Video games are as expensive as Hollywood movies. In fact, some video games have become much more expensive than the most expensive feature films. 

But unlike movies, the cost of making a video game is a tightly guarded secret. Most of the costs that appear to be fluctuating are based on analyst estimates only. 

From the late ’80s to the early ’90s, video game development costs were much lower than they are today. Development costs have skyrocketed as home consoles and high-end game consoles have become more powerful, and most modern titles now cost publishers and developers tens of millions of dollars in production. However, some costs can be significantly higher.

Gambling in the Philippines and some related games

Gambling in the Philippines has been in the Philippines since at least the 16th century. Various legal and illegal forms of gambling are present almost everywhere in the archipelago. 

The government manages gambling through the Philippines Amusement and Gaming Corporation, a state-owned company that operates a number of individual casinos and acts as a regulator for private casino operators.

 Since 2016, PAGCOR has issued licenses and oversees the regulation of the growing online gambling sector serving the offshore market. Casino gambling and integrated resorts, with more than 20 casinos in Metro Manila alone, are an important element of the Philippines’ attraction as a tourist destination. 

Casinos are places where people engage in legitimate gambling activities, usually for entertainment and making money. Gambling games at casinos are usually played using cards, casino chips, slot machines, and more. Games that are considered playing in casinos include poker, blackjack, roulette, and slot machines. Horse racing betting is also one of the games of chance in the Philippines. 

In horse betting, people bet their money on which horse wins the race. People place their bets on vending machines and betting stations, and if they win the bet, they bet by claiming the prize there. People can bet on multiple horses to increase their odds of winning and can choose from different types of horse racing bets.

Gambling is Filipinos favorite pastime, and the demand for new and better gaming platforms is constantly increasing. Thankfully,  there are many top-notch online casinos in the Philippines these days. 

Many of the world’s largest and most popular online gambling sites Philippines also accept Filipino players. Indeed, they all do a lot for them, from great games to generous bonuses and everything in between. There you can play exciting, thrilling, and fun games anytime, anywhere.

Expensive Games cost more than $50M

Over the last decade, the number of games that cost more than $ 50 million to develop has grown exponentially, even before marketing and advertising costs are taken into account. Most of these titles are somehow profitable, but some of the numbers involved are really daunting and can give you a lot of insight into the size of the gaming industry and the actual competition. The Most Expensive Video games are as follows:

Star Citizen

After some highly successful crowdfunding campaigns, developer Cloud Imperium Games was able to raise more than $ 300 million to create Star Citizen. Since then,  more funding has been raised through private investment, resulting in a dramatic expansion in both the scale and scope of the project. 

This is arguably good news for game proponents and future players, but it has brought new challenges. The game’s Production began in 2011, but there are still no clear signs of when the full commercial release will eventually arrive. It is estimated that more than US $ 275 million has been spent on development so far.

Star Wars: The old Republic

Despite being released almost 10 years ago, Star Wars: The Old Republic continues to receive updates fairly regularly. But given the time and money spent on early development, this isn’t really a big surprise. The game reportedly has a development budget of $ 200 million, making it one of EA’s most expensive and ambitious projects to date. 

But that ambition has definitely paid off, as the game is now said to have generated over $ 1 billion in revenue since the server first went live in late 2011. However, as seen Star Wars gives the competition to other games of a huge budget as well.

CyberPunk 2077

After eight years of development and some delays, developer CD Projekt Red had a lot to do with the launch of Cyberpunk 2077. It sold well, but the game’s erratic performance and various glitches led to widespread criticism from gamers, dropping the company’s value by billions of dollars in the weeks that followed. 

By comparison, the $ 316 million spent on game development and marketing seems to be just a reduction in buckets. According to the company’s financial reports, it has spent about $ 174 million in development, making it one of the most expensive games ever created at the time of writing.

Defiance

Defiance was an MMO third-person shooter released in 2013 for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. It didn’t impress critics very much, but it attracted a fairly large player base and survived very well for eight years before finally shutting down the server in early 2021. The real cost remains a bit unclear, but the huge budget of the game has certainly helped in this regard.

Battlefield V

Not surprisingly, EA’s Battlefield games aren’t cheap, as many consider them to be one of the best FPS franchises. According to Richard Hillman, the company’s former chief creative officer, the fourth installment payment for the series cost $ 100 million to develop, making Battlefield 4 the most expensive title in the franchise to date. 

The game has been well received by critics and has sold over 7 million copies since its launch.

Rockstar Games

Rockstar Games, Is an American video game publisher situated in New York City. The company was founded in December 1998 as a subsidiary of TakeTwo Interactive, leveraging the assets TakeTwo had previously acquired from BMG Interactive. 

The founding members of the company were Sam, Dan Houser, Terry Donovan, and Jaime King, who were working at Take-Two at the time, and the Houser brothers were formerly BMG Interactive executives. Sam Hauser leads the studio as president. 

Some companies acquired or founded by  TakeTwo since 1999 have become part of Rockstar Games, including the first Rockstar Canada in 1999 and the latest Rockstar Dundee in 2020. Every company named under Rockstar Games has a “Rockstar”. Named recognition. 

In this context, Rockstar Games is sometimes referred to as Rockstar New York, Rockstar NY, or Rockstar NYC. Rockstar Games also operates a motion capture studio in Bethpage, NY.

Conclusion

Over the last decade, the number of games that cost more than $ 50 million to develop has increased dramatically, even before marketing and advertising costs are taken into account. Most of these titles are somehow profitable, but some of the numbers involved are truly staggering and can give us a lot of insight into the size of the gaming industry and the actual competition.