Even if the game is abnormally expensive (and I'd expect it to be, since it is the #1 game coming to the ps3, aside from maybe GT5 and FFXIII), that doesn't mean that Konami is footing the entire bill.

Look at what Sony's Peter Dille told Kotaku shortly after E3 this year:

"Our folks have talked to the Konami folks, and until the announcement was out from our side, I think they were being a little bit cagey. But the agreement calls for exclusivity, the announcement's been made, and now people know the real story."

The agreement calls for exclusivity? I'm sure some money exchanged hands under that agreement.

$80,000,000 for Mgs4 development. Plese dont call people fools when your the on the side of such a asinine guess. 

Maybe instead of questioning our education you take a good look at your own.

 He did say he included marketing in the $40-$80 million. So he's likely guessing just $30 million for actual game development, with $10-$50 million for marketing (as in if they want a blitz like FFVII had).

 Maybe Sony's paying for the marketing?  That would explain the MGS4/DS3/40gb ps3 bundle in Europe next year.  Promoting a game like MGS4 to Halo 3 levels could really help sell some ps3s, and it would be a good thing for Sony to do.  After all, it's the games that sell the consoles, so why not focuse the advertising on the games.

Thank you! You might have made the only reasonable post in this entire thread. This game'll easily make a handsome profit.

I love how some of you think you're far smarter than the people running Konami who have been in the business for years. Get off your high horses. This debate on the cost of the game based on salaries is borderline childish and pure BS because you have no idea how those 200 people's jobs are being delegated. Relax, breathe, and just enjoy the freaking game when it comes out and stop pretending you're some kind of expert on development costs. Even when companies announce costs, you have to take it with a grain of salt because they could be throwing numbers out there just to hype up their game. I have a hard time believing Stranglehold actually cost $25 million unless that was announced at a shareholder meeting. That game was made by a completely unknown and unproven studio; developers like that aren't handed ridiculous budgets like that. If all games for the 360 and PS3 cost so much and were so unbelievably hard to make a profit on, why would so many companies be releasing so many games on these systems? How would they still be in business now? It doesn't make sense

Oh, and all of you have forgotten one major reason why there are 200 people on this team for this "one" game. Because they're in fact making TWO games: Metal Gear Online. So now you can go and start pretending to be corporate accountants again and factor MGO sales into whether or not Konami makes any money. God, I love the internet, where anyone can be an expert.

you really think John Wu and Chow fat dont cost $$$????? cost on the game studio side might not be $25mil, but I'm sure bet John Wu and Chow Fat going to charge them a few million each??????

I got a good look at your education right now.

you realize when happy squrriel quoted "40million-80million" thats an estimated range with 40 million as the minimum and 80 million as the maximun estimate.  Know what you are saying before you attack others with only their maximun estimate.

Bleh, I'm allowing myself to get sucked into this.  Ah well.  There is nothing wrong with the $80 million high end guesstimate.  $40 million would be a low end estimate since it assumes little marketing and only 2 years of development amongst many other things.  If it takes 3 years, marketing is higher, Konami gets nailed on currency fluctuations, unexpected business expenses ocurr, etc. then $80 million is a very possible back of the envelope high end guesstimate.  It's very unlikely it would be that high but it's probably as likely as it being below $40 million.  I don't think there is much doubt that along with FFXIII this will be one of the most expensive games this generation.  As for your presumed level of education, if it is higher then debate in a manner that leaves no doubt of that and it won't be questioned.

Chow Yun Fat isn't gonna get paid more for this videogame than he does for his films. He was basically just a voice actor and he lent his likeness to the game. That's like two or three days of work. So no I don't think he was paid millions. John Woo on the other hand might've been paid a considerable amount because the game was using his intellectal property. However, why would this license for a relatively unknown IP cost any more than the one for the Matrix or James Bond? I'm not saying I'm right, but I am saying be skeptical and "don't believe the hype."

My biggest problem with this news is that its very telling about ps3 development. This is not a 1st party game, it's one thing for GT or Halo 3 to have an outrageous budget, they want to push systems with huge must have titles, but this is a third party developer they need to make money on these games. Remember when MGS 4 was due out this winter, now they admit to hiring a record breaking staff, they admit to working day and night, and they delayed the game at least 6 months, and who know this may not come until next winter.

There is no wonder as to why Monster Hunter 3 got moved, how many titles do 3rd parties want to slap 200 people on?