Top 10 most expensive game budgets in history (interesting read)

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Squall18

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#1 Squall18
Member since 2004 • 3756 Posts

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10.Killzone 2: $45 million

9. Final Fantasy XII: $48 million

8. LA Noire: $50 million

7. APB, $50 million

6. Halo 3, $55 million

5.Metal Gear Solid 4, $60 million

4. Too Human, $60+ million

3. Shenmue, $70 million

2. Gran Turismo 5: $80 million

1.Grand Theft Auto 4: $100 million

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rogerjak

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#2 rogerjak
Member since 2004 • 14950 Posts

Holy crap Too Human = Massive Fail.

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xTheExploited

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#3 xTheExploited
Member since 2007 • 12094 Posts
All ready a thread on it.
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HavocV3

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#4 HavocV3
Member since 2009 • 8068 Posts

Take-Two must give Rockstar a lot of blank checks.

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Ryukaton

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#5 Ryukaton
Member since 2010 • 241 Posts
LA Noire is up there? wow,this game must be somewhat good.
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naval

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#6 naval
Member since 2003 • 11108 Posts
Some of these numbers are huge ... Halo : 55m budget + 200m market. I also remember CoD : MW 2 had 50m budget + 150m marketing
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TheDogout

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#7 TheDogout
Member since 2010 • 807 Posts

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10.Killzone 2: $45 million

9. Final Fantasy XII: $48 million

8. LA Noire: $50 million

7. APB, $50 million

6. Halo 3, $55 million

5.Metal Gear Solid 4, $60 million

4. Too Human, $60+ million

3. Shenmue, $70 million

2. Gran Turismo 5: $80 million

1.Grand Theft Auto 4: $100 million

Squall18
GTA 4 is oscar worthy. Glad to see they spend so much money making such a superb game.. 10/10 so much win...so much...wing.
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KittenWishes

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#8 KittenWishes
Member since 2010 • 1165 Posts
LA Noire is up there? wow,this game must be somewhat good. Ryukaton
Yeah... Too Human is also up there... :P Too Human was in development for 10 years for like, 3 different consoles. Not to mention their legal costs regarding the whole UE3 drama. No wonder it cost so much. It was a decent game at least if you're into that sort of thing. Visuals ranged from 'pretty good' to 'OH MY GOD MY EYES!' though :D
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deactivated-598fc45371265

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#9 deactivated-598fc45371265
Member since 2008 • 13247 Posts

9. Final Fantasy XII: $48 million

Squall18

I thought FFXIII was supposed to cost a fortune due to it's 'next gen' development? Yet it didn't even cost as much as FFXII's PS2 budget? Or does nobody know what FFXIII cost?

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TheDogout

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#10 TheDogout
Member since 2010 • 807 Posts
[QUOTE="Ryukaton"]LA Noire is up there? wow,this game must be somewhat good. KittenWishes
Yeah... Too Human is also up there... :P Too Human was in development for 10 years for like, 3 different consoles. Not to mention their legal costs regarding the whole UE3 drama. No wonder it cost so much. It was a decent game at least if you're into that sort of thing. Visuals ranged from 'pretty good' to 'OH MY GOD MY EYES!' though :D

LOL. OH MY GODS IT BURNS
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93soccer

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#11 93soccer
Member since 2009 • 4602 Posts
Holy crap Take Two must just be handing out Rockstar blank checks lol. Also, Too Human= epic fail
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ALTAIR360

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#12 ALTAIR360
Member since 2006 • 1408 Posts

i guess rockstar really needed that 50 mil from MS.

and btw Gears of war 2 budget was like 10 mil.

and look how good that game turned out in just 2 years.

cough**too human**cough

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good_sk8er7

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#13 good_sk8er7
Member since 2009 • 4327 Posts

Halo 3 is in the top 10?

Wow, surprise surprise!

What exactly did they spend it on, daily company smoothies?

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Zero5000X

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#14 Zero5000X
Member since 2004 • 8314 Posts
Star Wars: The Old Republic is going to take the crown considering its the biggest voice over project in history and bigger than every one of BioWare's games combined.
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akbar13

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#15 akbar13
Member since 2009 • 2186 Posts

I wasnt expecting to see APB on that list... That game looks awesome.

