Nintendo and Blizzard Lead "Top 50 Developers" List

[John Funk]

Nintendo and Blizzard Lead "Top 50 Developers" List

Game Developer magazine has published its second annual "Top 50 Developers" list, with two very familiar (and unsurprising) names taking first and second: Nintendo and Blizzard, respectively.

The list, as compiled by Game Developer [http://www.gdmag.com/homepage.htm], was created by combining hard numbers - review scores, sales - with a survey of industry professionals. The end result, presumably, is a comprehensive list of the best developers in the business based on metrics like reputation, review scores, and cold, hard cash.

Though as I understand it, this isn't a list of the best developers in 2008 (like that last list Blizzard and Nintendo topped [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/91626-Blizzard-Nintendo-Most-Successful-In-2008]), a studio was considered ineligible for the list if it had no released a new game last year. That would explain the absence of acclaimed Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward, who took home second place last year (bookended by Nintendo and Blizzard at first and third).

Nintendo powered to the top via ridiculous sales and a strong industry reputation, whereas Blizzard had high sales of Wrath of the Lich King bolstered by stellar reputation scores that "eclipsed every other developer on the list." Ubisoft Montreal moved up to take third (up from #12 last year), thanks to the sales of titles like Prince of Persia.

The top 20 developers on the list are as follows:
[blockquote]
1. Nintendo (Kyoto studio) (Mario Kart Wii, Wii Fit)
2. Blizzard Entertainment (World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King)
3. Ubisoft Montreal (Far Cry 2, Prince of Persia)
4. Rockstar North (Grand Theft Auto IV)
5. EA Canada (FIFA Soccer 09, NHL 09)
6. Konami (Tokyo studio) (Pro Evolution Soccer 2009, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia)
7. Valve (Left 4 Dead)
8. Epic Games (Gears of War 2, Unreal Tournament 3 [Xbox 360])
9. Electronic Arts Tiburon (Madden NFL 09, NASCAR 09)
10. Treyarch (Call of Duty: World at War)
11. HAL Laboratory (Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia)
12. Capcom (Osaka studio) (Devil May Cry 4, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite)
13. Traveller's Tales (LEGO Batman, LEGO Indiana Jones)
14. Bethesda Game Studios (Fallout 3)
15. Insomniac Games (Resistance 2, Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty)
16. Namco Bandai Games (Tokyo studio) (Soul Calibur IV, We Ski)
17. EA Redwood Shores (Dead Space, MySims)
18. Koei (Yokohama studio) (Romance of the Three Kingdoms XI, G1 Jockey 4 2008)
19. Kojima Productions (Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots)
20. Harmonix Music Systems (Rock Band 2)[/blockquote]

The full, 100+ page report is available at the website [http://www.gamedevresearch.com/top-50-developers-2009.htm] ... but only if you've got a spare grand or two lying around. For a less exhaustively detailed report (but for a sliver of a fraction of the price), the complete list will be in the June/July issue of Game Developer.

(Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=23991])

Permalink

 

[John Funk]

NOOOOO! Why do Bethesda and Valve get low rankings compared to Blizzard and Nintendo? Just because there games sell like hotcakes does not mean they're good compared to games that gave me some of the best moments in gaming. And why is Traveller's Tales above Bethesda?

Not sure about Traveller's Tales, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Bethesda's Fallout 3 DLC fiascos might have hurt their ratings.

 

[Abedeus]

NOOOOO! Why do Bethesda and Valve get low rankings compared to Blizzard and Nintendo? Just because there games sell like hotcakes does not mean they're good compared to games that gave me some of the best moments in gaming. And why is Traveller's Tales above Bethesda?

Because Valve releases one game per 2 years. And they don't give a shit about customers.

Blizzard second? Well, good... but where the hell is my Diablo 3? ;[

 

[JRCB]

Heh. Three of the top five developers are Canadian. Woot!

 

[Robert0288]

Personally I'm happy that Canadian branches got 3/5 top spots (I think rockstar north is cnd...) I'm still waiting for starcraft2 and diablo3, Good job Blizzard way to go and milk your cash cow.

 

[John Funk]

Personally I'm happy that Canadian branches got 3/5 top spots (I think rockstar north is cnd...) I'm still waiting for starcraft2 and diablo3, Good job Blizzard way to go and milk your cash cow.

Rockstar is UK.

SC2 should be hitting by the end of the year.

NOOOOO! Why do Bethesda and Valve get low rankings compared to Blizzard and Nintendo? Just because there games sell like hotcakes does not mean they're good compared to games that gave me some of the best moments in gaming. And why is Traveller's Tales above Bethesda?

Not sure about Traveller's Tales, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Bethesda's Fallout 3 DLC fiascos might have hurt their ratings.

Are you talking about launch bugs, because the only other thing about the DLC I didn't like was that Anchorage was a little overpriced (Which is temporarily fixed because the Xbox Live Deal of the Week is that Anchorage is 30% off, even though XBL is down today). My ideal price structure is:

Anchorage: $5

The Pitt: $10

Broken Steel: $15

Yes, I was referring to the launch bugs, which just smacks of poor quality control.

