((IREM))
Probably best known for the R-Type series and their shoot em' ups from the late 1980's and early 1990's. IMO, they were the master of detailed sprite graphics. A lot of their arcade titles are absolute gems (X Multiply, Undercover Cops, Ninja Baseball Bat Man). Quite a few of their employees would leave during the early 1990's and heavily influence other companies.
((CAPCOM))
I enjoy Capcom mostly for their output from the late 1980's till the mid 2000's. Some of the best IP's in the business without a doubt (Resident Evil, Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, 194X series, Mega Man, Devil May Cry)............I think their best trait was being able to create memorable titles that appealed to western audiences, but still remaining Japanese in design approach (I don't think a western studio could have made something like SF2 in 1991, not with that presentation). They were like Nintendo, except not afraid to show a little gore and cleavage, on the flipside, they could create quality games that appealed to children as well (their NES Disney library).
((SNK))
Although a shell of it's former self, I like SNK for the same reasons that I like Capcom, they created games with mass appeal but never forgot to look at it from a Japanese design aspect. A lot of their older titles have a Data East-esque cheese factor to them, but by the early-mid 1990's, they incorporated talent from IREM and CAPCOM, and became an amazing developer for about seven years (1993-2000), with great titles like Shock Troopers, Metal Slug, King of Fighters, the Last Blade, Samurai Shodown, Blazing Stars, etc. etc.
((CD PROJEKT))
Full confession, the Witcher 3 is the only CD Projekt game that I have played, another confession, it's also one of my favorite games of all time. It's not without flaws, but it comes very close to matching my idea of a perfect game. The world they created shows a wonderful attention to detail and a willingness to care about the content. On top of that, Hearts of Stone (and very likely Blood and Wine) feel like the full fledged PC expansion packs of the 90's and 2000's..........how can you not love that?
((NAUGHTY DOG))
Gaming journalist like to make fun of the IP these days (for whatever dumb reasons), but Crash Bandicoot was huge for the original PS1, and while the first title has aged a bit, Crash 2, Crash 3, and Team Racing are just absolutely wonderful games. I never got around to the Jak and Daxter series, but Uncharted and The Last of Us show an ability to mix presentation and gameplay that I don't think any developer can currently top.
((NINTENDO))
For all that they do wrong, nobody makes games like Nintendo. Nuff said.
I can't say I have a 'favourite'. I tend to take each game as its released and pay little attention to the developer or publisher. I don't look at a movie and wonder which studio its coming out of or who is directing it - in MANY cases, I couldn't actually tell you. I am the same with games to a degree too.
That being said, there are certain developers that stand out - Obviously Naughty Dog with the Uncharted franchise. I can't fault the Last of Us either but its 'story' and some aspects of its game-play didn't 'grab' or 'gel' with me. CDProjekt Red for its 2 Witcher games I have played and really looking forward to Cyberpunk. Rocksteady's Batman games etc. One thing all these have in common though is attention to detail that make me feel as though they take a lot of pride, time and effort over their games. I know other developers do as well but these seem to take it to the next level. It doesn't feel as though anything is cut and pasted but crafted and positioned just right. Characters are given personality etc. These games are ones that I have spent time just looking at the details instead of just 'playing' - looking at items of shelves, looking at the details in statues, admiring the architecture of buildings, admiring various vistas etc. The characters too, I feel like I know them personally - even supporting casts. To me these games are more than just the sum of the individual parts - visuals, game-play etc and what sets them apart from others in the same genres and that's what puts these developers above others.
I know some Publishers have some great developers under them and I don't always agree with their policy and decisions but I would still buy games from these publishers if the game appeals. I believe that any developer can make a 'great' game but I also know that a great developer can make a 'poor' game too (or at least one that doesn't appeal to me). I know that people change jobs so a 'developer' I liked, may not have the same people working on games now - Rare is a classic example. These people can move to studio's whose games haven't appealed and under 'publishers' I am more wary of and make a 'great' game. In essence its similar to 'sports' teams, just because 1 team dominated 10 years ago, doesn't mean they are still the best today.
A pessimist is just an optimist with experience!
Why can't life be like gaming? Why can't I restart from an earlier checkpoint??
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I don't really have any. As silly as it sounds, I don't care too much about them. Closest is probably Naughty Dog, just because most of their franchises (Crash, Jak & Uncharted) are some of my favorite games ever, especially Crash. I can appreciate the little things they do, but I don't put them on a pedestal.
As long as they make good games, any developer/publisher is ok to me unless they're absolutely detestable like Konami.
I guess I can agree with @BAMozzy in this respect. Some teams stand out, and I do appreciate the work developers put in. I even have a certain respect to developers in general because I know making games isn't easy at all. But at the end of the day, I care more about the games, not what the teams are up to.
"We don't get to choose how we start in this life. Real 'greatness' is what you do with the hand you're dealt." -Victor Sullivan "Building the future and keeping the past alive are one and the same thing." -Solid Snake
PS3 Megathread 2019: The Last of Us
Multiplat 2018: Horizon Zero Dawn
Nintendo 2017: Super Mario Bros 3
Playstation 2016: Uncharted 2
Multiplat 2015: Final Fantasy 7
Square Enix
Bandai Namco
Naughty Dog
Nintendo
Koei Tecmo
Bioware
Omega Force
NIS
Atlus
Platinum Games
CyberConnect2
Dimps
Spike
Sega
Sony
.......there are some more but i don't want this post to be too long
"I pity you. You just don't get it at all...there's not a thing I don't cherish!"
"Now! This is it! Now is the time to choose! Die and be free of pain or live and fight your sorrow! Now is the time to shape your stories! Your fate is in your hands!
Naughty Dog have always made excellent games from day one, and I've always followed them - Crash Bandicoot and Uncharted are probably my favourite. Rockstar (North in particular, but I like them all) are awesome because every single game of theirs is great - it goes without saying that the GTA, Red Dead, and Max Payne series are all great, plus the little one-offs like Bully and The Warriors. Open-world games are getting stale now, but Rockstar keep theirs fresh. Criterion are easily the best racing game developers in the business, and, while I don't like all of their games, CD Projekt Red are great just because of their pro-consumer policies. Pandemic (RIP) are my favourite of them all, though, thanks to their development of the Mercenaries series and Battlefront 2
I don't really pay too much attention to the dev who made the game anymore. Of course I like Naughty Dog though and I'm interested in what Sony Santa Monica are working on, but a lot of games now are spread out among many studios...
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Topic: Who are your favorite game developers / publishers?
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