It's not really news to say that gaming as an industry is getting more and more expensive. We're seeing price hikes on the player end, but games themselves are getting more expensive to make across the board, especially big AAA blockbusters. A real risk of these titles, especially if they're console-exclusive, is whether or not they'll actually make back their massive budgets in sales, a process no one can guarantee.
Gears of War: E-Day, despite some great reviews and community support, is the next exclusive caught in this trap, forced to make up for its staggering $500 million cost with only Xbox players to purchase it. E-Day was supposed to serve as proof that Xbox can justify exclusives again, part of the company's long-term plan to rebuild consumer and investor confidence, but the end result looks like a total money pit.
Short-Term Pain for Long-Term Profit
While it may be surprising from the outside looking in, the internal cost of creation was no doubt carefully monitored by both the Coalition and Xbox as a whole. The choice to release the game without touching the PlayStation may seem short-sighted, but how much of a difference...
