Where did you get these numbers from?

Well although a good attempt at trying to guesstimate costs but still off on a few key concepts. First and foremost, it's unlikely development costs were that high. Even some of the biggest productions in recent years have generally only been in the $40-$60 million range. So it's doubtful FF13 is out of that range. However, you have grossly under estimated marketing. Generally if you spend that much on development, you are going to spend a hell of a lot more on marketing. Now I'm not good at guesstimating single territory but I'd say well over $50 million is probably a given considering how long this game has been hyped for due to how long it has been in the media.

Finally, when publishers sell games to retailers, they generally sell it at almost what they will sell it on the market. At least I know that to be the case in America thanks to some analysis on Gamestop profits and revenues. In Japan though, I wouldn't assume it to be too far off and at least in the 90th percentile. Meaning at the least they sell it for 90% of what the retailers are going to sell it for.

Now obviously this is all rough and once again it is hard to guesstimate this and really only the publishers themselves will no the exact number. But I think we can safely say that development costs, marketing in Japan (among other thins which is worldwide right now), and other expenditures would easily put the total money spent on this game is at the very least right now $100 million. Factor in the rest of the world when all that goes full force and at least $150 million for the total costs. That is about the norm for big games like FF13.


Hope this helps just a little bit but remember this isn't an exact science and purely speculative.

This is true, and their financial reports confirm it:(

CGI-Quality said: Well it is Final Fantasy, on a PlayStation no less. Of course it profited

but will it sell the 10mil Square is looking for...

i don´t remember very well, but i think i read in some place that retailers sell the games almost the same price as they buy them, and the majority of their profits comes from game peripherals and the second hand market....but don´t take me so seriously, i can barely remember.

you're thinking of console sales not game sales. 

yes i got messed up, thanks for clarifying that to me.

Perhaps not that much, but it isn't out of the question, sincce GTA IV cost even more than that.

Did you just post without reading anything in the OP?

I know the stores don't buy games for full price, the game costs 9,000 yen in Japan = around $90

so if the store buys it for 60% of its cost = $54, so S-E gets $54 per game sold, or 5,400 yen

Then the stores sell it for 9,000 yen or 7,500 as some reported = a 3,600 profit per copy

that is the assumption the calculation was based on.....I never used the full price times the amount of sales

S-E shipped 1.8 Million to them on launch, the STORES BOUGHT 1.8 Million copies......the stores payed for those copies before selling them

As I said its all based on an assumption, don't act so rudely unless you can provide some hard facts as to what the real figures are & not once again assumptions you think are more correct

zucas MW2 has 150 million worth of worldwide marketing

I dunno, but 50 million alone for japan sounds way too high.....considering the kind of marketing MW2 got in Na & EU. But the figure could be true

so your saying stores buy the game from S-E for 90% of its RRP = 8,100 yen? so basically around $80?

in that case 80 x 2 million = 160 Million made so far?!

Either way I'm just trying to work out whether they have profited already or not, & if they have by how much.

thanks for your help!