The most Expensive...

The Glamour Nazi · May 26, 2009, 05:41:45 PM

7 years in the making and over $20,000.000.00 in development costs the 1999 computer game Shenmue, created for Dreamcast by Sega has become the world's most expensive computer game.

Shenmue is a role playing game with built in mini games and at the time was one of the most realistic computer games on the market.

Shenmue is not for everybody. It's a game rich in story, visuals, and environmental stimuli, but light on overall game play. Fans of whodunits and RPGs will take quicker to the game's overall premise, but there is enough to please the casual gamer as well. While Shenmue is revolutionary, the game is far from perfect. Regardless of its many shortcomings, though, Shenmue is an adventure worth experiencing - provided you have the time to invest.

If any of you know of other "Most Expensives" Post them here *looks to Whocares for most expensive set piece*

Uximadesk · May 26, 2009, 05:48:27 PM

Most expensive domain name.
For a while it was toys.com, bought by Toys R Us by 5 million dlls.

Then came business.com, bought for 7 MD.

But the most expensive domains to date remain adult related domains, both bought at 10 and 14 MD respectively. For obvious reasons I will not include the name of the domain, but it's not hard to figure out which two are they.

The Glamour Nazi · May 26, 2009, 05:51:51 PM

What is the most expensive cornflake in the world?

Emily McIntire from Chesapeake, Virginia was munching on some cornflakes, when to her surprise she found one in the shape of Illinois.

Now most people would have eaten it, but not Emily, she and her sister, Melissa decided to sell it, where else, but eBay.

The Illinois cornflake was bought by TriviaMania.com in March 2008 for a flakey $1350.00 USD.

Twilight Wolf · May 26, 2009, 07:39:35 PM

Actually, Chuck, I believe that record about "Shenmue" is outdated, plus I seem to recall hearing that "Half-Life 2" cost something like $44 million to make.

The Glamour Nazi · May 27, 2009, 06:25:47 AM

please Verifiy this.

This comes from another source.

Back in 1993, when the revolutionary first person shooter, Doom, was released, a game could be made by eleven people with a budget that was probably around $200,000. Today, the production of a video game can cost upwards of tens of millions of dollars and sometimes takes over 5 years to develop. Releasing an A-list title is a massive business undertaking, employing hundreds or thousands of people. An incredible amount of risk is involved in releasing a title. Big name publishers lean towards releasing sequels and safer titles that appeal to a broader audience.

Sometimes an ambitious game developer will completely overrun its budget and development time. Sometimes this results in an epic title that breaks all the rules set before it. More often than not, it results in poor reviews, poor sales and a disappointing game.

Arguably one of the latter, the most expensive video game, until recently, was a Sega Dreamcast game called Shenmue. Released in 1999, the project cost over $70 million and took over 7 years to complete. It was produced and directed by Yu Suzuki for the Sega-AM2 (Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department 2). Shenmue boasted unparalleled freedom and interactivity and even a real time weather system. But this wasn't enough to impress many reviewers; the most expensive video game received mixed reviews and experienced mediocre sales. Nonetheless, the expensive game inspired a massive fan base that remains active to this day.

Rockstar North, known for their mature titles, has recently ousted Shenmue from its most expensive position and replaced it with their own offering, Grand Theft Auto IV. Taking place in the fictional Liberty City, a close likeness of New York City, GTA IV also allows players an unequaled level of freedom and interactivity. The in-game radio has over 150 songs which, through a deal with Amazon, players can download in real life. The game even includes two hours of television that a player can watch while ignoring pressing responsibilities such as assassinating suspiciously familiar anti-video game lawyers.

While the exact figure isn't yet public knowledge, Rockstar North's president has estimated that the world's most expensive video game cost about $100 million to make. Luckily for us, the game only costs consumers around $60.

Looks like Shenmue is still the most expensive game officially.