Ever wondered how much it takes to bring an entertainment idea into an actual, playable presentation? Top publishers in the industry have spoken, via a regulating body, which reveals the real cost of making video games, including especially high-budget AAA titles.
In light of the ongoing investigation over the rumored merger between Microsoft and Activision, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has dug pieces of information regarding video games. Particularly, the budget behind massive AAA titles.
Based on CMA’s final report recommendation concerning the Activision merger, big publishers spend up to $1.2 billion for an entire franchise, which factors in both the cost of development as well as marketing.
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While the report redacts the names of the companies involved, it is safe to assume what some of those enterprises are, considering their power, influence, and market presence.
With one attributed to figures set in Euros, Ubisoft is easily suspected. Although, brands of global prominence and reach, such as Sony Interactive Entertainment, Take-Two Interactive, and Electronic Arts, are likely included as well.
It is also worth noting the games that were of exceedingly high value in terms of development cost, surpassing that of recent Sony Interactive Entertainment games as well as other third-party publishers, which were Activision’s Warcraft and Call of Duty franchises.