The Financial Reality Behind Gaming Development [Infographic]

It's no secret that many video games these days more closely resemble big budget movies. A far cry from the days of Donkey Kong ($100,000 in development costs), it's not uncommon to see video games with production budgets in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Much of that money, as you will see in this infographic from ProfitBricks, goes to Design / Art, Engineering / Programming and Retail. The money for many of the big (or small) budget games can come from a variety of sources, including the government, a major publisher, or even from “the crowd,” individuals who support the project and want to donate money to its cause. Each of these methods has its own risks / rewards, and it's largely up to the developer to determine the most effective source.

Have you ever tried to make a game? If so, what was it like? Check out the rest of this infographic from ProfitBricks and be sure to leave a message in the comments!