This push for realistic visuals has been a trend for decades as gaming giants sought to captivate audiences.
However, as the cost of achieving such realism surged, the returns started to diminish.
“But what does my 7-year-old son play?
While graphical fidelity undoubtedly plays a role in inflating budgets, it is not the sole culprit.
As development teams have grown significantly in size, these costs have multiplied exponentially.
But these days, the top game studios are much bigger than that.
With over 3,000 people working on theCall of Dutyfranchise, labor costs are undeniably substantial.
There are other factors at play.
Modern games often feature massive levels and sprawling open worlds, requiring significant development time and resources.
Abrupt changes in direction such as pivoting from single-player to multiplayer games-as-a-service can further compound inefficiencies and costs.