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lespaul1919

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#16 lespaul1919
Member since 2003 • 7074 Posts

That actually impressive that killzone 2 is so low on that list. that game still impresses me, it's like visual bliss.

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skinny_man_69

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#17 skinny_man_69
Member since 2005 • 5147 Posts

Aha...Too Human :P It's like the Waterworld of gaming

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ironman388

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#18 ironman388
Member since 2006 • 1454 Posts

100 million for GTA 4?!?!?! for a game with half the features of san andreas, smaller area and prettier graphics?! rockstar is just throwing away money. however i am surprised at too human, that really didnt pay off, however i thought the game was fun

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Luther_10

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#19 Luther_10
Member since 2007 • 232 Posts

[QUOTE="Squall18"]

9. Final Fantasy XII: $48 million

Storm_Marine

I thought FFXIII was supposed to cost a fortune due to it's 'next gen' development? Yet it didn't even cost as much as FFXII's PS2 budget? Or does nobody know what FFXIII cost?

SE saved $30 million when they decided to skip the world map, towns, and the npcs...

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bobbetybob

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#21 bobbetybob
Member since 2005 • 19370 Posts
Genuinely amazed to see 2 games about which we've heard so little, and people wonder why companies go bust?
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enterawesome

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#22 enterawesome
Member since 2009 • 9477 Posts
Oh, Too Human... Besides that, all great games on there. Halo 3 really suprised me, as well as Shemnue. As for GTA4... Goddamn, that's a lot of money.
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deactivated-594be627b82ba

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#23 deactivated-594be627b82ba
Member since 2006 • 8405 Posts

Halo 3 is in the top 10?

Wow, surprise surprise!

What exactly did they spend it on, daily company smoothies?

good_sk8er7
smoothies can be quite expensive, especially if u buy them everyday, it probably cost 100$ to make Halo 3
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CannedWorms

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#24 CannedWorms
Member since 2009 • 3381 Posts

100 million for GTA 4?!?!?! for a game with half the features of san andreas, smaller area and prettier graphics?! rockstar is just throwing away money. however i am surprised at too human, that really didnt pay off, however i thought the game was fun

ironman388

Clearly you don't know much about GTA. Here let me help you:

  • San Andreas used the same engine as Vice City, so less costs obviously
  • A lot of money was spent on voice acting, making sure everyone in GTA IV was different
  • Around 10,000 pictures were took of New York
  • Every street is different in GTA IV
  • I'm sure a lot of time was spent oh physics
  • Higher development costs this gen
  • The last I checked GTA IV was bigger than San Andreas
  • "Half the features"? Yeah not true.
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KittenWishes

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#25 KittenWishes
Member since 2010 • 1165 Posts
[QUOTE="good_sk8er7"]

Halo 3 is in the top 10?

Wow, surprise surprise!

What exactly did they spend it on, daily company smoothies?

Perhaps they factor in marketing?
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CannedWorms

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#26 CannedWorms
Member since 2009 • 3381 Posts
[QUOTE="KittenWishes"][QUOTE="good_sk8er7"]

Halo 3 is in the top 10?

Wow, surprise surprise!

What exactly did they spend it on, daily company smoothies?

Perhaps they factor in marketing?

They don't.
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Snagal123

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#27 Snagal123
Member since 2006 • 3524 Posts

Are these just development costs?

Some of these numbers seem more like development and marketing together.

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enterawesome

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#28 enterawesome
Member since 2009 • 9477 Posts
[QUOTE="KittenWishes"][QUOTE="good_sk8er7"]

Halo 3 is in the top 10?

Wow, surprise surprise!

What exactly did they spend it on, daily company smoothies?

Perhaps they factor in marketing?

As well as, you know, making an excellent game...
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good_sk8er7

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#29 good_sk8er7
Member since 2009 • 4327 Posts

[QUOTE="KittenWishes"][QUOTE="good_sk8er7"]

Halo 3 is in the top 10?

Wow, surprise surprise!

