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The Cost to Make a Quality MMORPG
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MMORPGs are by definition...massive. They usually involve large numbers of people, huge online worlds, and deep, engaging storylines. Many of the largest MMO's were created by large corporations employing significant development staffs. The question is, how much does it cost to make an MMORPG. This is a difficult question to answer because of the mast number of games in the genre. But by looking at the development costs of several games in the genre we can get an idea of the cost to make an MMORPG.
One major MMORPG that was developed by a giant in the MMO market is Aion. This MMO was created by NCSoft, which developed among other games, Lineage II. Aion was one of the most anticipated games of 2009, and since launch has developed a loyal following. This game took several years to develop at a cost of $18 million. While this might seem like a hefty cost to make an MMORPG to the average consumer, other developers have spent more to create their games.
One of these companies is Sony Online Entertainment which developed EverQuest II, a sequel to its massively popular fantasy MMO EverQuest at a cost of $20 million. This was also a highly anticipated game at the time of launch thanks in large part to the popularity of EverQuest. The cost to make this MMORPG was $2 million more than the development cost of Aion, and was released a full five years before Aion was. This means that the difference in development costs was actually more than the $2 million difference with inflation.
The cost to make an MMORPG doesn't always resemble the GDP of a small nation. There are several games on the market that have enjoyed a level of success or show good promise despite small development budgets. One of these games is Eternal Earth, which is a browser based MMO designed by Sparkplay Media. This game is currently in the beta testing stage and has a development price tag of under $1 million. The indie MMORPG Puzzle Pirates also cost less than $1 million to develop.
Another consideration that must be taken into account when looking at the cost to make an MMORPG is the continued operation costs after a game has been released. With a single player game, the majority of the costs occur before the game is released. There might be patches or updates, but those are usually relatively minor. With an MMORPG however, there is a significant cost to the developer to maintain the game and continue developing content to ensure the players are happy and continue to pay. This can mean that the cost to make an MMORPG can increase by millions as it matures.
Developing an MMORPG can be an expensive proposition, which is why most hobby designers eventually turn to free MMO makers. From initial development to maintaining the game, the cost to make an MMORPG can quickly add up. The bottom line is the more money that is in the coffers, the longer a game can take to develop and generally the more content it can offer right off the bat. Money doesn't always mean quality though, and there are games out there which have been able to develop great ideas at a relatively low cost.
Works Cited
Gaudiosi, J. (2002, 08 02). Gamers Creating Own Universes. Retrieved 05 27, 2010, from The Hollywood Reporter: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1574246
Mihaly, M. (2007, 04 17). MMO Production Costs. Retrieved 05 27, 2010, from The Forge: http://forge.ironrealms.com/2007/04/17/mmo-production-costs/
StartupNation. (2010, 05 27). Aion Opening Date. Retrieved 05 27, 2010, from StartupNation: http://www.startupnation.com/community/events/entry/Aion-opening-date
T=Machine. (2008, 03 13). Entity Systems are the Future of MMOs Part 4. Retrieved 05 27, 2010, from T=Machine: http://t-machine.org/index.php/2008/03/13/entity-systems-are-the-future-of-mmos-part-4/
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