3 ms·

Game developes are what, $80-150K/year on average (of all levels). Add benefits and tax overhead, makes it $110-180K/year. Times 350: $38,500,000 - $63,000,000

by rorrr 14y ago

Game developes are what, $80-150K/year on average (of all levels). Add benefits and tax overhead, makes it $110-180K/year. Times 350: $38,500,000 - $63,000,000 per year. (I don't know if they include artists, managers, executives in that 350 number, so it could be more, much more). It's really not a crazy budget, movies break that all the time. There are multi-billion dollar game studios out there.

TillE 14y ago
Except developing an MMO doesn't take just one year, it's more like two or three at least. Avatar's budget, to take a not-too-random example, was $237 million. You're looking at probably about half that for a videogame, which is insane.
- nl 14y ago
  Avatar's budget, to take a not-too-random example, was $237 million. You're looking at probably about half that for a videogame, which is insane. Err.. That's not insane at all. Video game revenue has long outstripped movie revenue[1, 2009]. To pick a non-random example, it too 24 hours for Halo 4 to bring in $220M revenue (as opposed to 17 days for Avatar)[2] Halo 4 cost around $40M to produce[2] [1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2009/sep/27/videogames-hollywood http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2009/sep/27/v... [2] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324439804578115432402361940.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142412788732443980457811...
  - blktiger 14y ago
    Also, keep in mind that Halo was only on the xbox 360. Destiny will be available cross-platform so the market is even larger.
- jules 14y ago
  > which is insane Is it really? I'd have expected an MMO to be a bigger project than an animation movie. There is script writing, animation, 3d modeling, speech and sound in both of them. While the visual quality in a movie has to be higher, there is a LOT of stuff in a modern game that has to be modeled. And then we've not even talked about the programming side. Secondly, keep in mind that very succesful games generate billions dollars of profit, so it would make sense to spend a fraction of that if that improves your chances of becoming the next megahit.
  - elithrar 14y ago
    > Secondly, keep in mind that very succesful games generate billions dollars of profit, so it would make sense to spend a fraction of that if that improves your chances of becoming the next megahit. You also have to support a game after release (of which the costs are not insignificant). Movies, not so much.
    - jules 14y ago
      Well yes, and in return the players keep paying you every month instead of once (at least that's how it is for these modern MMOs).
- lifeformed 14y ago
  GTA4, Red Dead Redemption, Codblops, and Battlefield 3 all cost in the $100M+ range.
angrycoder 14y ago
Your salary number is bit too high, in general, game developers make less than your average software developer. Also, there is no way they have 350 programmers working on that project. That number has to include various types of designers, artists, and programmers.
- sk3tch 14y ago
  >In general, game developers make less than your average software developer. Interesting. Can I ask where you read that or how you came to that conclusion?
  - seanmcdirmid 14y ago
    If I can chime in, my opinion is anecdotal but I think generally true: many programmers dream about building games and so are less driven by money; the game companies then take advantage of that. In contrast, if you are programming databases or sharepoint, you probably have less passion about the domain your working in and will want more money for your trouble.
    - bluedanieru 14y ago
      I don't know why you have to shit on developers outside the games industry as you've done here (perhaps it wasn't intentional?). I love games, and I have plenty of passion both for them and for programming in general. But the games industry is saturated with developers who got into programing solely to make games, and who only want to make games, and is famous for taking advantage of that. I'd rather not be taken advantage of, and 'passion' has nothing to do with it.
      - seanmcdirmid 14y ago
        I don't know why you think I said something derogatory or even controversial. I mean, developers might have passion for programming, but sharepoint? There are many jobs out there whose domains are overtly uninteresting to many of us, but they still need to be done and the work itself can be interesting; but companies will still need to pony up a bit more money in a competitive market to get us in the door. Now game developers wants to be game developers. They don't need much extra incentive. Its like acting in LA or NYC; it takes talent and training, and you can get paid for it, but maybe not as much as being a claims adjuster. Are those actors being exploited or is it just a supply and demand thing? Now, in contrast, how many kids dream of being claims adjusters?
deleted 14y ago
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by rorrr 14y ago

TillE 14y ago

Except developing an MMO doesn't take just one year, it's more like two or three at least. Avatar's budget, to take a not-too-random example, was $237 million. You're looking at probably about half that for a videogame, which is insane.

nl 14y ago
Avatar's budget, to take a not-too-random example, was $237 million. You're looking at probably about half that for a videogame, which is insane. Err.. That's not insane at all. Video game revenue has long outstripped movie revenue[1, 2009]. To pick a non-random example, it too 24 hours for Halo 4 to bring in $220M revenue (as opposed to 17 days for Avatar)[2] Halo 4 cost around $40M to produce[2] [1] http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2009/sep/27/videogames-hollywood http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2009/sep/27/v... [2] http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324439804578115432402361940.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142412788732443980457811...
- blktiger 14y ago
  Also, keep in mind that Halo was only on the xbox 360. Destiny will be available cross-platform so the market is even larger.
jules 14y ago
> which is insane Is it really? I'd have expected an MMO to be a bigger project than an animation movie. There is script writing, animation, 3d modeling, speech and sound in both of them. While the visual quality in a movie has to be higher, there is a LOT of stuff in a modern game that has to be modeled. And then we've not even talked about the programming side. Secondly, keep in mind that very succesful games generate billions dollars of profit, so it would make sense to spend a fraction of that if that improves your chances of becoming the next megahit.
- elithrar 14y ago
  > Secondly, keep in mind that very succesful games generate billions dollars of profit, so it would make sense to spend a fraction of that if that improves your chances of becoming the next megahit. You also have to support a game after release (of which the costs are not insignificant). Movies, not so much.
  - jules 14y ago
    Well yes, and in return the players keep paying you every month instead of once (at least that's how it is for these modern MMOs).
lifeformed 14y ago
GTA4, Red Dead Redemption, Codblops, and Battlefield 3 all cost in the $100M+ range.

angrycoder 14y ago

Your salary number is bit too high, in general, game developers make less than your average software developer. Also, there is no way they have 350 programmers working on that project. That number has to include various types of designers, artists, and programmers.

sk3tch 14y ago
>In general, game developers make less than your average software developer. Interesting. Can I ask where you read that or how you came to that conclusion?
- seanmcdirmid 14y ago
  If I can chime in, my opinion is anecdotal but I think generally true: many programmers dream about building games and so are less driven by money; the game companies then take advantage of that. In contrast, if you are programming databases or sharepoint, you probably have less passion about the domain your working in and will want more money for your trouble.
  - bluedanieru 14y ago
    I don't know why you have to shit on developers outside the games industry as you've done here (perhaps it wasn't intentional?). I love games, and I have plenty of passion both for them and for programming in general. But the games industry is saturated with developers who got into programing solely to make games, and who only want to make games, and is famous for taking advantage of that. I'd rather not be taken advantage of, and 'passion' has nothing to do with it.
    - seanmcdirmid 14y ago
      I don't know why you think I said something derogatory or even controversial. I mean, developers might have passion for programming, but sharepoint? There are many jobs out there whose domains are overtly uninteresting to many of us, but they still need to be done and the work itself can be interesting; but companies will still need to pony up a bit more money in a competitive market to get us in the door. Now game developers wants to be game developers. They don't need much extra incentive. Its like acting in LA or NYC; it takes talent and training, and you can get paid for it, but maybe not as much as being a claims adjuster. Are those actors being exploited or is it just a supply and demand thing? Now, in contrast, how many kids dream of being claims adjusters?

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]