# budgets

A focused, sub-$10 million production winning the top honor challenges assumptions about AAA economics. Reported trailer fees of up to $450,000 per minute reinforce the rising price of attention, while 450-plus developers push taxonomy changes to improve discovery without blockbuster spend.

Purported leaks outlining a Pokémon roadmap through 2030 and low project budgets ignited criticism of franchise underinvestment. Simultaneously, studios signaled a retreat from live‑service, while Amazon made a flagship MMO expansion free, underscoring a broader shift toward depth, polish, and consumer‑friendly pricing.

Players celebrated technical craft and preservation while rejecting bloat, signaling a market that values earned attention over spectacle. Budget discipline around Ghost of Yotei, concerns over Nintendo's summoning patent, and warnings that generative AI could lower quality highlight the constraints shaping what gets built.