How Much Does It Cost To Make A Video Game?

Last Updated on December 7, 2021 by

If you’re looking to create a game then it’s difficult to imagine a scenario that could remove the leader in the beginning what is it going to cost? And what is more frustrating more than an “it depends on many factors” answer? We’ll try to tell the truth about it and clarify the price factors, and give examples of the price of games that are well-known.

First, you must understand as well is every game is different. The developers work to the max to be original and innovative in order to delight players. Therefore, there are no fixed prices that can be released immediately following the initial request.

A second issue is that few people divulge the information. The number of studios who have graciously revealed the amount of money they have spent is insignificant, and the majority of the information we can find online Internet is the view of research or analysis groups basing their opinions on an approximate estimation of the date of creation of the game, and the sum of the wages of the team members who worked on development.

The third reason is that the cost range might surprise you. In the case of developing mobile apps, we stated that the price for Angry Birds is estimated at $140,000. The famous Pokemon Go cost developers $ 600,000 as a result of the introduction of a variety of geolocation-related features. That’s not even counting games that are mobile. and the PC-based giants such as GTA 5 are completely different budgets of $ 265 million.

We’ve much misled you, we can begin contemplating and discussing the budget of a video game.

Cost Line: General View

The process of developing games is a complicated process of creating audio, code, art, and testing the effectiveness of the final product. The cost is determined by the complexities of elements like the complexity of the game’s functionality and its design, the choice of platform, and the expertise of the group in charge of the creation.

The cost of developer services is contingent on the location of the developer. If you decide to outsource the development of your game to India, China, or the Philippines you can expect to receive a standard of work at a cost that is low. 

Designers in the United States will charge twice the amount in their fees, ensuring that they work of the highest quality. The combination of top-quality performance and competitive pricing is present throughout Central as well as Eastern Europe. The cost for developing an entertainment app within Eastern Europe starts at $ 7,500.

After you’ve chosen one of your outsourcing partners, based on the size and scope of the project is determined. The chosen firm forms an organization. To develop a basic 2D game for mobile phones, just one developer and one artist is enough, and the price is much less than, say making an AAA game that requires the participation of everyone in the studio.

How Much Do Video Games Cost to Make: Simple Math and What Does Complexity Have to Do With It?

We frequently hear the phrase “cost depends on the complexity” however, we do not know what they mean. In reality, the concept is quite simple: the more complex is equal to the amount of time it takes to create the game. Plus, more time means higher pay for players. It’s easy to conclude that complexity is directly proportional to the duration.

Can you calculate the cost of making video games yourself? This math is easy. You must gather the following information:

1. Location of the team.
2. The amount of people who be involved in your project.
3. The median salary for an experienced developer is in the region of the area of your preference.
4. The approximate timeframe is the estimated duration of this project.

This means that you will get a figure which is the net wage of individuals. It is possible to alter the figure, but do not consider it as the total cost.

The first is that the group composition could alter throughout the duration of the project. The concept artist once completed the work, is released from the project. At the same, the musicians and animators can join the project. Also, don’t overlook marketing costs which could range between 20 and 100% of the budget for development.

Let’s do a quick calculation. Let’s say 10 people from a company located in Eastern Europe will be working on your game. The expected time of work revealed by the studio on the game is 6 months. Based on the typical developer’s pay of around 40 dollars per hour, a workday that lasts 8 hours, and an average of 20 working days in a month, we come up with the following calculations:

(40 x 8) x 10) x 20) x 6 = $ 384,000

The team has been paid the money which is due for the work performed by the team, provided the team’s composition is consistent throughout the entire project. Similar to that you can calculate your calculation by substituting necessary numbers into the formula:

This is the easiest way to get the answer to “how much does it cost to develop a video game?” without trouble and stress.

In addition, what is your knowledge about the makeup of the team you are working on on your performance? Let’s discuss this matter.

Video Game Creation Team

If you are looking for an answer to what is the cost to develop video games You must understand that the cost is dependent on the productivity of team members who are involved in the project.

The core team responsible for putting together games is this:

1. Game developers. These people think about the concept that the game is played, it’s contents the rules, rules, terms of winning or losing and plot, characters and generally everything that goes to it. In the case of the smallest portable 2D game duties of the designer may be shared among team members. For larger projects, the designers are required in the form of the game’s design in a specific document that is then approved by the client, and then becomes the primary guideline for the other members of the team.
2. Animation and artists. The game can be 2D or 3D. Generally, the third option is more expensive due to the more complexity and time required to develop. Artists also design interfaces and menu components. Animation adds movement to static artwork. The level of the game, the game could require anything from one animator and an artist to a whole team of experts.
3. Developers. The majority of video games are created using engines such as Unity as well as Unreal Engine, so it is essential to find experts who are proficient in C ++ and C #. Mobile games on Android or iOS include Java as well as Swift languages and Swift languages, respectively. The process of development is, in actual programming an interactive component therefore, before you begin you should know everything you’re looking for from the game and possess an already-created artwork.
4. Sound designers. Every game even the most basic one, comes with an audio soundtrack. There are both sound bases that are free and paid that offer pre-made choices. However, if you’d like to stand out from the crowd, the best option is to make your own music and sound with the help of sound engineers.
5. Testers. Examining how well the game plays is an vital aspect of the creation of the game as it is checked for mistakes and bugs. Testers test the game’s functionality as well as the way it reacts to any player’s actions and check balance, game’s processes as well as the correct appearance of graphic elements and so on. Testers are not able to be replaced by team members and it is not advisable to use their services for savings.

Let’s take a look at an example of how to form teams for a game-design project. The smartphone game Crazy Roosty in the arcade puzzle genre, which was designed to be played on Android and iOS The Kevuru Games team chose the most user-friendly and popular Unity engine, and then gathered the following information:

• 1 game designer
• 1 3D artist
• 1 animator in 3D
• 1 developer
• 1 tester

From the time of initial development to the release date there was a period of 20 weeks required to develop the game. This is, 4.5 months.

Over 9 years of experience in the field of game development has allowed us to develop clearly-defined and well-established processes to ensure smooth and transparent communication between departments. We are aware of the time it takes to create 2D as well as 3D games from different genres, and how long the development process will take when multiplayer is planned. Because of this, we can provide a rough estimation of the price of your game’s future using the graphics and functionality you’re interested in throughout the daytime.

The accuracy of your estimation is contingent upon the quantity of information you are able to give us:

1. A complete comprehension of development. You know your intended audience, the games genres, their functions and technical characteristics such as monetization, marketing and as well as the level of user interaction. If there aren’t any additional improvements from our side and we are capable of giving the most accurate estimation of time frame and, consequently the cost of the project.
2. An overview of the idea. You have a clear idea of the audience and the genre however, you haven’t yet created a functional design as well as mechanics and visual aspects. We conduct pre-project analysis and develop a prototype once we have it approved, we will be able to discuss an estimate of costs with a chance of error of 10 percent.
3. The irresistible urge to carry out the idea. You really want to develop a game but aren’t sure which one to make. So, we suggest to steer your various desires towards one particular direction and join forces to create the most specific solution. We, as in the past scenario, create the prototype and, following the approval of the prototype, begin to design an game. In consideration of the possibility of numerous modifications and changes We provide a rough estimate of each block of work, separated into animation and art development and testing, sound design and marketing.

Even if you have an idea and a great deal of energy, don’t let go of the urge to make an activity. Contact us and we’ll assess the potential of your idea, and should it be needed, alter the idea and give it a clear direction.