Danish studio IO Interactive has long been known as the studio behind the Hitman franchise. The developers took a big step towards changing that with the release of 007 First Light last week, and it seems this pivot has cost the studio a ton of money.
While IO Interactive hasn’t disclosed just how much they spent to develop an all-new James Bond game from the ground up, we now know the figure, and it’s probably more than you could imagine.
The studio has spent so much developing the game that it’s now considered Denmark’s most expensive cultural product.
007 First Light’s Budget Is Probably Higher Than You Think
According to the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, 007 First Light has been in development for seven years, and it cost a whopping DKK 1.3 billion to develop, which equates to roughly $202 million in USD.
This is a figure backed up by Denmark’s TV 2, which claims 007 First Light is the most expensive cultural product the country has ever had, and this means movies, TV shows, music, or anything else, which is crazy when you think about it. Note that we’re unsure whether this figure has already accounted for marketing; if it doesn’t, it’ll drive the number way higher.
So far, IO Interactive hasn’t commented on 007 First Light’s development budget, though the studio did announce that the spy game sold over 1.5 million units in the first 24 hours, which is a very good start.
The CEO of IO Interactive, Hakan Abrak, believes that Denmark can be the next big player in the video game industry, stating, “The Swedes are doing really well, but here we come from Denmark, we will probably also show what we can do.
Since its release, 007 First Light has garnered widespread universal acclaim, as it has now garnered a “Mighty” rating on OpenCritic, and an 87 average on Metacritic, which is no small feat.
Our review of 007 First Light speaks quite highly of it and mentions how IO Interactive has captured the soul of a Bond experience.
For those who are thinking of picking this up, make sure to check out our best settings guide to be the most efficient spy you can be.
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