Ken Levine shuts down Irrational Games and starts a new, small studio

[Zoraptor]

It's not an absolute fact, few such things are as it's working from available information and not from 2k's own books. But it is exceedingly likely, it had 5 years of AAA development and a PR campaign that- allegedly, but from a usually non hyperbolic source- cost a further $100 million. That wouldn't give much change out of $200 million total, and 5 million sales would not cover that unless every one was from your own download portal.

 

There's always the chance that the cost estimates are out, of course, but the best evidence that they aren't is that it's only a few months post release and Irrational are Gone.