By the time "Star Wars: The Old Republic" comes out in Spring 2011 or later, the MMO will reportedly have the honor of calling itself EA's most expensive game ever. Single-player games are already pricey; just look at the $44 million price tag on "God of War 3". Launching a major MMO, however, costs significantly more.
Though many games can be made at $30 million or under, "any MMO costs significantly more than that," EA's chief banker Eric Brown told a Wedbush Morgan Securities audience in New York, according to Eurogamer. Brown indicated "The Old Republic" would be more comparable to "World of Warcraft," which in 2004 cost Blizzard "$100 million, perhaps more" -- hence the distinction he bestowed upon "The Old Republic" as the "largest ever development project, period, in the history of the company."
If "The Old Republic" swells to the size of "WoW," it could recoup those costs in a month or two, but even for a Star Wars game that might be a little ambitious. They'll need a strong user base to show up out of the gates to realize the MMO's huge profit potential. The flipside of Brown's claims for players will be that EA is going to have to commit to "The Old Republic" in the longterm. With overhead like he describes, there's no room for indecision.
Do you expect EA to recoup their investment in "The Old Republic"? Are you shocked by how much it may cost them? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.