@Slimebeast:
I'd been using 2/3rds * reported peak, and then $100K per year/dev. for estimates. After some pondering yesterday, I think something closer to 0.6 * peak would be closer for HD budgets. I seriously doubt its as low as 0.5 * peak, on average, though. It will vary widely, over a zillion variables, so averaging is the best I can do.
The Strangehold article actually states that its budget was "in the tens of millions", which implies over 20 million, and my estimates would put it in the 25-27 million range... I think that number is likely to be pretty close.
With regards to Ubisoft Montreal, I kknow some bit about them, and yes I agree that they are going to not only share loads of personnel, but also that they tend to be more art-heavy, and less engineer-heavy, with their staff, which drops costs a little per-person. They also tend to overstaff their projects, however, and these reported numbers support that. $40M is probably a bit high, but I think something in the low 30s is very likely for Far Cry 2.
I shouldn't say they "overstaff" -- they just have a different approach than most devs, who tend to understaff, and expect their staff to work crazier and crazier hours as the project goes on. Ubisoft throws (alot) more people at a project as it nears completion, and then moves them somewhere else. They make a lot of great stuff there, IMO, so obviously they're doing a good job.
