Well I’m using the estimated cost of an Unreal engine license based on the license Epic put up as a prize for the do something Unreal contest. Add the amortized costs it’s going to be much more than that but know one will ever know as licensing details is one of those NDA things. Not a good idea to have companies running around blabbing how much they paid.
What it all comes down to, I think, is some bean counter using some kind of doing it cheaper software came up with some over complicated reasons and plans as to how to recover their development costs amortized over a five year period.
The upside though if not for the bean counter would there be a UE4 in it’s current form today? 