The Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty and Star Wars franchises have developed video games with budgets exceeding $200 million. The world of gamers is one of the most profitable businesses in the world.
Due to the above, it is not a surprise that some companies in the market have released some of the most expensive video games in the history of the industry. Developing electronic games requires large budgets. This expense is due to technology, equipment, licenses, and marketing. Of course, all this adds to the group of experts that works from different parts of the world. Companies in the sector must not only ensure that they launch products that are attractive to gamers. They also need to make sure that every million dollars is reflected in the bottom line. Next, we will tell you which are the video games with the largest budgets in the history of the industry.
List of the most expensive video games in history
Max Payne 3
The third installment of the video game took place in 2012. Although it strayed from the original ideas of the franchise, it did not disappoint its fans. To make Max Payne a success, an investment of $105 million was made. The enormous sum seems far-fetched; however, it turned out to be an excellent investment. To date, fans of the franchise can continue to enjoy the video game.
Final Fantasy VII
Released in 1997, Final Fantasy VII is one of the most outstanding works in the industry. In fact, it put the RPGs of the moment in the spotlight. To make this delivery a success, 114 million dollars were invested.
Halo 2
This is one of the great favorites of video game lovers and one of Microsoft’s flagship projects. In addition, Halo 2 was the first installment in the franchise to include multiplayer, an aspect that revolutionized the industry. Developed by Bungie, it required an investment of 120 million dollars.
Dead Space
Experts define Dead Space as ‘one of a kind’ and no wonder. Launched in 2008, it was one of the most innovative of the moment and one of the few that remains in force until now. The success of the video game was due to the combination of terror with the third-person shooter. The investment of this product, in charge of Electronic Arts, cost more than 120 million dollars.
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
Lara Croft was one of the most iconic characters of the 90s and the first two installments of her were successful. The video game was forgotten for several years, but in 2013 a risky redesign was launched with a budget of 125 million dollars. Despite the impressive investment, the response from the public was not as expected by the franchise.
Destiny
This project caused quite a stir, primarily among players immersed in the atmosphere of Halo. Launched by Bungie and Activision, Destiny required a spend of $ 140 million. The enormous figure allowed the video game to consolidate itself among gamers.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
This massively multiplayer online role-playing video game was released in 2011 and in no time was ranked among the best in the franchise. The overwhelming success of this installment, developed by BioWare, had an investment of 200 million dollars.
Cyberpunk 2077
This is the most ambitious project of the CD Projekt firm and one of the ones that caused the most expectations due to a series of delays. Its launch in December 2020 was possible after an investment of 121 million dollars. However, its flaws in the game consoles and problems in all versions made it a disaster. Sony, owner of PlayStation, even removed the video game from its digital store and announced refunds for whoever requested it.
Grand Theft Auto V
This video game began development in 2008, just after the penultimate installment of the franchise was released. Grand Theft Auto V not only exceeded all expectations, but it also came with an impressive budget. In total, 265 million were invested for its realization.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Released in 2009, this title sought to outperform the previous installment of the franchise. Despite everything, he kept his classic mechanics to satisfy his audience. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 required an investment of more than 250 million dollars and is not even at the top of the list.
Star Citizen
Created on Kickstarter together with Chris Roberts, the genius behind Wing Commander, this video game has kept gamers in suspense for several years. Star Citizen has so far an investment of 340 million dollars without a delivery date. Rumors claim that it could see the light of day in 2021.