Gears of War: E-Day cost more than $500 million to develop, and that figure does not include marketing, according to a single source familiar with Xbox’s business who spoke to Kotaku. Microsoft did not respond to Kotaku’s request for comment, and the figure has not been confirmed.
The number is also disputed. When budget rumors first surfaced in June, Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson said he had heard the cost to ship the shooter was “insane” and over $400 million. Windows Central’s Jez Corden pushed back on that claim, suggesting the budget was lower and arguing that the cost of developer The Coalition is hard to pin on one game because the studio also supports other teams across Xbox Game Studios. Kotaku’s source puts the cost higher still.
If accurate, Kotaku notes, the figure would sit well above the reported budgets of other console-exclusive blockbusters this generation, such as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. According to Kotaku’s source, E-Day was unlikely to earn back its costs no matter which platforms it launched on, but as a console exclusive it could help rebuild player activity on Xbox.
Sales estimates so far
Microsoft has not shared official sales or player figures for E-Day. Analytics firm Alinea Analytics estimated earlier this month that the game sold about 230,000 copies in its first week, as RCG reported. Kotaku notes those numbers will have grown in the weeks since launch.
The game has otherwise been well received, with the highest Metacritic score for a Gears of War game since the original Xbox 360 trilogy, according to Kotaku.