What exactly did they spend it on, daily company smoothies?

CannedWorms

Perhaps they factor in marketing?

They don't.

Yeah, the marketing was like 200m according to the link. lol

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CannedWorms

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#30 CannedWorms
Member since 2009 • 3381 Posts

Are these just development costs?

Some of these numbers seem more like development and marketing together.

Snagal123
Nah, Halo would have way more if it included marketing.
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WAIW

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#31 WAIW
Member since 2008 • 5000 Posts

I wonder how much Guerila Games employees get paid.

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Sondi01

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#32 Sondi01
Member since 2009 • 64 Posts
I wonder what the costs of Duke Nukem Forever were/are.
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shakmaster13

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#33 shakmaster13
Member since 2007 • 7138 Posts

Halo 3 minus the marketing cost more than KZ2 and the creation of the engine? Where are all the lems claiming it cost 60mil+?

Also, ouch for too human, and wow to GTA4.

EDIT: Also, wow at APB. If there ever will be a WoW killer, it should be APB.

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muscleserge

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#34 muscleserge
Member since 2005 • 3307 Posts
Such budgets? Where was all that money put. I see a game like STALKER having a minute budget and IMO the games are better. Heck Crysis had a budget of 22mil, and is still the best looking game on the market, with awesome gameplay, and an extremely detailed island to boot. Than there is the Witcher and etc. All these games sold in the millions, all had much much smaller budgets, and all are critically acclaimed. So where did all that money go?
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racing1750

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#35 racing1750
Member since 2010 • 14567 Posts
Wow 100 million budget for GTA IV!
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Snagal123

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#36 Snagal123
Member since 2006 • 3524 Posts

[QUOTE="Snagal123"]

Are these just development costs?

Some of these numbers seem more like development and marketing together.

CannedWorms

Nah, Halo would have way more if it included marketing.

Fair enough then.

Iall have to put it down to very poor managment then, because some of these costs compared to the quality of the game is a joke. Just doesn't add up.

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killzonexbox

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#37 killzonexbox
Member since 2010 • 3019 Posts

This list is BS. Where's Duke Nukem?

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LOXO7

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#38 LOXO7
Member since 2008 • 5595 Posts
That's why GTA4 got a ten here.

Holy crap Too Human = Massive Fail.

rogerjak
:shock: That's...
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mo0ksi

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#39 mo0ksi
Member since 2007 • 12337 Posts
Where's MW2 and its approximate $250 million budget?
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InfinityMugen

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#40 InfinityMugen
Member since 2007 • 3905 Posts

I find it ironic how most of those titles arent even on the top charts anymore.

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VendettaRed07

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#41 VendettaRed07
Member since 2007 • 14012 Posts

I think if you factor in inflation from 1999 shenmue is still number 1

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CannedWorms

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#43 CannedWorms
Member since 2009 • 3381 Posts
Regardless of that lame Halo-bashing attempt, I don't see why you're surprised. :? Halo 2 was released in 04 and Halo 3 in 07, so it took around 3 years to make (aka longer than most games), and Bungie has a good 150+ employees to pay...angelkimne
What Halo bashing?:?
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ironman388

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#44 ironman388
Member since 2006 • 1454 Posts

[QUOTE="ironman388"]

100 million for GTA 4?!?!?! for a game with half the features of san andreas, smaller area and prettier graphics?! rockstar is just throwing away money. however i am surprised at too human, that really didnt pay off, however i thought the game was fun

CannedWorms

Clearly you don't know much about GTA. Here let me help you:

  • San Andreas used the same engine as Vice City, so less costs obviously
  • A lot of money was spent on voice acting, making sure everyone in GTA IV was different
  • Around 10,000 pictures were took of New York
  • Every street is different in GTA IV
  • I'm sure a lot of time was spent oh physics
  • Higher development costs this gen
  • The last I checked GTA IV was bigger than San Andreas
  • "Half the features"? Yeah not true.

