GTA IV overtakes Shenmue as most expensive game

Grand Theft Auto IV's $100 budget makes it the most expensive video game ever created by man.

Grand Theft Auto IV budget

Grand Theft Auto IV is the new expensive hotness

With an all but confirmed $100 million budget and a development staff of 1,000 people, Grand Theft auto IV is the most expensive video game ever created by man.

GTA IV producer Leslie Benzies mentioned the numbers as estimates in an interview with the Times Online. The GTA producer also pointed out that the 1,000 developers, designers, producers and other video game-related professionals worked on the game for more than three and a half years.

The figures mean that GTA IV's development costs have taken over the first place spot for most expensive game ever created from Sega's Shenmue for the Dreamcast. That game had a more modest $70 million budget, but in its defense it lacked prostitutes, Russian nationals and a Statue of Happiness.

Analysts have predicted that GTA IV could gross more than $400 million in its first week, which would also be a record.

THE VERDICT by Jack Loftus Jack Loftus's Avatar This is both amazing and troubling at the same time. When games cost this much to make there's more risk, and you can only expect to see one every three-and-a-half years. If GTA IV had failed, which it didn't , it would have discouraged other developers from undertaking similar endeavors. This also means we'll be waiting until at least 2012 for the GTA V.

Comments [53]

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dionnysus

more cost could mean higher prices; oh, well, as long as it is worth the price

dudemister

what about all the games that have been delayed like wardevel or alen wake re5 all the game that are getting pushed back are going to cast more obviously maybe not 100 million i dont think that record will last long

MaximumExtreme

I'm not really a big fan on the GTA series,but this game is definetly worth buying.I haven't had any problems with it,and I find the game absolutely flawless.It definetly deserves a 10

Sire

I don't think this game is that great, honestly not worth that kind of money. I would much rather have a game "outside" reality a bit more. Whatever, either way that's an obscene amount of cash.

artsaber

MaximumExtreme Posted at: 05/01/08 at 6:42 AM PST I'm not really a big fan on the GTA series,but this game is definetly worth buying.I haven't had any problems with it,and I find the game absolutely flawless.It definetly deserves a 10
You are nuts... about 35 to 40 percent of the GTA4 purchase population on the PS3 and 360 are having lockup and freezing issues. Just because it did not happen to YOU doesn't mean that this isn't a big problem.

GOBLOXXX187

Video game developing is the NEW HOLLYWOOD! This is not JUST a game. It's an EPIC INTERACTIVE CRIME SAGA. GTA IV beats the HELL out of just watching a crime stories on the boob tube. You no longer just "watch" the protagonist, you ARE the protagonist. Enjoy this game people, it's IS RAW!

artsaber

Out of those 1000 employess, they must've had only 3 code analysts. ALSO, why was there no beta for this? If there was, I seriously doubt 360 and PS3 gamers would be experiencing freezing issues. They woulda been discovered early and worked out by now.

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