Chapter 2. Planning and Budgeting

KEY TOPICS

• Cost of Entry

• Budgeting and Return on Investment (ROI) Factors

• Talent Pool: Management and Hiring Issues

• Differentiation Between Product and Service

• Budgeting the Development and Launch

The game industry historically has not been very good at estimating or controlling costs. The online game portion of the industry has not done any better. Still, the opportunity is there if developers understand what they need to do up front. This chapter provides developers with what they need to know and think through before they jump in over their heads.