GTA IV Cost MS $75 Million

"This is another Michael Pachter soundbite so salt can be liberally pinched but if it is correct… wowzers! According the Grand Wizard Of Foresight, Microsoft paid Rockstar $75 million to take GTA IV from PS3exclusive to multi-format.

"GTA IV was going to be a PS3 exclusive, but Microsoft paid Rockstar and Take-Two to make it a non-exclusive, and they paid them a lot," said Pachter.

"The number I've heard, and I'm sure this is right, is $75m, and that probably includes the funding for the first DLC packs too. It's more than the $50m that people talk about."

Casting the spell 'Gossipy Chit-Chat Fantabulosa', Grand Wizard P continuedhis story and told that Sony asked Rockstar for something else exclusive and were told about a 'Zombie game'. Unfortunately Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead arrived so the project was canned and they came up with the idea of The Agent.

This probably explains why 'The Agent' has been very low on the radar – work probably did not start on it until GTA IV was finished.

Source: Eurogamer"

MS could afford nearly 4 Uncharted games for that money :lol: Edit: LOL :P

wish MS gave me $500,000 from those $75 million :P

what a waste. And in the end, the contract expired and PS3 now has the non "exclusive" games. It doesn't matter though, M$ definitely got their money back by milking out DLCs/periphials that 360 owners bought.

People must have skipped math class.

MS gave RS $50 million for the expansions... But RS had to pay them back. If the total really is$75 million... MS only paid $25 million for GTA IV to be released on 360 day 1and the 2 timed exclusive add ons. Which if you look at how many units were sold... They made a killing in the end.

mmm so MS sponsored the PS3 exclusive 'The Agent' ??? Sony should thank MS for such a nice gesture :P (am kidding btw...)

People must have skipped math class.

MS gave RS $50 million for the expansions... But RS had to pay them back. If the total really is$75 million... MS only paid $25 million for GTA IV to be released on 360 day 1and the 2 timed exclusive add ons. Which if you look at how many units were sold... They made a killing in the end.

Truth_Hurts_U

[QUOTE="Truth_Hurts_U"]

People must have skipped math class.

MS gave RS $50 million for the expansions... But RS had to pay them back. If the total really is$75 million... MS only paid $25 million for GTA IV to be released on 360 day 1and the 2 timed exclusive add ons. Which if you look at how many units were sold... They made a killing in the end.

yoyo462001

Still think that 75 million should of went to first party devs. They rather spend 75 mil for that than keep their first party studios open, and I am pretty sure GTA 4 was going to go multiplat form down the line.

So whats 75 million to microsoft.

If micrsoft wanted to take over ea they could. In case you haven't relized microsoft has the money to do w/e they want.

Still think that 75 million should of went to first party devs. They rather spend 75 mil for that than keep their first party studios open, and I am pretty sure GTA 4 was going to go multiplat form down the line.

fistoflight

I'm glad that they're spending huge amounts of money to bring fantastic games to my console - why is this a bad thing? Be worse if it was revealed that they could've got it but didn't want to pay very much. No doubt they made it back easily though from sales.Ravensmash

Its not really a bad thing, but the money would be been better spent on actually making games as opposed to a pissing match.

I sort of get why, but I would have much rather had MS invest in 2 or 3 new IP's or even just one mega new IP. This is one of the main reasons I don't like MS in the game industry, not because they "buy exclusives/multiplats", but because they hardly ever use their vast sums of money to create. We need creation!

while i hate this way of business, it's effective .... Sony should have spent some money on 3rd party games, they have enough 1st party games for 2 life times.

I sort of get why, but I would have much rather had MS invest in 2 or 3 new IP's or even just one mega new IP. This is one of the main reasons I don't like MS in the game industry, not because they "buy exclusives/multiplats", but because they hardly ever use their vast sums of money to create. We need creation!

Mestitia

A.Pay $75m for DLC for one of the biggest IP's ever

B.Develop new IP

As an executive can you really blame them, off course we'd like more IP's but they are there to maximize profits. I would say MS is more weary than not wanting to invest. Sony and Nintendo have been in the industry longer, they no what works and what doesn't, it wouldn't be smart for MS to take the same amount of risks seeing as its still relatively new in the industry.

[QUOTE="Ravensmash"]I'm glad that they're spending huge amounts of money to bring fantastic games to my console - why is this a bad thing? Be worse if it was revealed that they could've got it but didn't want to pay very much. No doubt they made it back easily though from sales.skektek

Its not really a bad thing, but the money would be been better spent on actually making games as opposed to a pissing match.

I totally agree.But acquiring and nurturing in-house development as Sony has done over the years is a costly and time consuming business.

Throwing money at 3rd party devs for exclusivity/timed- exclusivity has served MS pretty well this gen.

