7 Most Expensive Video Games to Produce

Video games have undeniably come a long way since Pong and PlayStation. The industry was projected to reach €356.70 billion in 2023, with billions of users and enthusiasts worldwide. We already have countless games to choose from and enjoy! But did you know that producing every video game takes a massive budget?

CCC International listed seven of the most expensive video games ever produced, and we’ll share how they succeeded in reaching many fans across the globe. Clue: game translation and localization and customer support!

Key Takeaways:

• The industry has gone a long way since the days of Pong, and it’s projected to have 3.04 billion users by 2027. Now, expensive game consoles, such as those from Sony and Microsoft, require a high budget for production.
• A high-budget video game may cost a fortune to produce, but the right localization and customer support can bring it worldwide success.
• The most expensive video games ever produced include the classic Final Fantasy VII, Battlefield 4, and Shadow of The Tomb Raider.

Table of Content:

• History of Video Games
• The Challenges of Game Development
• The Most Expensive Video Games to Produce
• CCCI – Professional Game Translation and Localization

Video game development has been around since the 1950s. British professor A.S. Douglas created OXO in 1952; we now know it as tic-tac-toe. The earliest game, Tennis for Two, was developed by William Higinbotham in 1958. The actual origin of modern video games began with the release of Spacewar in 1962, and this introduced concepts such as artificial intelligence, physics, and three-dimensional graphics.

It was in 1967 when “The Brown Box” was released. This console allowed players to choose from games like table tennis and shooting. It later evolved into the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972, and this became the first commercial console. Some of the first most notable games include Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Flight.

The industry crashed in 1983 but recovered shortly after in 1985. Nintendo and Sega were the big names at this time, producing games like Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid. Console wars became a thing in the 1990s as Sony got into the mix with its PlayStation console.

3D gaming started with the release of Virtua Fighter in 1993, allowing for more realistic gaming experiences. The industry continued to grow, and we are now in the modern age of gaming, with powerful game consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. By 2027, there will be 3.04 billion users and gamers, and game developers must continue to push the limits of gaming.

Gamers can simply enjoy any game, whether the best indie RPG games or the most expensive game consoles, without usually thinking about the efforts involved in game development. However, developers face several challenges, from developing the game engine to creating all the characters and objects.

Creating a game takes millions of dollars, and this does not include marketing costs. Here are eight common challenges of game development:

1. Determining the Right Goal: Choosing the right goal for the game is vital to ensure it will reach its intended audience. This step includes setting a budget and timeframe, as well as researching trends in the industry.
2. Keeping Serious Games Fun: A game must be fun, exciting, and challenging. An action or sports game should have realistic graphics, and a puzzle game should have enough levels and difficulty.
3. Deciding the Right Genre and Platform: Developers must choose their game’s genre and what platforms it will be available on. PC, mobile, console, or VR platforms have different development requirements.
4. Listening to the Players’ Opinions: Developers should always seek feedback from players to identify areas they can improve. It will help them create a better and more enjoyable game.
5. Not Developing More Than Necessary: Creating too many features or objects can lead to a bloated game, which may ultimately fail. Developers should focus on the essentials and keep their games simple yet engaging.
6. Collecting the Right Data: Developers must collect the correct data to ensure their game succeeds. It includes collecting analytics, feedback from players, and game performance metrics.
7. Convincing the Target Group: Developers must create games that appeal to the target audience. It involves understanding the players’ preferences and creating content that will captivate them.
8. Reaching the Target Group: Developers must also find ways to reach their target audience. It includes creating effective marketing campaigns, using social media, and word-of-mouth advertising.

Why are expensive video games expensive? Because of all these complex steps and processes that developers must go through! A high-budget video game for the most valuable game consoles typically takes multiple teams of developers, artists, and other professionals to create.

Pro Tip: If you want to develop a game, start small and expand once you have a thriving base. Expensive games don’t always equal success! Creating a great game that appeals to players takes time, effort, and resources.

We’ve heard of expensive retro games such as Super Mario Bros, Super Mario 64, The Legend Of Zelda, Sonic The Hedgehog, and many more. But what are some of the most expensive video games ever made? Here are seven of them:

Based on scope and interactivity, Red Dead Redemption 2 is definitely one of the most impressive games ever made. The game is about the story of a bandit who must survive in the Wild West, set in a fictionalized United States representation in 1899. Regarding details, Rockstar Games put in an insane amount of effort to create a visually stunning world! The large open-world game released in 2018 cost around $540 million, with the developers committing eight years of their lives to the project.