UPDATED!!! People like second hand games but software companies can't handle the cost.

[theRepublic]

leatherhat said:

Whats the source on dead space 3 costing 300 million dollars? Even EA isn't stupid enough to spend 33% more than the avengers on a video game.

EA Labels president Frank Gibeau explains, “In general we’re thinking about how we make this a more broadly appealing franchise, because ultimately you need to get to audience sizes of around five million to really continue to invest in an IP like Dead Space. Anything less than that and it becomes quite difficult financially given how expensive it is to make games and market them.”

EDIT: To be fair to EA, they don't get all of that $60 from a retail sale.  The game needs to produce that much gross revenue.  I can't remember the figure off the top of my head what the publisher ends up getting.