Bloomberg columnist Jason Schreier has published an analytical article on why game development is becoming more expensive year after year. In short, it’s all about poor studio management and the lack of specific goals.
Not too long ago, I had coffee with a video-game developer who told me that work was slow and that they’d been spending half of their days watching Netflix. For a second I was stunned — this person worked for a major corporation worth billions of dollars — until I remembered how many times I’d heard similar stories.
And there are many such examples, says Jason Schreier. Often, developers sit almost without money and without work, because the tools are not ready or the creative director is gushing with inappropriate ideas. In his discussion, the journalist took a jab at the authors of a recent article about how the desire for realistic graphics has led to mass layoffs. The key to the problem is not in this at all, the columnist is sure. He identified three factors:
All this leads to budgets inflated to astronomical amounts. A recent investigation into Activision found that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare cost $600 million to develop, while Black Ops Cold War cost $700 million.
if game companies are wondering how their budgets are really swelled into nine-figure territory, it might be time for some introspection — and less wasteful management.
Earlier, the columnist shared his prediction for 2025. In his opinion, Grand Theft Auto 6 will be delayed until 2026, and the announcement of Half-Life 3 will definitely take place.