How Much Does Call of Duty Cost to Develop?

The cost to develop a Call of Duty title is a multi-faceted question with a variable answer. Development budgets alone typically range from $250 million to $300 million for a single installment. However, that figure doesn’t include marketing, which often matches or even exceeds the development cost. Therefore, the total investment for a Call of Duty game, factoring in both development and marketing, can easily approach $500 million to $600 million or more. These figures place Call of Duty amongst the most expensive video game franchises to produce, rivaling the budgets of blockbuster movies.

The Breakdown: Development vs. Marketing

Understanding the difference between development costs and marketing expenditure is crucial.

Development Costs: What Goes Into It?

Development budgets for Call of Duty are astronomical due to several key factors:

• Team Size: AAA game development requires large teams. The text mentions AAA game development involved 400 to 600 staff for open world games at Ubisoft, split across multiple locations and countries. A similar or even larger team is likely involved in Call of Duty development. More people, means more salaries.
• Technology: Utilizing cutting-edge graphics, physics engines, and online infrastructure requires significant investment in research, licenses, and skilled programmers.
• Game Design & Content: Developing compelling storylines, intricate maps, realistic character models, and a balanced multiplayer experience is labor-intensive and requires experienced designers.
• Quality Assurance (QA): Extensive testing is essential to ensure the game is polished and bug-free at launch. This involves dedicated QA teams and can significantly increase development costs.
• Licensing: Securing licenses for weapons, vehicles, and potentially even music or celebrity likenesses can add to the budget.

Marketing Costs: Reaching a Global Audience

Marketing a Call of Duty title is a massive undertaking designed to reach a global audience. The text notes that one publisher reportedly spent upwards of $550 million dollars on marketing. Marketing expenses are attributed to:

• Advertising: Television commercials, online ads, social media campaigns, print ads, and billboards contribute to the marketing spend.
• Public Relations: Generating media coverage and building hype through press releases, interviews, and influencer outreach.
• Promotional Events: Organizing launch parties, esports tournaments, and other events to promote the game.
• Distribution & Localization: Ensuring the game is available in multiple languages and territories requires resources for translation, dubbing, and distribution.
• Partnerships: Collaborating with other brands for cross-promotional opportunities.

Factors Influencing the Budget

Several factors can influence the budget of a specific Call of Duty title:

• New Engine: A new game engine would significantly increase the development cost.
• New Technology: The more advanced and high-level of features and graphics the larger the budget will be.
• Game Scope and ambition: A more ambitious project with a longer single-player campaign, a larger multiplayer component, or innovative features will naturally require a bigger budget.
• Development Time: Longer development cycles often translate to higher costs due to increased staffing and resource allocation.
• Location of Development: Development costs can vary depending on the location of the studio, with some regions offering lower labor costs.

The Return on Investment

Despite the hefty price tag, Call of Duty consistently delivers a significant return on investment. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II became the fastest-selling Call of Duty game of all time, earning US$800 million in revenue in its first three days of release, and US$1 billion within 10 days. The series’ immense popularity, coupled with the enduring appeal of online multiplayer, ensures that each installment generates substantial revenue through game sales, downloadable content (DLC), and microtransactions.

Learning More About Game Development

For those interested in the intricacies of game development and its impact on society, organizations like the Games Learning Society offer valuable resources and insights. Explore GamesLearningSociety.org to discover more.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions providing more insight into the development costs of Call of Duty and other related aspects:

1. What’s the average development time for a Call of Duty game?

Call of Duty operates on a near annual release schedule, meaning a development timeline of roughly two to three years per title. The development is often staggered between multiple studios to maintain this pace.

2. How many people work on a Call of Duty game?

The exact number varies, but it’s safe to assume hundreds of developers, artists, designers, testers, and other staff members contribute to each Call of Duty installment.

3. Which Call of Duty game had the highest budget?

While the precise figures are rarely revealed, it’s likely that recent, more ambitious titles like the Modern Warfare reboots or Black Ops installments have some of the highest budgets, potentially exceeding $500 million including marketing.

4. How do Call of Duty’s development costs compare to other AAA games?

Call of Duty’s development costs are on par with or even exceed those of other major AAA franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, and Cyberpunk 2077. The text suggests that Grand Theft Auto 5 cost a whopping $265 million to develop and publish and Cyberpunk 2077 is reportedly over $436 million.

5. What percentage of the budget is allocated to marketing?

Marketing budgets can often represent 50% or more of the total investment, sometimes even surpassing the development cost itself.

6. Does the platform (console vs. PC) affect the development cost?

While the core game development costs are relatively similar across platforms, optimizing for different hardware configurations and addressing platform-specific requirements can add to the overall budget.

7. How do DLC and microtransactions influence the game’s budget?

The revenue generated from DLC and microtransactions allows developers to invest in post-launch content, updates, and ongoing support, which can further increase the game’s lifespan and profitability.

8. How does the engine affect cost?

If the game is using a brand new engine, as is speculated for the next GTA, the cost is likely to rise.

9. What are the different roles in the teams that develop a Call of Duty game?

The teams include: coders, artists, animators, designers, producers, managers, and others.

10. How do smaller “AA” game development costs compare to the cost of AAA game development?

AA games typically cost several million dollars but rarely exceed the ten million dollar price tag, whereas AAA games cost from $60 million to $80 million with basic and mid-level features and functionalities.

11. Are Call of Duty budgets likely to increase in the future?

As technology advances, graphics become more realistic, and player expectations rise, the cost of developing and marketing AAA games like Call of Duty is likely to continue to increase.

12. How much did Microsoft pay for Call of Duty?

Microsoft has completed its $69bn (£56bn) takeover of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard in the gaming industry’s biggest ever deal.

13. What factors make AAA games so expensive?

AAA games are developed by large mobile games development companies with significant resources and budgets. This allows them to invest heavily in the quality of the game’s graphics, sound effects, music, and overall presentation.

14. What are the benefits of marketing?

Marketing the game can bring in a higher return on investment.

15. How many copies are sold of Call of Duty games?

Although the number of copies sold is hard to find. The sales can reach up to 1 billion dollars within 10 days of release, which suggests a large quantity of sales.