How much does it cost to make a big video game?

Superannuation over at Kotaku compiles data on what the realistic costs of a AAA game, which is almost never publicly discussed. The results are pretty shocking: $27 million for Beyond: Two Souls, $68 million for Watch Dogs, five to ten million for just the marketing on Dead Space 2. No wonder we’re seeing such a small budget indie resurgence lately; there’s no way to compete with budgets this high.