How many people does it take to build a computer game like some of the big ones today?

Answer 1

It usually takes a design team to come up with the idea
An artist to draw all the characters, background, etc
A song writer to write the musical score
An orchestra to play and record the score
Programmers to write the actual "game"
Testers to be sure it works
Artist to create the box, manual, posters, etc
Publicity people to get the name of the game out to the public
Sales people to convince stores to stock the game
And a cute model to appear at all the Game Shop to display the finished product.

Most big name games involve several dozen people to several hundred people. But there is also the rare "hit" game done by two geeks working out of their mother's basement.

So there is no real answer to the question....

Answer 2

Just look at the credits at the end of the game or in the user-manual. It's not uncommon to have a team of over a dozen people if not more like fifty for a high-definition console game.

-edit-
One more thing to consider is that a high-budget game manufacturer may be able to buy the rights to use a game engine produced by another company to significantly reduce the time and effort taken to produce the final game.

Answer 3

Man it could take anywhere from a staff of 5-10 to a staff of 100 or more. It all depends on the type of game and how epic it is.

RTS games like starcraft and warcraft don't require as much because of the sprites and confined maps.

But a game like F.E.A.R. or Unreal Tournament could take alot more beacause of the complexity of the game.

You have to figure out the artwork, 3D, movement, sounds of the guns, and so much else.

So really it depends on the type of game.

Answer 4

There are many people with different jobs within a project of designing, and building a computer game. Three obvious ones are, the modelers, designers, and coders. You can't forget the Project Leader/Manager either.