The Lizard Lounge
 
Forums: » Register « |  User CP |  Games |  Calendar |  Members |  FAQs |  Sitemap |  Support | 
 
User Name:
Password:
Remember me
 
Go Back   Dev Articles Community Forums > Community > The Lizard Lounge
Reload this Page

Finding Out Costs Involved In Development

Discuss Finding Out Costs Involved In Development in the The Lizard Lounge forum on Dev Articles.
Finding Out Costs Involved In Development What better way to relax after a hard night of programming than in the Lizard Lounge? Come in and post whatever's on your mind. New here? Come in and introduce yourself!

Reply
Add This Thread To:
  Del.icio.us   Digg   Google   Spurl   Blink   Furl   Simpy   Y! MyWeb 
« Previous Thread | Next Thread »  
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Unread Dev Articles Community Forums Sponsor:
  #1  
Old February 23rd, 2003, 02:18 PM
FrankieShakes FrankieShakes is offline
Frank The Tank!
Dev Articles Beginner (1000 - 1499 posts)
  
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 1,246 FrankieShakes User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: < 1 sec
Reputation Power: 8
Send a message via ICQ to FrankieShakes Send a message via MSN to FrankieShakes
Finding Out Costs Involved In Development
My girlfriend is working on a marketing assignment and she asked me this question:

How would you go about pricing out making a game...

To be honest... I have no clue!

Basically it would be an online RPG game... and she needs to know the costs involved with setting something like this up.

If anyone can provide me with some input, it would be appreciated. You'd make her a happy lady!
__________________
____________________________________________
Developer Shed Weekly Writer | DevArticles Forum Moderator
Build Your Own KlipFolio Klip With PHP
FrankManno.com - Under Construction
Design Interactive Group - Under Construction
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old February 23rd, 2003, 05:22 PM
Lindset Lindset is offline
weirdomoderator
Dev Articles Newbie (0 - 499 posts)
  
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Alta, Norway
Posts: 370 Lindset User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: < 1 sec
Reputation Power: 7
Send a message via ICQ to Lindset Send a message via AIM to Lindset
I have absolutely no idea.. but anyway.. here's a few things I could think of that.. well.. would require money

- R&D
- Server farm (they usually have them spread around the world.. a few farms in europe, a few farms in usa, etc)
- Bandwidth (you'd need a lot of bandwidth to support many thousand players at the same time)
- System Administrators
- Developers and artists

err.. I'll post more if I think of anything later
__________________
Best Regards,
Håvard Lindset
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old February 23rd, 2003, 07:56 PM
stumpy's Avatar
stumpy stumpy is offline
May contain nuts.
Dev Articles Regular (2000 - 2499 posts)
  
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Sydney, AU
Posts: 2,058 stumpy User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 5 h 8 m 57 sec
Reputation Power: 9
Send a message via ICQ to stumpy Send a message via MSN to stumpy
Sounds about about right Lindset.

Don't forget Marketing costs. Seeings this is a marketing course! lol
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old February 23rd, 2003, 11:42 PM
CHornJr's Avatar
CHornJr CHornJr is offline
Contributing User
Dev Articles Newbie (0 - 499 posts)
  
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: New York City
Posts: 236 CHornJr User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 1 Day 1 h 50 m 19 sec
Reputation Power: 6
Send a message via AIM to CHornJr Send a message via MSN to CHornJr Send a message via Yahoo to CHornJr
Lightbulb
This might sound like a stupid idea but have her contact Sony about that. They might not give her the answers but at least a clue. I mean hey, they have EQ and are curretnly working on SW Galaxies
__________________
CHornJr
"One day I'll know what I am doing"
My Blog
Suanhacky Lodge #49
Rebel Squadrons
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old February 24th, 2003, 07:37 AM
nicat23's Avatar
nicat23 nicat23 is offline
Addicted to Chaos..
Dev Articles Novice (500 - 999 posts)
  
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ft. Worth, TX
Posts: 653 nicat23 User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 1 h 47 m 52 sec
Reputation Power: 0
Send a message via AIM to nicat23 Send a message via Yahoo to nicat23
Verant wont do anything for anyone, they won't divulge any information.. Period.

The biggest cost for an online game would be the cost for the servers maintainence, and for all of the bandwidth. My suggestion would be to do an open beta, like Earth and Beyond had, that way you have testers all over the place..

The next biggest cost, as it is with any development project is the research and development themselves.. Depending on how big your team(s) is/are depends on how much you can spend..

it can be expensive

But, if you want someone to help you test, hook me up!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old March 3rd, 2003, 05:54 PM
FrankieShakes FrankieShakes is offline
Frank The Tank!
Dev Articles Beginner (1000 - 1499 posts)
  
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 1,246 FrankieShakes User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: < 1 sec
Reputation Power: 8
Send a message via ICQ to FrankieShakes Send a message via MSN to FrankieShakes
Quote:
Originally posted by Lindset
I have absolutely no idea.. but anyway.. here's a few things I could think of that.. well.. would require money

- R&D
- Server farm (they usually have them spread around the world.. a few farms in europe, a few farms in usa, etc)
- Bandwidth (you'd need a lot of bandwidth to support many thousand players at the same time)
- System Administrators
- Developers and artists

err.. I'll post more if I think of anything later


By Server Farms, do you mean clusters of servers?

