Photo: Rockstar Games
Take-Two opened a new Rockstar studio in LA last August. While it wasn't hush-hush, it wasn't a champagne bottle-popping opening ceremony either. It was quiet enough not to make waves, but a splash still popped up on the fan-base radar. While the studio was building itself up, in the meantime, some new job openings were listed on their website. Among these, one in particular is exceptionally fascinating.
To build up the hype and suspense, let's first start with the "boring" ones. First on our list is the coding department looking for an Electronics Engineer, which pays between $89,500 and $119,400. The second opening is for a Senior Electronics Engineer that could get you between $120,000 - $140,000 a year. It might sound boring, but the pay sure isn't.
Next, another important one at the casting department: Casting Assistant and a Casting Associate. As you probably already guessed by now, it's acting-related. The first job pays $50,000 - $60,000, while the second could nab you $10k more.
Now for the belle of the ball (pronounced like Prison Mike from "The Office" series). The Associate Writer for Pedestrian and Ambient Dialogue could nab you, "Wait for it..." anywhere between $57,400 and $73,800 annually!
And yes, it totally does precisely what it sounds like, provided you're equipped with the necessary skills, that is. The writer must be in tune with Rockstar's previous games and humor because the company doesn't take things lightly.
Especially not when it's been proven by the September 2022 leaks that the company has set aside a budget of $2,000,000,000, yes billion, for GTA 6. Now, this most certainly is for the entire lifetime support of the game (10+ years), not all at once during the development cycle.
Suffice it to say that only a true Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption fan could carry out this task. Well, unless you're an incredibly gifted writer who's probably worked at the SNL sketch department, too.
Now, whether this is for GTA 5 Online, GTA 6, GTA 6 DLC, GTA 6 Online, Red Dead, Red Dead Redemption 2 Online, or Red Dead Redemption 3, who could say? But seeing as they're taking these monetary blows in the heart of LA, it's safe to assume they're not hiring to test out smaller, independent-like experiences like Hotline Miami.
If my math is correct, an average salary expenditure for these five openings would cost Rockstar roughly $420,000 annually. Now multiply that by the other hundreds of people working on their games, and you can start to see why it costs so much to build a AAA game over 10 years.
No wonder Sony spent $220 million on The Last of Us Part II and $212 for Horizon Forbidden West with over 300 people during five years. Making substantial open-world games like these in 2023 isn't like what they used to cost back in the day when you could have made The Witcher 3 (2015) from Poland for just a "measly" $81 million.
Next, another important one at the casting department: Casting Assistant and a Casting Associate. As you probably already guessed by now, it's acting-related. The first job pays $50,000 - $60,000, while the second could nab you $10k more.
Now for the belle of the ball (pronounced like Prison Mike from "The Office" series). The Associate Writer for Pedestrian and Ambient Dialogue could nab you, "Wait for it..." anywhere between $57,400 and $73,800 annually!
And yes, it totally does precisely what it sounds like, provided you're equipped with the necessary skills, that is. The writer must be in tune with Rockstar's previous games and humor because the company doesn't take things lightly.
Especially not when it's been proven by the September 2022 leaks that the company has set aside a budget of $2,000,000,000, yes billion, for GTA 6. Now, this most certainly is for the entire lifetime support of the game (10+ years), not all at once during the development cycle.
Suffice it to say that only a true Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption fan could carry out this task. Well, unless you're an incredibly gifted writer who's probably worked at the SNL sketch department, too.
Now, whether this is for GTA 5 Online, GTA 6, GTA 6 DLC, GTA 6 Online, Red Dead, Red Dead Redemption 2 Online, or Red Dead Redemption 3, who could say? But seeing as they're taking these monetary blows in the heart of LA, it's safe to assume they're not hiring to test out smaller, independent-like experiences like Hotline Miami.
If my math is correct, an average salary expenditure for these five openings would cost Rockstar roughly $420,000 annually. Now multiply that by the other hundreds of people working on their games, and you can start to see why it costs so much to build a AAA game over 10 years.
No wonder Sony spent $220 million on The Last of Us Part II and $212 for Horizon Forbidden West with over 300 people during five years. Making substantial open-world games like these in 2023 isn't like what they used to cost back in the day when you could have made The Witcher 3 (2015) from Poland for just a "measly" $81 million.
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