All right guys - let's settle this issue once and for all:
While we can theorize that the producion cost was in the $5-10 million range, the $5million gradation in range fails to allow for any accurate derivation of actual profit/loss data; and hence is unavailable to us. We seem to be gauging the status of "commercial success" based on revenue alone, that is, the quantity sold ~ 500k, and it's inherent income thereof.
Now there seems to be a discrepancy when ascertaining success by this method. While Volo suggests 500k copies is relatively good for any game, Ender is flat out rebuffing it as poor performance for game sales in general.
Both of you can't be right.