Forums > Game Forums > Doom > Doom budget?
Johan Smedjebacka (5) on 6/23/2013 6:31 PM · Permalink · Report
Does anyone know how much money was spent on these games?
Daniel Saner (3503) on 6/23/2013 8:08 PM · Permalink · Report
"In the early 90s, video game budgets were around $100,000 — when Doom was released in 1993 it had cost $200,000 and was touted as one of the most expensive games at the time." [Source]
Lain Crowley (6629) on 6/26/2013 4:01 AM · Permalink · Report
I never thought of DOOM as being the Call of Duty of its day, but I guess that makes sense.
Indra was here (20756) on 6/26/2013 4:08 AM · Permalink · Report
Is that a compliment or an insult?
leilei (343) on 6/26/2013 12:05 PM · edited · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Lain Crowley wrote--]I never thought of DOOM as being the Call of Duty of its day, but I guess that makes sense. [/Q --end Lain Crowley wrote--] Budget is relatively small compared to what, all those Sierra games at the time..and of course Wing Commander III and IV shortly after.
Terok Nor (41968) on 6/26/2013 9:33 AM · Permalink · Report
While that number sounds about right (id were something like five guys back then and worked on Doom for a year), no way that was a high budget compared to others at the time. The likes of Origin had much bigger teams and longer development times.
Pseudo_Intellectual (66360) on 6/26/2013 11:27 PM · Permalink · Report
The interesting thing is that in the case of iD and Sierra at least (and much, if not all, Origin), they were building on a foundation of their own profits and reputation, not relying on publisher money with strings attached like pressuring for premature release.
As Duke Nukem Forever demonstrated, having a war chest and using it like that can be a negative thing instead of a positive one.
Indra was here (20756) on 6/26/2013 10:17 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Daniel Saner wrote--][Source] [/Q --end Daniel Saner wrote--]If those games are the 10 top most expensive games ever developed (under the assumption that it's money worth spending for the target audience), then I must not be a gamer.
Yeah, that actually makes sense.
Fred VT (25953) on 6/26/2013 11:54 AM · Permalink · Report
[Q --start Indra was here wrote--] [Q2 --start Daniel Saner wrote--][Source] [/Q2 --end Daniel Saner wrote--]If those games are the 10 top most expensive games ever developed (under the assumption that it's money worth spending for the target audience), then I must not be a gamer.
Yeah, that actually makes sense. [/Q --end Indra was here wrote--]
I guess there should be some "sub-species" of gamers implemented :P
-Douchebag Gamers -Fanboy Gamers -Pirate Gamers etc.
Daniel Saner (3503) on 6/26/2013 4:16 PM · Permalink · Report
I seem to recall articles around the time of GTA IV's release that stated that around 50% of the $100M budget was spent on marketing. I assume this will not be much different for the other games on the list.
Of course nowadays you have to do theatrical ads and posters in expensive places, while in Doom's day you could probably reach 99% of your target audience by putting a print ad in 3 magazines and a Shareware version on the top-5 BBS.