Gaming How Much Does a NDS game development cost?

[mangaTom]

So far we have seen game development companies blaming sale losses due to piracy or whatsoever,especially on the DS.I really just want to ask if game development in the DS really cost that much...(Only the development process)

 

[NDStemp]

I think a lot. I don't know what I'm saying but...to make a good game you need a good team and pay dem a lot

 

[geoflcl]

Reggie from Nintendo insists that it only costs a few thousand dollars to develop, and only needing to sell ten thousand units to make a profit. In contrast to the multi-million dollar budget of console games. So, while it's a fraction of a console game to develop, it's still sort of quite the investment, especially for tiny development teams.

 

[DarknessxD407]

Wii and DS Development Kits: Approximate development costs range from $2,000 to $10,000, depending on the size of your team. Financial stability is expected by Authorized Developers in order to purchase the necessary development equipment for your project.
Source

 

[mangaTom]

So if game development doesn't really cost that much(SDK aside),so it could be the game itself that is causing the problem in sales.Since development as said earlier doesn't really cost that much so piracy is not the sole reason for the blame.

EDIT:Game development really cost much.

 

[Phoenix Goddess]

So if game development doesn't really cost that much(SDK aside),so it could be the game itself is causing the problem in sales since development as said earlier doesn't really cost that much so piracy is not the sole reason for the blame.

If you can give me between $2000 to $10,000 I'll believe you when you say "game development doesn't really cost that much."
Piracy isn't solely to blame, but it's one of the biggest reasons.

I had to read what you said about three times before it made sense.

 

[Schizoanalysis]

It depends on the work that goes into the game.

 

[Rydian]

Buying the kit is a few thousand dollars. But... buying the kit doesn't make the game.
You need to hire people full-time to work on it. You'll be paying their salary they live their lives on, and they're most often people that have college degrees for this sort of thing. Furthermore you'll usually be paying them for a few months.

So no, it's not just a few thousand you need to make up.

 

[phoenixclaws]

Depends on the effort involved. How much the team is winning to put into it and how much they are winning to get paid for working on it.

 

[Masked Ranger]

I know it's not the same, but think of all the man-hours it takes to build a house to sell. One person could build the house, but you have to draw up blueprints, design the house, plan where plugs/switches are, where to connect utilities, and make a generic materials list. And that's all before you even nail two boards together. How much have you already spent in time just to do those "simple" things?

 

[mangaTom]

So if game development doesn't really cost that much(SDK aside),so it could be the game itself is causing the problem in sales since development as said earlier doesn't really cost that much so piracy is not the sole reason for the blame.

If you can give me between $2000 to $10,000 I'll believe you when you say "game development doesn't really cost that much."
Piracy isn't solely to blame, but it's one of the biggest reasons.

I had to read what you said about three times before it made sense.

Sorry if my statement wasn't so clear.But granting I have 2000 to 10000 bucks, Nintendo won't just give away their SDK's.I stand corrected, game development really cost much.

 

[trumpet-205]

The main cost I believe is the production cost. You will have to produce a PCB, put some flash memory on it, flash it with software, and package it. Software development cost is not that high.

 

[Phoenix Goddess]

Sorry if my statement wasn't so clear.But granting I have 2000 to 10000 bucks, Nintendo won't just give away their SDK's.I stand corrected, game development really cost much.

Er... no, you don't. You said it doesn't cost that much, but now you say it does.
They won't just give their SDK to anyone who has money.

 

[kirlac]

The main cost I believe is the production cost. You will have to produce a PCB, put some flash memory on it, flash it with software, and package it. Software development cost is not that high.

You have it the wrong way round. Companies can mass produce that stuff for surprisingly little money (think how cheap flash drives are, and that's including the profit from selling them). The real expense is paying the developers to plan and code the games then test them and fix bugs. It's a long process so the developers salaries are where all the expenses lie.

 

[Blade4474]

Visit My Website

 

[trumpet-205]

The main cost I believe is the production cost. You will have to produce a PCB, put some flash memory on it, flash it with software, and package it. Software development cost is not that high.

You have it the wrong way round. Companies can mass produce that stuff for surprisingly little money (think how cheap flash drives are, and that's including the profit from selling them). The real expense is paying the developers to plan and code the games then test them and fix bugs. It's a long process so the developers salaries are where all the expenses lie.

That is if they can mass produce. If demand is small then they can't mass produce to lower average cost. Economy of scale I know.

Still, I find development cost is low. Probably all those publishing rights, copyrights, etc eats some moneies as well.

 

[gosub]

Probably all those publishing rights, copyrights, etc eats some moneies as well.

Working with an existing IP adds up front costs (and revenue sharing). There will also be some degree of them looking over your shoulder. Some are "here, run with it as long as you don't hurt the IP" and others are insanely strict to the point of making it difficult to develop a compelling game (*cough*Rowling*...although even then it's possible, just look at the Lego team). Working with your own IP is decidedly simpler, but working with an established IP gives you visibility and an established fan base.