For a game sale how much is divided to whom?

The Vault Dweller

The Vault Dweller

always looking for water.
I've always wondered (I also did a google search so don't complain I didn't look) how the money is divided amongst the parties that sell you a game. I know part of the money goes to the store that supplies it and some goes to a publisher that gets it on the shelf, but lastly how much goes to the company that made it? Also does this change depending on how much you paid for the game?

I've always bought games cheap usually for around $20. This is mainly, because the cheaper I buy them the more I can buy. Why spend $40 for a game released a few months ago when I can pay $40 for two games that are over a year old?

Yet if it turns out the more you pay the more the producers get for their game I would be happy to pay the full price for a new game if I knew the studio was floundering and needed support (I bought World of Goo recently which I know is from not only a new company, but has no DRM and hence is easily pirated).
 
There was an article about exactly this on some old copy of PC Gamer (or CGW...I forget) I used to own. It was pretty interesting. I don't know if you could find it online though. Anyways the copy was definitely more than a few years old so the information might not be completely true now.
 
Readin' through a book called Game Design -- Theory and Practice, if I recall, and another book on C++ game programming by the guy who brought us Ultima 5 - 11 . . . Seems to go like this: 50% retailer, 50% publisher: Everyone else? Milestone payments based on the budget for the production of the game. For a 50 dollar game (I don't have the quote handy), the team that actually makes the game can expect to pull a $3.50 profit (USD), per sale, gross.


Yay.

(I'll update this with the quotes tomorrow.)
 
TheRatKing said:
There was an article about exactly this on some old copy of PC Gamer (or CGW...I forget) I used to own. It was pretty interesting. I don't know if you could find it online though. Anyways the copy was definitely more than a few years old so the information might not be completely true now.
Click to expand...

I remember this article in PCG and I still have the issue around somewhere, if I manage to find it I'll upload a scan, if I remember correctly they made it sort of like a boardgame that went through the different phases of money getting passed around.
And yeah, it's pretty old, I think from 1999 or 2000.
 
Company who actually made the game gets 12.5% of the profit.

Or is it 10.5%? :? Damn. I forgot.

:roll:

No, wait. I'm pretty sure it's 12.5%.
 
Wooz said:
In Steam deals, 30% goes to Steam.
Click to expand...
still a lot cheaper and pretty hassle free for the developer than going through normal channels. it's no wonder Steam is pushing more & more games.
 
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