a lot of that is true other than the half features (it does have less things to do and way less longevity. less vehicles, no planes, the missions all feel the same (go there kill this guy), the streets actually feel a bit similar. you can call a lot of things in san andreas gimicks like riding a bike or body building or eating too much makes you fat, but that was part of the appeal of the game in my opinion) and GTA 4 is not as big as san andreas, the reason they didnt put planes in was because gta 4 was too small and cramped. also i dont see how voice acting would cost so much because it didnt have that many characters to make, games like fallout 3, morrowind, stalker and others have more characters. the physics shouldnt cost that much to make especially when there are games with equal/better physics, like crysis or the half life series that dont really cost 10s of millions to make. games this gen cost more because devs waste more. look at stalker, they dont have a super huge budget, yet it is miles better than GTA 4 or most of the games on that list

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angelkimne

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#45 angelkimne
Member since 2006 • 14037 Posts
[QUOTE="angelkimne"]Regardless of that lame Halo-bashing attempt, I don't see why you're surprised. :? Halo 2 was released in 04 and Halo 3 in 07, so it took around 3 years to make (aka longer than most games), and Bungie has a good 150+ employees to pay...CannedWorms
What Halo bashing?:?

They guy I quoted seemed to be implying that Halo 3 isn't a quality game. :o
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Snagal123

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#46 Snagal123
Member since 2006 • 3524 Posts

[QUOTE="Snagal123"]

[QUOTE="CannedWorms"]Nah, Halo would have way more if it included marketing.angelkimne

Fair enough then.

Iall have to put it down to very poor managment then, because some of these costs compared to the quality of the game is a joke. Just doesn't add up.

Regardless of that lame Halo-bashing attempt, I don't see why you're surprised. :? Halo 2 was released in 04 and Halo 3 in 07, so it took around 3 years to make (aka longer than most games), and Bungie has a good 150+ employees to pay...

Excuse me when did i mention Halo?

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Espada12

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#47 Espada12
Member since 2008 • 23247 Posts

Why was a dreamcast game so expensive?

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angelkimne

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#48 angelkimne
Member since 2006 • 14037 Posts

[QUOTE="angelkimne"]

[QUOTE="Snagal123"]

Fair enough then.

Iall have to put it down to very poor managment then, because some of these costs compared to the quality of the game is a joke. Just doesn't add up.

Snagal123

Regardless of that lame Halo-bashing attempt, I don't see why you're surprised. :? Halo 2 was released in 04 and Halo 3 in 07, so it took around 3 years to make (aka longer than most games), and Bungie has a good 150+ employees to pay...

Excuse me when did i mention Halo?

Well the person you quoted said Halo, and then you went on to say poor management. I assumed that was the specific game you were talking about, but if not then my mistake. :)
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Snagal123

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#49 Snagal123
Member since 2006 • 3524 Posts

[QUOTE="Snagal123"]

Excuse me when did i mention Halo?

angelkimne

Well the person you quoted said Halo, and then you went on to say poor management. I assumed that was the specific game you were talking about, but if not then my mistake. :)

The game i really was refering to was Too Human. 60million for that? Without marketing? Sounds like the very definition of poor mangement.

I could make an argument that the budget of Killzone 2, MGS4 and Halo 3 all seem very high for what the games actually are, not saying their not quality but when games like Uncharted 2 and Crysis cost a fraction of that it seems very over bloated considering they are all linear games.

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Anjunaddict

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#50 Anjunaddict
Member since 2010 • 4178 Posts

[QUOTE="angelkimne"][QUOTE="Snagal123"]

Excuse me when did i mention Halo?

Snagal123

Well the person you quoted said Halo, and then you went on to say poor management. I assumed that was the specific game you were talking about, but if not then my mistake. :)

The game i really was refering to was Too Human. 60million for that? Without marketing? Sounds like the very definition of poor mangement.

I could make an argument that the budget of Killzone 2, MGS4 and Halo 3 all seem very high for what the games actually are, not saying their not quality but when games like Uncharted 2 and Crysis cost a fraction of that it seems very over bloated considering they are all linear games.

What does being linear have to do with it? I doubt much focus was spent on the Halo 3 campaign. Im sure a lot of that funding went towards developing the matchmaking, theater mode, forge, file sharing etc etc.