As for the rest, I've managed to help her with that as well.... Funny how everything thinks alike on this board!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old March 3rd, 2003, 05:56 PM
FrankieShakes FrankieShakes is offline
Frank The Tank!
Dev Articles Beginner (1000 - 1499 posts)
  
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 1,246 FrankieShakes User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: < 1 sec
Reputation Power: 8
Send a message via ICQ to FrankieShakes Send a message via MSN to FrankieShakes
She managed to gather some more information... One of her partners in the group was able to get some general demographics for online gaming...

Who would have thought... But 43% of online gamers (games such as EverQuest, Sims, etc...) are women! That was a shock to me!
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old March 3rd, 2003, 06:05 PM
stumpy's Avatar
stumpy stumpy is offline
May contain nuts.
Dev Articles Regular (2000 - 2499 posts)
  
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Sydney, AU
Posts: 2,058 stumpy User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 5 h 8 m 57 sec
Reputation Power: 9
Send a message via ICQ to stumpy Send a message via MSN to stumpy
What about stats for games like Q3, CS etc (or are they covered in "online games"?) I'd be interested to know.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old March 3rd, 2003, 06:20 PM
FrankieShakes FrankieShakes is offline
Frank The Tank!
Dev Articles Beginner (1000 - 1499 posts)
  
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 1,246 FrankieShakes User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: < 1 sec
Reputation Power: 8
Send a message via ICQ to FrankieShakes Send a message via MSN to FrankieShakes
Hmm... I wonder too... Not to be biased or sexist, but I would imagine that those games are more male-oriented...

Anyone else know?
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old March 3rd, 2003, 11:46 PM
nicat23's Avatar
nicat23 nicat23 is offline
Addicted to Chaos..
Dev Articles Novice (500 - 999 posts)
  
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ft. Worth, TX
Posts: 653 nicat23 User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 1 h 47 m 52 sec
Reputation Power: 0
Send a message via AIM to nicat23 Send a message via Yahoo to nicat23
My girlfriend loves whipping <or trying to> my ass in Q3...
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old March 4th, 2003, 11:00 AM
FrankieShakes FrankieShakes is offline
Frank The Tank!
Dev Articles Beginner (1000 - 1499 posts)
  
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 1,246 FrankieShakes User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: < 1 sec
Reputation Power: 8
Send a message via ICQ to FrankieShakes Send a message via MSN to FrankieShakes
Quote:
Originally posted by nicat23
My girlfriend loves whipping <or trying to> my ass in Q3...


Hahaha... cool! My girlfriend hates the mere mention of video games... So I guess it depends on each person.

I mentioned PS2 and XBox, and all she says is, "Nevermind!"...
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old March 6th, 2003, 07:22 AM
nicat23's Avatar
nicat23 nicat23 is offline
Addicted to Chaos..
Dev Articles Novice (500 - 999 posts)
  
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ft. Worth, TX
Posts: 653 nicat23 User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 1 h 47 m 52 sec
Reputation Power: 0
Send a message via AIM to nicat23 Send a message via Yahoo to nicat23
To each their own, I guess My ladys favorite game happens to be Tetris, which both of us are equally good at and she loves to rub it in when she wins which I let her..
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old March 7th, 2003, 05:58 PM
aspnewbie aspnewbie is offline
Contributing User
Dev Articles Newbie (0 - 499 posts)
  
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: The Great White North
Posts: 361 aspnewbie User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 58 m 50 sec
Reputation Power: 7
Send a message via MSN to aspnewbie
I seem to recall a study that suggested that Tetris is extremely popular with women cause we like to "organize".
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old March 9th, 2003, 01:02 PM
FrankieShakes FrankieShakes is offline
Frank The Tank!
Dev Articles Beginner (1000 - 1499 posts)
  
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 1,246 FrankieShakes User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: < 1 sec
Reputation Power: 8
Send a message via ICQ to FrankieShakes Send a message via MSN to FrankieShakes
Quote:
Originally posted by aspnewbie
...Tetris is extremely popular with women cause we like to "organize".


How can we argue with that statement?
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old March 9th, 2003, 03:52 PM
nicat23's Avatar
nicat23 nicat23 is offline
Addicted to Chaos..
Dev Articles Novice (500 - 999 posts)
  
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Ft. Worth, TX
Posts: 653 nicat23 User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 1 h 47 m 52 sec
Reputation Power: 0
Send a message via AIM to nicat23 Send a message via Yahoo to nicat23
We can't.
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old March 10th, 2003, 02:10 AM
wAr-AnGeL wAr-AnGeL is offline
Forum Security
Dev Articles Newbie (0 - 499 posts)
  
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Behind You
Posts: 479 wAr-AnGeL User rank is Just a Lowly Private (1 - 20 Reputation Level) 
Time spent in forums: 6 m 50 sec
Reputation Power: 7
Send a message via ICQ to wAr-AnGeL Send a message via AIM to wAr-AnGeL
To add some things:

- 24/7 Support staff, a must for any online rpg
- PR ppl, Network ppl
__________________




"Only Linux users see the end of crashes."
- Pl4t0 </