Yeah, I guarantee you not a single developer gives two shits about how much the game costs. It’s not going into their pockets regardless.
That’s not true. I’ve been a developer for 18 years on big AAA and small indie games. Most people I’ve worked with very much cared about pricing. When you work on a game and put years of hard work into it, you want it to be a success. If the game is not profitable, you might lose your job so of course you care when management shows up with a pricing strategy that doesn’t make sense to you. Sure, passion is a big part of making games but it’s also our job and we’re not oblivious to what the game we’re working on is worth.
Oh and yes, we do get bonuses based on the performance of the game.
Opinions on that one time Microsoft closed Arkane and the studio behind HiFi Rush, despite the latter’s success and the fact the former made Redfall a slop because of total mismanagement? I’m curious in how nervous that makes you as a developer and how common this bullshit is as seem from within; from outside, it’s basically all I remember about AAA because I don’t often interact wit the scene apart from reading.
