The Cost of Making Games
@thecostofgames.bsky.social
Tracking Development Budgets and Revenue in the Game Industry
According to @jasonschreier.bsky.social, Blizzard's Titan project had a development cost of around $80M, before being cancelled in 2013. It later became the foundation for Overwatch.
Source: Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment (Jason Schreier, 2024), page 205
Source: Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment (Jason Schreier, 2024), page 205
May 28, 2025 at 7:55 AM
According to @jasonschreier.bsky.social, Blizzard's Titan project had a development cost of around $80M, before being cancelled in 2013. It later became the foundation for Overwatch.
Source: Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment (Jason Schreier, 2024), page 205
Source: Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment (Jason Schreier, 2024), page 205
According to Thomas Grip, @frictionalgames.bsky.social co-founder, the development budget for Amnesia The Dark Descent was $360k, over 3 years. The figure was shared in 2012.
Source: frictionalgames.blogspot.com/2012/09/amne...
Source: frictionalgames.blogspot.com/2012/09/amne...
May 19, 2025 at 11:55 AM
According to Thomas Grip, @frictionalgames.bsky.social co-founder, the development budget for Amnesia The Dark Descent was $360k, over 3 years. The figure was shared in 2012.
Source: frictionalgames.blogspot.com/2012/09/amne...
Source: frictionalgames.blogspot.com/2012/09/amne...
Tero Virtala, CEO of @remedygames.com, shared with @stephentotilo.bsky.social GameFile that Control 2 has a development budget of €50M.
Source: www.gamefile.news/p/remedys-ne...
Source: www.gamefile.news/p/remedys-ne...
Remedy's next big game is being made for less money, but can still be great, CEO says
The head of the studio behind Alan Wake and Control talks to Game File about Remedy's survival, a key cancellation, and getting game devs to think more about game business (but not too much!)
www.gamefile.news
May 12, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Tero Virtala, CEO of @remedygames.com, shared with @stephentotilo.bsky.social GameFile that Control 2 has a development budget of €50M.
Source: www.gamefile.news/p/remedys-ne...
Source: www.gamefile.news/p/remedys-ne...
According to Yu Suzuki, the director of the game, the budget for the original Shenmue was $47M, a figure including "commercialization and marketing".
Other sources put the total number at $70M.
Sources: www.gamespot.com/articles/yu-... ($47M)
www.ign.com/articles/200... ($70M)
Other sources put the total number at $70M.
Sources: www.gamespot.com/articles/yu-... ($47M)
www.ign.com/articles/200... ($70M)
April 27, 2025 at 6:15 PM
According to Yu Suzuki, the director of the game, the budget for the original Shenmue was $47M, a figure including "commercialization and marketing".
Other sources put the total number at $70M.
Sources: www.gamespot.com/articles/yu-... ($47M)
www.ign.com/articles/200... ($70M)
Other sources put the total number at $70M.
Sources: www.gamespot.com/articles/yu-... ($47M)
www.ign.com/articles/200... ($70M)
According to revenue data shared by @devolverdigital.com during the FY24 Investor Presentation, @cultofthelamb.bsky.social Lifetime Revenue (including DLCs) is over $90M, the highest in their portfolio.
Source: investors.devolverdigital.com/files/downlo...
Source: investors.devolverdigital.com/files/downlo...
April 22, 2025 at 11:35 AM
According to revenue data shared by @devolverdigital.com during the FY24 Investor Presentation, @cultofthelamb.bsky.social Lifetime Revenue (including DLCs) is over $90M, the highest in their portfolio.
Source: investors.devolverdigital.com/files/downlo...
Source: investors.devolverdigital.com/files/downlo...
Total budget for Remedy's Alan Wake 2 was reportedly $70 Millions, of which $20 Millions for Marketing.
Source: www.hs.fi/talous/art-2...
Source: www.hs.fi/talous/art-2...
Pelit | Alan Wake II on yksi Suomen kalleimmista kulttuurituotteista, ja siitä voi tulla Remedylle kultakaivos
Perjantaina julkaistu Alan Wake II -peli on saanut kriitikoilta ylistystä. Osaketutkimusyhtiö Inderes odottaakin pelin kehittäjä Remedylle merkittävää kasvua ensi vuodelle.
www.hs.fi
April 4, 2025 at 6:54 AM
Total budget for Remedy's Alan Wake 2 was reportedly $70 Millions, of which $20 Millions for Marketing.
