Wii game budgets 1/4 of HD budgets according to EA

[theRepublic]

Groucho said:

averyblund said:

theRepublic said:
Let's look at it in an apples to apples comparison:

Killzone 2 is an exclusive FPS for the PS3. It is designed to push the console to its graphical limits as much as possible. Its development costs are rumored to be $60 million.

The Conduit is an exclusive FPS for the Wii. It is designed to push the console to its graphical limits as much as possible. I can't find anything on its development costs. Does anyone think it even comes close to $60 million?

 

8 million tops, I would bet more like 3-4. SMG was being developed for years by some of the top programmers in the world and only cost 15 or so.

3-4M for the Conduit?  You realize that 100K/employee/year is the standard, right?  15-20 employees for 2 years then on the Conduit?  And of course they get their motion capture, etc. for free, right?  Mocap studios love giving time for free.

Lets use GTA4 again as an example, while we're at it.  Most of that $100M... voice acting, actor mocap, licensing.  If you can't deduce it on your own, those expenses have nothing to do with platform-specific development, per se, and everything to do with ambition.  GTA4 on the Wii probably would have cost $85-90M, at the least, given the same grade of resources.

Production value == cost.  It has nothing to do with platform, and everything to do with project ambition.   That's the last time I'll say it.

 

First, The Conduit was made by about 30 people since October 2007.  It will be released around June 2009.

Second, way to change the subject.

Third,  let's say GTA4 was built from the ground up for the Wii.  Every single texture would need to be much less detailed since it is only going to be viewed in SD.  That leads to less people making the game in less time.  Do you really think that will save so little money?