 8 minutes of development on madden every year.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Is there a site around somewhere with maybe some cold hard facts of how much certain games cost to make, or perhaps some comparisons of certain games Eg, Rpg's costs...?

[Graham Mitchell]

Remember kids: the bigger the budget the crappier the game. sure it can be flashy and nice in the short run but hold no replay value. sometimes I feel the makers are failed film producers.

Depends on the game. In the case of "Enter the Matrix" or other licensing nightmares, most of that money went to the license and the actors/actresses. The game itself got about $20 thrown at it. But, as everybody has pointed out, Shenmue and Metal Gear Solid, and a few others, have been some of the best justifications for having a big budget.

But a big budget also is not necessary to have a great game. How much do you guys think they spent developing Katamari Damacy?

[optic_85]

Remember kids: the bigger the budget the crappier the game. sure it can be flashy and nice in the short run but hold no replay value. sometimes I feel the makers are failed film producers.

"You think you know it all, don't you? You're 25 years old. You're a baby. You don't know shit. Look, I can appreciate this. I was young too. I felt just like you. Hated authority. Hated all my bosses, thought they were full of shit. Look, it's like they say. 'If you're not a rebel by the age of 20, you got no heart, but if you haven't turned establishment by 30, you've got no brains!' Because there are no storybook romances, no fairytale endings. So before you run out and change the world, ask yourself--What do you really want?"

Dude, no need to jump all over him. It's just an opinion. There is no reason to start critizing his life, you dont even know him. If your so old and wise i would think that by now you would have learned to be a little less judgemental.

Timothy 4:12
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

ANYWHO, on the subject of games. this topic is very intertesting, i didnt know how high some of these budgets were. It's just nuts. As for the quality of the games, for the most part the quality is high. I dont personally like a lot of the games because of personal taste(not an rpg fan), but overall they are good games. But i think there is a deffinate danger in the hype increasing, and the quality steadily going down.....Let's just hope that doesnt happen