Are videogames the cathedrals of the 21st century?
For some time now, I’ve been intrigued by the scant recognition that videogames receive outside the ‘gamer’ realm. I don’t believe this lack of recognition is due to deliberate disregard, but rather a shortage of information. To help appreciate the enormous effort involved in creating a videogame, I’ve devised an analogy with something much more tangible and physical.
In this post, we will compare the estimated hours of work required to develop a videogame with those historically invested in the construction of cathedrals, skyscrapers, and pyramids.
Both videogames and building constructions require multidisciplinary teams. A videogame is not just interaction: characters need to be designed, modeled, animated, and given a voice. There is also a need to tell a story, create scenarios, and dialogues, not to mention including sounds and a background soundtrack. To make everything fun and interactive, it is also necessary to design, program, and balance the mechanics. This gives us an initial idea of the different roles needed to create a videogame.
To illustrate this comparison, I have created a table —with the help of AI— where we can see the duration and estimated cost of some of the most emblematic videogames and buildings.
| Name | Type | Estimated Hours (millions) | Duration (years) | Estimated Total Cost (USD current) | Involved People (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Sagrada Familia (Basilica) | Building | 710 | 142 (1882–present) | ≈$3,000 M | 1,000 | Unfinished after ~140 years; Gaudí’s masterpiece; annual private funding ≈€25 M. |
| Notre-Dame Cathedral (Paris) | Building | 665 | 182 (1163–1345) | ≈$900 M | 1,000 | Iconic French Gothic; restored after the 2019 fire with funds of ≈$900 M. |
| Great Pyramid of Giza (Khufu) | Building | 520 | 20 (c. 2560 BC) | ≈$300 M | 7,000 | Built in 20 years; was the tallest structure in the world for ~3,800 years. |
| Sydney Opera House | Building | 280 | 14 (1959–1973) | ≈$730 M | 10,000 | UNESCO World Heritage; 14 years of construction with 10,000 workers; original cost A$102 M (1973). |
| Grand Theft Auto VI | Video Game | ≈48 | ≈12 (2014–2026) | ≈$2,000 M | 2,000 | In development (expected May 2026); budget ~US$2,000 M; development of one of the most ambitious AAA titles. |
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Video Game | 25.6 | 8 (2010–2018) | ≈$500 M | 1,600 | 8 years of development with ~1,600 people; cost $370–540 M (dev+marketing). |
| Star Citizen | Video Game | 24 | ≈12+ (2012–2025+) | ≈$800 M | 1,000 | Crowdfunded +US$800 M; ongoing development; team ~1,000 devs. |
| Burj Khalifa (Dubai) | Building | 22 | 6 (2004–2010) | ≈$1,500 M | 12,000 | 828 m skyscraper; 22 million man-hours; world height record. |
| Golden Gate Bridge | Building | 16 | 4 (1933–1937) | ≈$450 M | 2,000 | Built in 4 years during the Great Depression; original cost $27 M (1937). |
| Empire State Building | Building | 7 | 1.25 (1930–1931) | ≈$41 M | 3,000 | Built in ~13.5 months; 7 million man-hours; was the tallest (381 m) until 1970. |
| Grand Theft Auto V | Video Game | 6 | 3 (2010–2013) | ≈$360 M | 1,000 | Team of ~1,000 devs; developed in 3 years; cost $265 M (dev) plus marketing. |
| Genshin Impact | Video Game | 5 | 4 (2017–2020) | ≈$100 M | 700 | Multiplayer RPG by miHoYo; initial budget ~US$100 M; team grew to ~700. |
| Guggenheim Museum (New York) | Building | 4.8 | 3 (1956–1959) | ≈$25 M | 800 | Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; original cost $3 M (1959). |
| The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild | Video Game | 2.5 | 4 (2013–2017) | ≈$150 M | 300 | Revolutionized the open-world genre; final team ~300; developed 2013–2017. |
| Super Mario Odyssey | Video Game | 0.8 | 4 (2013–2017) | ≈$100 M | 100 | Team of ~100; 30 million copies sold; estimated budget ~US$100 M. |
| World of Warcraft | Video Game | 0.4 | 4 (2001–2004) | ≈$150 M | 40–80 | Pioneering MMORPG; initial team of ~40–80 devs; budget ~US$80 M (2004), adjusted to 2024. |
I hope that after reading this post you understand why, to me, videogames are the ultimate art… at least until Cyberpunk 2077’s braindance arrives.