In the world of gaming, AAA games stand out as the pinnacle of excellence in gaming, being capable of providing incredibly polished experiences at a premium price. Developed by major players in the industry, triple-A games are backed by financially robust game studios and publishers, like EA, Nintendo, Epic Games, and Bethesda to name a few.
Even though they’re not doing as well in mobile gaming, the biggest gaming market as of today, AAA development studios are still the dominant force for PC, console, and handheld platforms (like the Nintendo Switch).
Creating these experiences, however, is nothing short of expensive, with many projects requiring hundreds of millions to see the light of day. But what’s the AAA cost of development and what are the main factors exerting an influence on their final price tag? What are the most expensive games ever created? In this article, you will find the answer to all these questions!
AAA cost of development: how expensive are they?
When talking about AAA games, we’re referring to the top dogs in the gaming industry, the ones who usually set trends, create games with increasingly realistic graphics, and push the technical boundaries further with every game generation.
As such, AAA game development often comes with a gigantic price tag – don’t worry, we’ll explore the many factors at play later in the article. Generally speaking, games with scopes this big have a price tag that exceeds several million dollars, often going into the tens of millions.
For example, according to official figures, Darksiders 2 had a $50 million budget, which is mind-boggling. Isn’t it impressive enough? Then what about Gran Turismo 5’s $60 million or Battlefield 4’s even more outlandish $100 million? And what if we told you these numbers are still far from the most expensive games ever created?
Most expensive AAA games ever developed
In the following list, we organized the games by their total development cost according to official figures. As Ray Arnold would say, hold onto your butts!
5. Halo 2 (2004)
Developed by Bungie Studios, Halo 2 was at the forefront of a revolution in the first-person shooter (FPS) world: the game seamlessly integrated single-player and multiplayer modes.
With a total budget of $120 million distributed between development and promotion costs, Halo 2 set new standards for multiplayer gaming and interactive storytelling experiences, becoming one of the most influential games of its generation.
4. Final Fantasy VII (1997)
Considered a timeless classic by a legion of gamers, Final Fantasy VII cost around $130 million to develop. The game introduced many unforgettable characters to the world and captivated players with its groundbreaking cinematics, showcasing the immense potential of story-based role-playing games (RPGs).
3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
Created by Infinity Ward, Modern Warfare 2 brought an intense and cinematic experience to the single-player campaign and further developed the multiplayer FPS scene. With a staggering budget of $250 million, the game single-handedly raised the bar for other AAA games with its action-packed gameplay, relatively realistic visuals, and impressive multiplayer experience.
2. Cyberpunk 2077 (2020)
The biggest CD Projekt Red’s game to date, Cyberpunk 2077 generated insane amounts of hype before its release due to its ambitious scope and open-world environment. However, it had a troubled, bug-plagued launch – can you remember how all those clips of in-game bugs took social media by storm back in 2020?
Even so, the game, which cost approximately $316 million to develop and promote, was a huge success, recouping its expenses even before its launch. After the bugs were slowly fixed through patches and the occasional expansion, the game continued to be a sales powerhouse. It delivered a dystopian future where corporations have taken over the world and an open world filled with deep storytelling, player choices, and a city teeming with life and mysteries to unravel.
Among all released games, Cyberpunk 2077 takes the crown as the most expensive game ever created – and the official figure doesn’t take the game’s upcoming DLC.
1. Star Citizen (still in development)
A project with scope and ambition bigger than anything the gaming industry has seen before, Star Citizen’s development costs have already surpassed the mark of $500 million – yes, that’s half a billion! – and we’re not even considering its marketing costs.
Developers aim to create a persistent and expansive multiplayer universe set in space where players can explore, trade, and even engage in action-packed battles against the dark backdrop of the universe. While the game is still in development, its massive crowdfunding effort and budget reflect the ambitious vision they’re going for, but only time will tell whether the game will succeed.
Honorable mentions (unofficial figures and expert estimations)
While not official figures, many gaming industry experts have estimated the price tag of multiple games over the years, like:
- Grand Theft Auto V (2013): developed by Rockstar Games, GTA V is the latest iteration of the company’s best-known franchise. Set in Los Santos, the game’s open-ended nature is stronger than ever before, letting players freely roam the countryside and complete side quests all over the map. Experts estimate its total cost to be around $265 million;
- Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018): yet another banger by Rockstar Games, RDR 2 takes players on an epic journey through the wild west. Set in a vast and stunning open world, the game comes with a compelling narrative and a dynamic ecosystem. The estimates vary wildly, but VentureBeat has an in-depth analysis and puts RDR 2’s total cost at $540 million;
- Star Wars: The Old Republic (2011): better known by its acronym, SWTOR is an MMORPG developed by BioWare and set in the beloved universe of Star Wars. In this game, players can take on epic quests, engage in lightsaber battles, and experience immersive stories from places thousands of light-years away. The game reportedly had a budget that exceeded $200 million but had generated almost $1 billion as of October 2019 – an overwhelming success by all accounts;
What goes into the expenses of developing an AAA game?
