Modern Warfare 2 has made over 600 million dollars, with the game being so popular people tend to believe it was costly. THAT is what the game market wants you think, that good games take alot of money. Modern Warfare 2 is a defining example of this tactic.
VG Arabia has brought to my attention news from the LA Times that Modern Warfare cost 200 million to launch.
You may be wondering how much of the 600 million plus dollars that takes away, but before you do. Consider that only 40-50 million dollars was actually put into the development of the game.
Activision is definitely money hungry as any other company, and Bobby Kotick certainly does not help that. BUT WHO THE HELL SPENDS THREE TIMES THE COST OF THE GAME'S BUDGET FOR DISTRIBUTION AND MARKETING?
We knew this game was coming, we were excited for this game. But with Activision, Ubisoft, and many other publishers in the industry speaking on behalf of the developers. They say the $60 retail standard for games isn't enough per game to offset costs for most games and make the gamble some developers make worth the risk.
I have heard many statements from Activision and Infinity Ward regarding development of this game, but the standard for game retail has slowly increased over the years. I for one do not want to see ridiculous things like the supposed $100 retail for Final Fantasy XIII, it will only be a matter of time before gaming falls because publishers more than developers do this to gamers.
It's alot to ask the gaming development and publishers to change the way they do things, even if its common sense. But for god's sake, NEVER spend more on marketing than the game. This happens with so many games, and when games disappoint we lose as developers scramble to bleed us more for every game. All because of hyping games that don't need hype in some cases, it's completey fine to market. But when you spend more than the game cost to make, that's pathetic.
Ed, you've gotta remember, every prestige edition came with a pair of mother fucking NIGHT VISION GOGGLES!
ReplyDeletenot to mention producing a shit-ton of the regular and hardended editions...
I definitely do not see it surprising at all that it cost 3 times the amount of money to launch, concidering the sheer number of units they had to have made.
Ed you must be new to the entertainment business but this isn't new. It's been this way for games and movies forever. A movie that cost 100 million to make can cost 200+ in marketing. It makes all the sense in the world. If you don't advertise the amount you spend won't matter. Of the 600 mill and 8+ mill copies of the game that have sold. Only 1 or 2 mil would have been sold had there been zero advertisement. We would have gotten it but the Dad you only knew about it b/c of the commercial during a football game wouldn't have. Trust me there are a lot more of them then us. So this isn't some secret thing you just found out about and they haven't been keeping it secret either. This is just how it works and how it will continue too.
ReplyDeleteYou guys honestly thought I didn't know this happens all the time. Geez.
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