17th June 2015, 5:05 AM
A game of that size and scope (namely, the FREE system, giving intricate realistic handling to every single object on every shelf in every house) would be expensive to make even today. From what I've read, modern graphics didn't make older graphics less expensive to make, it just made making better graphics even more expensive. (Flat colored polygons in Star Fox are easier to make than more details single-layer textured N64 games, which are easier to make than 8 layered Gamecube games, which are easier to make than 12 layered bump mapped 360 games... etc... Modern toolkits only get so far in simplifying this from a man hour perspective.) The more detail, the more money goes into it. It's been a factor in exactly why modern games have such ballooning budgets. Making use of the capabilities of modern hardware starts to become prohibitively expensive the more powerful consoles get.
Consider Bloodstained. That's a 2D sidescrolling game, and that game STILL is costing over 5 million dollars to make (who knows how much more, since it's been established that outside interests were going to fund beyond the kickstarter amount).
But, you don't need my speculation. It's been confirmed. Yu Suzuki wasn't just allowed to pitch a kickstarter in the middle of Sony's conference out of Sony's good will and charity.
http://kotaku.com/sony-is-helping-make-s...1711819045
Now, to what degree is this confirmed? They're keeping tight lipped about exactly HOW much money Sony themselves are offering, but I'm going out on a limb and saying it's the lion's share of development cost. There's basically no way on earth a game like Shenmue could EVER be funded by donations alone. (In actual fact, I wouldn't WANT THAT much donated money going towards a game. Once it hits the $45-70 million, the cause better involve feeding orphans or something, or humanity's got some serious priority issues.)
Consider Bloodstained. That's a 2D sidescrolling game, and that game STILL is costing over 5 million dollars to make (who knows how much more, since it's been established that outside interests were going to fund beyond the kickstarter amount).
But, you don't need my speculation. It's been confirmed. Yu Suzuki wasn't just allowed to pitch a kickstarter in the middle of Sony's conference out of Sony's good will and charity.
http://kotaku.com/sony-is-helping-make-s...1711819045
Now, to what degree is this confirmed? They're keeping tight lipped about exactly HOW much money Sony themselves are offering, but I'm going out on a limb and saying it's the lion's share of development cost. There's basically no way on earth a game like Shenmue could EVER be funded by donations alone. (In actual fact, I wouldn't WANT THAT much donated money going towards a game. Once it hits the $45-70 million, the cause better involve feeding orphans or something, or humanity's got some serious priority issues.)
"On two occasions, I have been asked [by members of Parliament], 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." ~ Charles Babbage (1791-1871)