Well, it's the fifth day of Christmas and I'm here to give you all my Top 8 favorite video game companies. Before reading this list, make sure you read yesterday's list! There will be no industry without the businesses that developed, profited, and marketed these products and that's what companies everywhere have done! Sometimes we love their products so damn much that we start to become followers just to see what they're working on next and where they'll be doing in the future, business-wise.
It's always news for me to hear them make business decisions, company growth, and many more! Like the rest of capitalism, we can see so much good (giving away great opportunities for business and satisfactory to their consumers) or they can be evil by shutting down development companies, give bullshit problems to their consumers, and other reasons which is greed for money. It's tough running a business because as time flies by, they're always constantly changing to keep everyone interested and keep up with the times as it continues to move forward. We can't expect anyone from any company to be the same because it's all about making money; it is their survival and way to make games. At the same time, the only reason why we even care about many of these game companies is because of the software that they've made for us. While many of us have boring lives, these companies given us virtual interactions where we feel like we're there and playing as our heroes doing whatever objective(s) to reach the goal.
Though I do want to have a favorite video game company where they have a great track record of games, but they should also act professional when they promote their games and reach audience's satisfactory! I mean, why do you think EA won a Golden Poo award for two straight years? Because they've been the biggest corporate assholes that I've ever seen from any company (and that's including factories and the unions)! To make it on my list of my favorite video game companies, they should have professionalism, great track record of video games, and customer satisfactory! Luckily enough, I've made a total of 8 companies that made me proud of being a fan and enjoying their games after all of these years!
Honorable Mentions
Sega AM2 - For those who don't know this is Sega's best development company that still has a great track record. They are famous for making the best pick up and play titles like the Virtua series and Daytona USA, but I will always remember them for making Shenmue 1 & 2 and even the Virtua Fighter series (the first 3D Fighting game series). But for the fact that the rest of the Shenmue games are never going to be released is why they're off of this list!
Capcom - I used to look at this company with joy, great ideas, and variety. Now I just look at them as the EA of Japan, but not quite as bad. In the 360, PS3, and Wii era and still today, they've made some of the most disappointing games and so many missed opportunities (like Mega Man Legends 3). Most of all, let's not forget all the incomplete games they've released by making all of us buy those damn DLCs. Most of the time they weren't even DLC's they were in the disc the whole time but we had to buy them anyway just to unlock the character. For that, I say fuck you, Capcom! You turned out to be another George Lucas; you gave us so much hope and praise only be betray our trust!
Rockstar North - These guys are responsible for creating the sandbox genre and also my favorite video game of all time (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas), but yet I can't put myself to putting them in the list. The reason for that is because they love to create hype through controversy because it creates attention and makes cash. There are a lot of classics that they've made, as DMA Design, that wasn't GTA like Lemmings, Space Station Sillicon Valley, Body Harvest, Manhunt 1 & 2, and the rest. It's just that I did have some draw back with their games like L.A. Noir and Grand Theft Auto IV that disappointed me. However, I did love the living crap out of GTA V, but not as much as San Andreas that's still my favorite game of all time!
Squaresoft - I really miss Squaresoft as its own standalone company. The only "SquareEnix" game I love is Dragon Quest XIII and everything else just isn't my cup of tea. Back when there was Squaresoft, during the Super Nintendo and Playstation 1 days, they delivered some of the most comforting, emotional, and epic stories I've ever seen in these video games from Final Fantasy 6 - 9, Brave Fencer Musashi, Secret of Mana, and even fucking Chrono Trigger! Sad to say it, but they weren't the same on the jump the PS2 when they focused much more on presentation and crazy gameplay and decreased their storytelling and lovable characters (Final Fantasy X).
Nintendo - I used to be a Nintendo fan, but I'm not any more. I'm fed up with how Nintendo treats their consumers like babies and hardly learns to cater to all ages. Sure, it's a good thing that we have at least a company that still want to be suitable for the younger demographic, but I will not stand for Nintendo recycling their same damn franchise and make 100% gimmicky ideas that is proceeded as "innovative." Do you know how many Mario Parties there are? They could have made so many brand new franchises, but the last big thing they've developed/published was Pokemon and that was almost 20 years ago! And I'm not counting the Wii series with all those Miis running around acting like they're a franchise when it's after all beta test for the next technology Nintendo plans to make. Even though I will never forget all of those memories that made video game history, like Ocarina of Time, Super Metroid, Mario 64, Pokemon, and the rest. But if they continue to release childish stuff that would even make the Super Nintendo, N64, and NES (that was proceeded as "kiddy consoles" back then) to laugh at what Nintendo is doing, then I have no interest in their Wii U console or anything else that they'll make in the future.
