Making video games isn't just expensive, but CRAZY expensive. Just ask Alain Tascan, EA Montreal's General Manager. Electronic Arts is well known for its big budget game titles, so Tascan should know what he's talking about:

I'm not sure that the model we have here will be the model in 15 years, and that the EA you know today will be the EA you know then... I'm sure we'll do things differently, just because of the cost. The cost of games now is crazy.

So what, EA will release a Madden every other year? Brian Ashcraft

Game Cost High [Games Industry]