Valve releases great games though, while Blizzard releases games within the same timespan but with overall less quality.

Eh. Personally, I'd disagree - I've never liked a Valve game as much as I have a Blizzard game - but it really is just a matter of preference. YMMV, eh?

 

[ChaoticLegion]

EA featured 3 times in the top 20?
Valve and Bethesda taking low scored in comparison?
Treyarch in 10th place when InfinityWard are nowhere to be seen in the top 20 despite releasing the best CoD games to date....

This is exactly the reason I take very little notice of these types of lists... they're often comprised of number cunching retards with very little knowledge of gaming and a very, to my opinion, skewed sense of reality.

 

[John Funk]

EA featured 3 times in the top 20?
Valve and Bethesda taking low scored in comparison?
Treyarch in 10th place when InfinityWard are nowhere to be seen in the top 20 despite releasing the best CoD games to date....

This is exactly the reason I take very little notice of these types of lists... they're often comprised of number cunching retards with very little knowledge of gaming and a very, to my opinion, skewed sense of reality.

IW did not release any games in 2008, making them ineligible for the list.

Yes, I was referring to the launch bugs, which just smacks of poor quality control.

Ahh. Poor quality control? Overall I thought they all had some good gameplay except for Anchorages shoot-em'-up style that most didn't prefer, though they learned their mistakes from that I believe.

You misunderstand. I'm not saying they had poor QUALITY (as in they were bad games), I'm saying they had poor Quality Control - bug testing and the like. Their launch problems were pretty severe.

 

[countrysteaksauce]

I suppose churning out the same sports game year after year with updated rosters equals quality.

This list seems invalid.

 

[tendo82]

There's no doubt in my mind Nintendo deserves the top spot. I have no desire to play either of the games listed next to their name, but I definitely respect the way their games are able to capture people's imagination.

 

[fix-the-spade]

Because Valve releases one game per 2 years. And they don't give a shit about customers.

Historically they give more of a shit than any other developer with the exception of Turbine. They certainly look after their (pc) players better than anyone else, it only took them 5 days to fix the rather annoying unlock 'system' they came up with for the last TF2 updates, most developers wouldn't even acknowledge the complaints.

 

[microhive]

I know StarCraft II and Diablo 3 will top the sale list for at least an entire year.

 

[John Funk]

I know StarCraft II and Diablo 3 will top the sale list for at least an entire year.

StarCraft Battle Chest is still regularly in the top ten PC games sold. Diablo II Battle Chest is usually in the low teens.

StarCraft came out in '98. They're still patching it. That sort of longevity is absolutely unheard of. I mean, can you imagine if titles for the PS1 were still bestsellers today?

Of course, you still have to run it in some obscenely low resolution. How did we ever play games like that?

 

[Abedeus]

Because Valve releases one game per 2 years. And they don't give a shit about customers.

Historically they give more of a shit than any other developer with the exception of Turbine. They certainly look after their (pc) players better than anyone else, it only took them 5 days to fix the rather annoying unlock 'system' they came up with for the last TF2 updates, most developers wouldn't even acknowledge the complaints.

Okay, now look at EU's Steam store site and tell me they DON'T give a shit. I dare you, I double dare you. 30% for most of the games compared to US store, some games still not updated (Mass Effect is still 45 EUR, so is Fallout 3). Don't look at the history, look at it NOW.

 

[dekkarax]

I guess it's not the list people were looking for because it is based on statistics, and stats and opinion are completely different things.

NOOOOO! Why do Bethesda and Valve get low rankings compared to Blizzard and Nintendo? Just because there games sell like hotcakes does not mean they're good compared to games that gave me some of the best moments in gaming. And why is Traveller's Tales above Bethesda?

Because Valve releases one game per 2 years. And they don't give a shit about customers.

Blizzard second? Well, good... but where the hell is my Diablo 3? ;[

Since when was that?

 

[Nazulu]

Mario Kart Wii at the top? Thats just sad but I guess it goes with all the casual shovelware.

 

[oliveira8]

Worst Top 20 list EVER!(probably not...)

Treyarch (Call of Duty: World at War) WHAT? They make the worst Call of Duty and Infinity Ward that made CoD4:MW doesn't even show up in the list????

3.Ubisoft Montreal (Far Cry 2, Prince of Persia) Just no. No. No. No. No. Not even top 50...
5. EA Canada (FIFA Soccer 09, NHL 09) same as above.
13. Traveller's Tales (LEGO Batman, LEGO Indiana Jones) you got to be kidding? The guys that make the LEGO games get to be in the list but Naughty Dog or Infinity Ward not?

urg...They should say on the title that this is just for developeres that released stuff in 2008...but this is just crap....

I know StarCraft II and Diablo 3 will top the sale list for at least an entire year.

StarCraft Battle Chest is still regularly in the top ten PC games sold. Diablo II Battle Chest is usually in the low teens.

StarCraft came out in '98. They're still patching it. That sort of longevity is absolutely unheard of. I mean, can you imagine if titles for the PS1 were still bestsellers today?

Totally unrelated but Diablo 2 is one of the most played online games.(starcraft is more played in Tournaments...I think...)