Sucker Punch - I'm sorry, Zookstar and every Sly fan! I brutally love the Sly Cooper trilogy and the two Infamous games! But my problem is that their very little number of game titles didn't do much to impress me that much to even put them in my list of my eight favorite game companies… I'm sorry, but they should have developed Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time instead of Sanzaru Games. Not saying that Thieves in Time was at all bad, it' was a VERY great title, it's just that if only Sucker Punch developed it instead, I would put them in the list!
With That out of the Way, Here Are My 8 Favorite Video Game Companies
_____________________________________________________________
Number 8. - Lucas Arts Games/Double Fine Productions
Even though, George Lucas only owned the company he had nothing to do with anything Lucas Arts was doing at the time. And for that we had developers in that company that has delivered some of the most creative and promising titles that ever happened in both the Star Wars game franchises and even the adventure game genre as a whole! It sucks so much ass that adventure games lost their popularity and we had to endure the worst out of the Star Wars prequel games (except for the original Star Wars games). But I put both Lucas Arts and Double Fine together on the same spot because one former developer from Lucas Arts named Tim Schafer carried the torch of the creativity that Lucas Arts once had in their adventure games and went full force with it. Though Double Fine still has financial problems when it comes to releasing games and have very little sales, it's amazing that they managed to survive this long and struggle to get something creative done. The many of the games that Double Fine has made are just so imaginative and brilliant that I still wonder why more people didn't catch on to their stuff. For me, I have an excuse to miss out on Psychonauts when it was released in 2005; this was a new company and there were barely any hype around it. Sooner or later, it became the biggest miss outs of all time and we all felt really ashamed of it. That's why I now use to the internet to connect with these developers and companies so that I won't loose my chance to support them any way I can. It was really neat to see something like "the Cave"that shows that Schafer and his team still has potential and the last thing you want is something you care about is forever gone. And speaking of forever gone, we're never going to have that many qualitative Star Wars games because Lucas sold all rights to fucking Disney! I miss those days when we had both entities giving us so much and now we're loosing so much because we're living in the dark ages of video games.
- Favorite Games from LucasArts/Double Fine:
Number 7. - Valve
Valve is the essence of quality over quantity. Although it has very few releases each one seems worth the wait! When your think of the "best fps" or "best multiplayer game" "best co-op" and"best puzzle" valve is certain to be somewhere near the top of the list. Heck, they are the masters of games seen through "first-person" because their focus on gameplay, story, challenge, and atmosphere has always been top notch. Not to mention that they are the guys who created some of the best things in the PC Gaming market today!
- Favorite Games from Valve:
Number 6. - Naughty Dog
There are just times that I could get so mad at Naughty Dog for forgetting its older fans by abandoning series that feels incomplete and to have to carried on to other developers that have no idea on what they're doing (Jak & Crash), but I can't deny that The Last of Us impressed me with all the effort that they've made… but it's no Jak 4. As for the Last of Us, I'm glad it didn't' turn out to be a zombie story, instead it was a post-apocalyptic, wasteland action-adventure that feels different for once, unlike Uncharted. Now I'm at the point where I could just kill for Jak 4 to be released. That's why Naughty Dog made it on the list; anticipation. I never liked being a Naughty Dog fan during the Uncharted days because to me it was the most unoriginal, cliched, and predictable series I can think of and anyone who says otherwise hasn't seen adventure movies like Indiana Jones, The Mummy, Around the World in 80 Days, and Romancing the Stone. To me, it was just another Tomb Raider, like there weren't enough sequels after that. But I should always remember that I became a Playstation fan through Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot series. And they gotten so much better with the Jak series starting form a fun, kid-friendly platformer into a post-apocalypic sandbox epic! To me, the Jak series is the best unfinished game series ever and you can tell that Naughty Dog still in touch with the series when they released the Jak & Daxter HD Collection which is at high hopes for a Jak 4. Though 2013 will be the last time I'll ever play any new games, for the time being, I'll always continue to play retro games and relive the Crash Bandicoot trilogy and the Jak & Daxter trilogy for as long as I live!
