http://www.forbes.com/2006/12/19/ps3-xbox360-costs-tech-cx_rr_game06_1219expensivegames.html A quick breakdown of where the costs go on a game (Gears of War, $10m budget) that sells 1m copies globally. $27 goes to prograrmmers, artists, ect at the stuido (cost of development) $14 to Retailers, Publishers and Distributors $7 to Microsoft $7 to marketing and retailer fees (product placement @ stores) $3 to producing the actual game (packaging, ect) Upto $3 for Voice Acting (doubtful for Gears or Dead Rising, possible for Lost Planet) Therefore, $31 of the $60 goes to everything outside of actual dev costs, or 50%. So whatever a game sells, expect 50% of the purchase price (as a very mean average) to goto the actual maker of the game. So Gears of War has probably (@ 4m units) made Epic around $120,000,000 for the company, minus cost of making the game ($10,000,000) and any other fees with the game not stated.
Back from the dead, I'm afraid.
