Top 10 Most Expensive Video Games Ever Made

10. Disney Infinity
Disney Infinity is a combination videogame and toy line that features characters from Disney movies and television shows. It was a high-stakes effort to right the Disney digital ship, and it hit stores in 2013. People close to the company peg the cost of making the game and toys at well over $100 million—similar to a major film production.

9. Too Human
Xbox’s Too Human’s budget has been estimated at between $60 million to $100 million. The game is known mostly for having remained in development limbo for almost a decade, originally planned for Sony PlayStation in 1999. In 2000 the game was being developed for Nintendo GameCube before the rights to it were sold to Microsoft in 2005 and finally landing a launch date in 2008.

8. Red Dead Redemption
Red Dead Redemption is a Western action-adventure video game (one of the best if not the best of its kind, for that matter) developed by Rockstar San Diego and published by Rockstar Games. It was released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles on May 18, 2010, and its development budget has been estimated to be anywhere from $80 million to $100 million.

7. Grand Theft Auto IV
In 2008 GTA IV producer Leslie Benzies stated that the game cost Rockstar approximately $100 million to create. In an interview with the Times online, Benzies said that more than 1,000 people worked on the project for over three and a half years. GTA IV, however, sold more than 600,000 copies on the first day in the UK alone and grossed more than $400 million worldwide in its first week of release, so everybody was happy.

6. Max Payne 3
Max Payne 3 was originally scheduled for release in late 2009 but was pushed to 2010 alongside several other Take-Two Interactive video games in order to benefit from more development time. That made the game one of the most anticipated of 2010 and even though we don’t know Max Payne 3’s exact budget since Rockstar didn’t divulge those figures, analysts have estimated it at $105 million.

5. Destiny
Even though Activision CEO Bobby Kotick stated the total cost as $500 million, Bungie’s Eric Osborne stated the budget was nowhere near that. Later estimates placed the game’s combined development and marketing budget at about $140 million.

4. Final Fantasy VII
Development of Final Fantasy VII began in late 1995 and required the efforts of approximately 120 artists and programmers, using PowerAnimator and Softimage 3D software. It was the most expensive video game of its time, with a budget of around $45 million and its marketing cost $100 million.

3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 made staggering amounts of money when it was released, but it wasn’t exactly cheap to make, either. Not only did its development cost about $50 million, but its marketing and launch budget was a whopping $200 million.

2. Star Wars: The Old Republic
One of the largest entertainment productions in history, Star Wars: The Old Republic needed more than 800 people on four continents to spend six years and nearly $200 million to be created. The story runs 1,600 hours, with hundreds of additional hours still being written. Nearly 1,000 actors have recorded dialogue for 4,000 characters in three languages.

1. Grand Theft Auto V
Estimates place the game’s combined development and marketing budget at more than $265 million, which would make it the most expensive game ever made. Additionally, Grand Theft Auto V broke industry sales records and became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, earning $800 million in its first day and $1 billion in its first three days.


Disney Infinity
Too Human
Max Payne 3
Red Dead Redemption
Grand Theft Auto IV
Destiny
Final Fantasy VII
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Grand Theft Auto V