Source: www.hs.fi/talous/art-2...
Source: www.hs.fi/talous/art-2...
Callisto Protocol had a development budget of 200 billion won, or $162 Millions, according to Krafton's Quarterly Report.
Source: www.videogameschronicle.com/news/the-cal...
Source: www.videogameschronicle.com/news/the-cal...
The Callisto Protocol reportedly hasn’t met publisher sales expectations | VGC
The Callisto Protocol has reportedly seen disappointing sales numbers, failing to recoup a reported $ 162 million budget. This has caused investors in publisher Krafton to lower their target stock pri...
www.videogameschronicle.com
March 26, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Callisto Protocol had a development budget of 200 billion won, or $162 Millions, according to Krafton's Quarterly Report.
Source: www.videogameschronicle.com/news/the-cal...
Source: www.videogameschronicle.com/news/the-cal...
While we don't have exact numbers, Capcom shared during an Investor Q&A that Resident Evil 7 recouped its development costs after shipping 3 Million copies.
Source: www.destructoid.com/capcom-says-...
Source: www.destructoid.com/capcom-says-...
Capcom says Resident Evil 7 recouped its development costs
www.destructoid.com
March 22, 2025 at 7:07 PM
While we don't have exact numbers, Capcom shared during an Investor Q&A that Resident Evil 7 recouped its development costs after shipping 3 Million copies.
Source: www.destructoid.com/capcom-says-...
Source: www.destructoid.com/capcom-says-...
In an interview with @theguardian.com Shuhei Yoshida, former President of SIE Worldwide Studios, said that development costs for God of War Ragnarok were about $200 Millions, compared to $40 Millions for God of War III.
Source: www.theguardian.com/games/2023/a...
Source: www.theguardian.com/games/2023/a...
The face of PlayStation: Shuhei Yoshida on the joy and future of video games
He’s been at PlayStation since the beginning, and seen the games industry transform beyond recognition. He talks unlikely successes, AI, and gaming’s future
www.theguardian.com
March 22, 2025 at 7:02 PM
In an interview with @theguardian.com Shuhei Yoshida, former President of SIE Worldwide Studios, said that development costs for God of War Ragnarok were about $200 Millions, compared to $40 Millions for God of War III.
Source: www.theguardian.com/games/2023/a...
Source: www.theguardian.com/games/2023/a...
According to CD PROJEKT Group Financial Reports (August 2015), total Development Budget for The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt, including development and marketing expenses, was 306 million PLN, or about $81 Million.
Source: www.cdprojekt.com/en/media/new...
Source: www.cdprojekt.com/en/media/new...
The CD PROJEKT Group summarizes the release of The Witcher 3 - CD PROJEKT
Over the first 6 weeks CD PROJEKT sold 6 million copies of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The total budget of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was 306 million PLN. 1 million copies of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for ...
www.cdprojekt.com
March 3, 2025 at 3:18 PM
According to CD PROJEKT Group Financial Reports (August 2015), total Development Budget for The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt, including development and marketing expenses, was 306 million PLN, or about $81 Million.
Source: www.cdprojekt.com/en/media/new...
Source: www.cdprojekt.com/en/media/new...
According to Tomoyuki Takechi, former President and CEO of Square, Final Fantasy VII (1997) development budget was $40 million, of which about 25% spent on Computer Graphics R&D and equipment.
Source: www.polygon.com/a/final-fant...
Source: www.polygon.com/a/final-fant...
Final Fantasy 7: An oral history
An inside look at the creation and fallout of Square's industry-defining role-playing game, as told by those who were there.
www.polygon.com
March 3, 2025 at 2:45 PM
According to Tomoyuki Takechi, former President and CEO of Square, Final Fantasy VII (1997) development budget was $40 million, of which about 25% spent on Computer Graphics R&D and equipment.
Source: www.polygon.com/a/final-fant...
Source: www.polygon.com/a/final-fant...