5 ms·
Only two of those games have 3d graphics: one has an mtx revenue stream, and the other is a stylized low resolution design and conveniently has no real backgrou
by kec 7y ago
Only two of those games have 3d graphics: one has an mtx revenue stream, and the other is a stylized low resolution design and conveniently has no real background to render.
Successful indies survive as they do because they stay within their severely constrained production budgets. Modern AAA's have large studios and insane budgets (Red Dead Redemption 2 is estimated to have cost around $1B to produce) because modern computer graphics are really, really time consuming and expensive to produce.
If we assume that RDR2 did cost $1B, and Rockstar nets an average of $40 per sale, they'd have to sell 25 Million copies just to break even on box sales alone. Reports are that they've hit that number of units shipped as of this month, but again, that's just to break even (and assumes the game has never been sold at a discount, and that physical copies have the same margin as digital).
- davemp 7y agoThat $1B number gets some real doubt from me. I'd bet the real number is a few $100M lower. No way rockstar had over 1k people working on that rd2 for eight years at ~$100k avg.
- Scramblejams 7y agoDon't forget marketing budgets. It's not unheard of for the really heavy hitters to spend at least as much marketing a game as developing it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_video_games_to_develop https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_video_g...
- lawtalkinghuman 7y agoWithout microtransaction and lootbox revenue, developers might have to not build essential features like ensuring horse testicles shrink or enlarge to match the ambient temperature. How would players cope with this lack of equine testicular realism?