Fisher designs, develops and sells many PC games. Games have a short lifecycle lasting around three years only.   Performance of the games is measured by reference to the profits made in each of the expected three years of popularity. Fisher accepts a net profit of 35% of turnover as reasonable. A rate of contribution (sales price less variable cost) of 75% is also considered acceptable.   Fisher has a large centralised development department which carries out all the design work before it passes the completed game to the sales and distribution department to market and distribute the product.   Fisher has developed a brand new game called Stealth and this has the following budgeted performance figures.   The selling price of Stealth will be a constant £30 per game. Analysis of the costs show that at a volume of 10,000 units a total cost of £130,000 is expected. However at a volume of 14,000 units a total cost of £150,000 is expected. If volumes exceed 15,000 units the fixed costs will increase by 50%.   Stealth's budgeted volumes are as follows:     Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Sales volume 8,000 units 16,000 units 4,000 units   In addition, marketing costs for Stealth will be £60,000 in year one and £40,000 in year two. Design and development costs are all incurred before the game is launched and has cost £300,000 for Stealth. These costs are written off to the income statement as incurred (ie before year 1 above).     a.)Explain the principles behind lifecycle costing and briefly state why Fisher in particular should consider these lifecycle principles.   b.)Produce the budgeted results for the game 'Stealth' and briefly assess the game's expected performance, taking into account the whole lifecycle of the game.   c.)Explain why incremental budgeting is a common method of budgeting and outline the main problems with such an approach.   d.)Discuss the extent to which a meaningful standard cost can be set for games produced by Fisher. You should consider each of the cost classifications mentioned above.

Essentials Of Investments
11th Edition
ISBN:9781260013924
Author:Bodie, Zvi, Kane, Alex, MARCUS, Alan J.
Publisher:Bodie, Zvi, Kane, Alex, MARCUS, Alan J.
Chapter1: Investments: Background And Issues
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1PS
icon
Related questions
Question

Fisher designs, develops and sells many PC games. Games have a short lifecycle lasting around three years only.

 

Performance of the games is measured by reference to the profits made in each of the expected three years of popularity. Fisher accepts a net profit of 35% of turnover as reasonable. A rate of contribution (sales price less variable cost) of 75% is also considered acceptable.

 

Fisher has a large centralised development department which carries out all the design work before it passes the completed game to the sales and distribution department to market and distribute the product.

 

Fisher has developed a brand new game called Stealth and this has the following budgeted performance figures.

 

The selling price of Stealth will be a constant £30 per game. Analysis of the costs show that at a volume of 10,000 units a total cost of £130,000 is expected. However at a volume of 14,000 units a total cost of £150,000 is expected. If volumes exceed 15,000 units the fixed costs will increase by 50%.

 

Stealth's budgeted volumes are as follows:

 

 

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Sales volume

8,000 units

16,000 units

4,000 units

 

In addition, marketing costs for Stealth will be £60,000 in year one and £40,000 in year two. Design and development costs are all incurred before the game is launched and has cost £300,000 for Stealth. These costs are written off to the income statement as incurred (ie before year 1 above).

 

 

a.)Explain the principles behind lifecycle costing and briefly state why Fisher in particular should consider these lifecycle principles.

 

b.)Produce the budgeted results for the game 'Stealth' and briefly assess the game's expected performance, taking into account the whole lifecycle of the game.

 

c.)Explain why incremental budgeting is a common method of budgeting and outline the main problems with such an approach.

 

d.)Discuss the extent to which a meaningful standard cost can be set for games produced by Fisher. You should consider each of the cost classifications mentioned above.

Expert Solution
steps

Step by step

Solved in 5 steps with 2 images

Blurred answer
Knowledge Booster
Capital Budgeting
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, finance and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.
Similar questions
  • SEE MORE QUESTIONS
Recommended textbooks for you
Essentials Of Investments
Essentials Of Investments
Finance
ISBN:
9781260013924
Author:
Bodie, Zvi, Kane, Alex, MARCUS, Alan J.
Publisher:
Mcgraw-hill Education,
FUNDAMENTALS OF CORPORATE FINANCE
FUNDAMENTALS OF CORPORATE FINANCE
Finance
ISBN:
9781260013962
Author:
BREALEY
Publisher:
RENT MCG
Financial Management: Theory & Practice
Financial Management: Theory & Practice
Finance
ISBN:
9781337909730
Author:
Brigham
Publisher:
Cengage
Foundations Of Finance
Foundations Of Finance
Finance
ISBN:
9780134897264
Author:
KEOWN, Arthur J., Martin, John D., PETTY, J. William
Publisher:
Pearson,
Fundamentals of Financial Management (MindTap Cou…
Fundamentals of Financial Management (MindTap Cou…
Finance
ISBN:
9781337395250
Author:
Eugene F. Brigham, Joel F. Houston
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Corporate Finance (The Mcgraw-hill/Irwin Series i…
Corporate Finance (The Mcgraw-hill/Irwin Series i…
Finance
ISBN:
9780077861759
Author:
Stephen A. Ross Franco Modigliani Professor of Financial Economics Professor, Randolph W Westerfield Robert R. Dockson Deans Chair in Bus. Admin., Jeffrey Jaffe, Bradford D Jordan Professor
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education