[QUOTE="Mestitia"]

I sort of get why, but I would have much rather had MS invest in 2 or 3 new IP's or even just one mega new IP. This is one of the main reasons I don't like MS in the game industry, not because they "buy exclusives/multiplats", but because they hardly ever use their vast sums of money to create. We need creation!

yoyo462001

A.Pay $75m for DLC for one of the biggest IP's ever

B.Develop new IP

As an executive can you really blame them, off course we'd like more IP's but they are there to maximize profits. I would say MS is more weary than not wanting to invest. Sony and Nintendo have been in the industry longer, they no what works and what doesn't, it wouldn't be smart for MS to take the same amount of risks seeing as its still relatively new in the industry.

I sort of get why, but I would have much rather had MS invest in 2 or 3 new IP's or even just one mega new IP. This is one of the main reasons I don't like MS in the game industry, not because they "buy exclusives/multiplats", but because they hardly ever use their vast sums of money to create. We need creation!

Mestitia

And why would Rockstar want to keep the game exclusive when half of its sales came from the 360:?

Its just standard Pachter nonesense.

[QUOTE="yoyo462001"]

[QUOTE="Mestitia"]

I sort of get why, but I would have much rather had MS invest in 2 or 3 new IP's or even just one mega new IP. This is one of the main reasons I don't like MS in the game industry, not because they "buy exclusives/multiplats", but because they hardly ever use their vast sums of money to create. We need creation!

Mestitia

A.Pay $75m for DLC for one of the biggest IP's ever

B.Develop new IP

As an executive can you really blame them, off course we'd like more IP's but they are there to maximize profits. I would say MS is more weary than not wanting to invest. Sony and Nintendo have been in the industry longer, they no what works and what doesn't, it wouldn't be smart for MS to take the same amount of risks seeing as its still relatively new in the industry.

[QUOTE="Mestitia"][QUOTE="yoyo462001"]Your in a sitation as the head of publsiher your offered two choices.

A.Pay $75m for DLC for one of the biggest IP's ever

B.Develop new IP

As an executive can you really blame them, off course we'd like more IP's but they are there to maximize profits. I would say MS is more weary than not wanting to invest. Sony and Nintendo have been in the industry longer, they no what works and what doesn't, it wouldn't be smart for MS to take the same amount of risks seeing as its still relatively new in the industry.

yoyo462001

Wasnt this a loan to Rockstar that they got back after development, or am I mistaking this for something else?designer-

[QUOTE="yoyo462001"][QUOTE="Mestitia"] I don't think it would be such a huge risk, when MS was into PC gaming they were pretty damn great, they published and dev'd a ton of great games. But like I said I get why they'd do it, I don't even think it was the best decision as far as profit goes, it was probably more a let's make sure we lock up 3rd party support so we don't have to deal with the PS3 having a ton of 3rd party major exclusives, and it worked. But if I had my way I'd want new IP's, they could have funded 3 or 4 games.Mestitia

You know how many exclusives MS could of had with 75 million lol?

"This is another Michael Pachter soundbite so salt can be liberally pinched but if it is correct… wowzers! According the Grand Wizard Of Foresight, Microsoft paid Rockstar $75 million to take GTA IV from PS3exclusive to multi-format.

"GTA IV was going to be a PS3 exclusive, but Microsoft paid Rockstar and Take-Two to make it a non-exclusive, and they paid them a lot," said Pachter.

"The number I've heard, and I'm sure this is right, is $75m, and that probably includes the funding for the first DLC packs too. It's more than the $50m that people talk about."

Casting the spell 'Gossipy Chit-Chat Fantabulosa', Grand Wizard P continuedhis story and told that Sony asked Rockstar for something else exclusive and were told about a 'Zombie game'. Unfortunately Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead arrived so the project was canned and they came up with the idea of The Agent.

This probably explains why 'The Agent' has been very low on the radar – work probably did not start on it until GTA IV was finished.

Source: Eurogamer"

MS could afford nearly 4 Uncharted games for that money :lol: Edit: LOL :P

sayonara89

It was a smart move. If they had let Final Fantasy XIII and GTAIV remain exclusive, they would have lost quite a few customers. Though, I still wonder what could have been done with that money as far as new IPs go. It was a less of a risk to break exclusives.

It was a smart move. If they had let Final Fantasy XIII and GTAIV remain exclusive, they would have lost quite a few customers. Though, I still wonder what could have been done with that money as far as new IPs go. It was a less of a risk to break exclusives.

Xire_XII

Honestly I am pretty sure those games would of went multiplatform regardless.

I wonder how much the royalty fee is for a console game? If they paid $25 million and there were 7-8 million copies sold, $3.50/copy would cover it.

Well if GTAIV had been PS3 exclusive, that would have put a big dent in MS's armor. I see this as something they kind of had to do. The game sold extremely well, so IMO job well done

MS could have develop more game IPs with all that money.

MS could have develop more game IPs with all that money.

mushi799

Since the game had such an expensive budget I imagine this just helped. You fanboys can whine all you want, but Cows just know that the extra money may have helped this game out.

As much as i dislike MS, Michael Pachter? Really? GTA series has been going multiplatform for a long time; but this is so typical since he is pulling fact out of his behind. Dante2710

[QUOTE="mushi799"]

MS could have develop more game IPs with all that money.

navyguy21

We're assuming it was exclusive to the ps3. Something tells it would have end up on the 360 regardless.mushi799