AAA game development involves a swathe of expenses contributing to the final price tag. Let’s take a deeper look into some of the key elements making it up:
Research and design
The process of creating AAA games begins with rigorous research and design. This stage involves conceptualizing the game’s core mechanics, premise, characters, and setting. Game designers, writers, and concept artists team up and develop a vision for the game, which requires significant amounts of time and effort.
Furthermore, researching historical and future trends in the gaming industry, analyzing competitors in the game’s genre, and conducting player surveys are crucial to ensure the game stands out and meets their expectations.
Development: asset creation and programming
Often the bulk of a game’s price tag, developing is the step in which the game will stay the longest as it involves creating everything the player will see and interact with – 3D models, item icons, sound effects, game mechanics, levels, AI systems, and so on.
Generally speaking, it’s not what they create that is expensive, it’s the professionals bringing the game’s vision to life. AAA game studios often have hundreds, if not thousands, of workers at their disposal. Considering AAA games take around 4 years to develop from start to finish, then that’s 4 years of paying exorbitant salaries to all those employees. And that’s a lot of money.
Infrastructure
While employees are often the biggest expense in game development, having the required infrastructure to support its creation can make a dent in the game’s budget.
How so? For starters, the development team needs powerful computers to deal with all the testing and the creation of 3D models, and there’s a variety of software licenses that must be bought to maximize quality. Furthermore, in the case of live service games, powerful servers for hosting multiplayer components are a must-have.
While these costs might seem small, remember that larger development studios have to provide the infrastructure for hundreds or even thousands of employees. The situation gets even worse for larger development studios, who often work on multiple projects simultaneously.
Quality assurance
Quality assurance (QA) testing is one of the most important processes in game development. Teams of dedicated testers thoroughly go through the game multiple times in search of bugs, glitches, plot holes, and other issues. Once they find something that is off, they write detailed logs – including reproduction steps – to ensure the development team can quickly get rid of the bug.
All in all, hiring skilled testers, setting up testing environments, and conducting gameplay tests can incur substantial costs, which are necessary to ensure the game delivers a polished and enjoyable experience to players. Otherwise, you risk having a bug-infested launch like Cyberpunk 2077.
Platform-specific expenses
As each platform has its own set of requirements (technical or otherwise) developers must meet, companies often need to optimize the game for each one of them. This process might involve additional coding and testing to ensure compatibility and optimal performance.
Furthermore, some platforms require developers to pay additional licensing fees, contributing to the overall expenses of AAA game development.
Marketing and promotion costs
Two factors with a massive price tag, marketing and promotion are essential for games to reach their intended audience and generate tons of buzz on social media. For AAA games, marketing costs might even surpass their development costs, showcasing how it pays to have thoroughly planned marketing campaigns.
This pair encompasses things like creating attractive trailers, promotional videos, and artwork, as well as running campaigns across multiple media channels to maximize awareness.
Additionally, licensing music and participating in gaming conventions, press conferences, and other industry-related events will incur additional costs, but they’re vital to generate buzz and attracting players from all over the world.
Conclusion
As seen in this article, the costs associated with AAA game development can reach staggering figures. Most games of this scope end up having a price tag of tens of millions, but the most ambitious titles often enter the 9-digit territory, like Cyberpunk 2077, Red Dead Redemption 2, and the to-be-released Star Citizen.
From research and design to development, promotion, testing, and infrastructure, there are many factors contributing to the overall cost of creating such a game, which reflects on the final price of a copy. They might be expensive, but the production quality offered by these titles and the many hours of guaranteed fun are worth it.
Despite the significant financial investments required to bring such games to life, AAA game development remains a booming industry. These games often push the boundaries of technology and gameplay, bringing innovations and technical achievements that shape the future of the gaming industry.
At Main Leaf, we recognize the challenges and difficulties involved in game development. With our team of 70+ highly skilled professionals, we offer comprehensive game development services to clients all over the world, having done so for over a decade.
Whether you’re a large game studio in need of outsourcing, an indie developer seeking assistance in bringing your game to life, or someone with an innovative game idea, we provide custom-tailored solutions to your needs. Contact us below right now to start developing your game with Main Leaf!
