Klavs81, who recently released some great models for the community, was kind enough to send an updated version of one! You can now access even better textures for his massive Hvar'kann dreadnaught model. They're available for download here (7.5 MB).
VentureBeat has an interview with Microsoft's Shane Kim in which the subject turns briefly to Wing Commander's production cost:
Kim noted that it once took 10 to 15 people nine months to make a game. Kim said he laughed when he heard that Electronic Arts spent $10 million on a Wing Commander game years ago. But now the company routinely spends $20 - $25 million developing games with teams of more than 100 people working for two or three years. For Halo 3 class games, the investment is close to $100 million, counting both development and marketing budgets.
... actually, the 'bank breaking' game in question is Wing Commander IV - which cost between $14 and $20 million and was developed in just 14 months. Keeping up that level of expenditure for a 24 or 36-month development cycle would put it right up there next to the modern games Kim mentions (except in 1996 dollars).
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