- Favorite Games from Valve:
Number 5. - Bioware
If only… ONLY Bioware didn't sell themselves to EA, then my place as a gamer would have been perfect as it is, only having me to just continue begging for for Jak 4 religiously. I bet most of you guys are wondering why I would even pick the likes of Bioware over Valve & Naughty Dog? Well for many reasons actually. One, Bioware has made some of the most emotional and intelligent interactive stories I've ever seen in video games in general. Two, we are able to customize our characters in to believing that we are the character by having them to have voice acting and so many ways of playing each of their games. Three, even though their games nowadays are disappointing, at least they're not keeping us waiting like Valve are! My buddy Highwings got me into Bioware and all of their games and believe it or not, I became more of a fan than he is because I see a lot of things from Bioware than I do with most gamers. It's not just potential, but inspirational storytelling that makes it more referenced/inspiring than William Shakespeare! You heard me right! They make a great balance of storytelling and gameplay that I don't see from most developers because more times than not, it's one over the other. It's amazing that for someone like me that's just as tough as an ox, could actually make me cry over such emotional aspects of the game and I'm more than proud to see them make these games! If only they can get out of EA's stupid partnership, these guys would make the greatest game ever created!
- Favorite Games from Bioware:
Number 4. - Oddworld Inhabitants
Lorne Lanning and Sherri McKenna just got out of the Hollywood special effect business and started a video game company that delivers movie quality CGI presentation into an impeccable atmosphere that given me an everlasting impression that has not been tainted since. Even though Oddworld Inhabitants has only released four games and it's a company that only worked on one series, they're responsible for making one hell of a video game series that I so desire to have more of it! This is one of those video game companies that made a bad decision down the road where they partnered with EA and got screwed over. However, during the Sony/Microsoft day, they were given the freedom to actually present and tell a brilliant environmental story/adventure setting off in a unique and brilliant world that I don't think has ever been matched or equivalent to Oddworld. Sure I've seen better looking games as graphics come and goes, but I still am very amazed with the series as a whole for once loosing my sense of reality and believe that I was really there! Plus this was the first time that platformers started to have humor in their cutscenes because before they were either just the adventure alone, hip and cool, or cutesy family-friendly fun. Games like Ratchet & Clank, Jak, Sly, Psychonauts, and the rest should thank Oddworld for giving us that direction in gaming.
What I love about Oddworld the most is that for every installment, they always make sure that every creature that we see didn't loose any continuity; it all feels the same as the last but with a different take on gameplay. All the creatures all were recognizable and we learn so much more about them the more we see them and understand what we can do with them. Understandably, Oddworld had their mascot Abe and his Mudokons to appear everywhere, but Oddworld Inhabitants did a great job getting a different character like Stranger to get out of the Mudokon look that appeared to be everywhere in the series, which is not what Oddworld's about. Oddworld is so fucking great that, ever since I've discovered the artistry of the series and even bought that expensive art book, religiously, I can't get off that style of drawing of Oddworld. In a matter of fact, for that reason Oddworld became not only a wonderful thing for me, but a huge inspirational aspect on my very own art skills that should tell you something! I'm jealous at how well crafted everything seen in Oddworld and since I put so much attention and love towards the series, I really can't forget all the things I've learned about Oddworld. Though Lorne Lanning is just doing interviews everywhere and had cancelled projects based on Oddworld (like Citizen Siege), there's still a chance that Oddworld Inhabitants can get back on the series since people are still purchasing many of the games in HD download and a remake of Abe's Oddysee (which I feel is unnecessary) is being released being called New n' Tasty to expand a wider fanbase. There are a bunch of upcoming titles like finally releasing Hand of Odd and a Stranger's Wrath sequel along the way. Right now, if you haven't already, is the perfect time to actually get into Oddworld and witness yourself what gaming atmosphere and artistry is truly about. I can't say the same for any developer out there because Oddworld is so damn great that their artwork should be hanged in museums and art shows everywhere! It's about time to show the gaming industry what it gaming should be about and I will not rest till the general public realized what they truly missed! I'm more than proud that the company is getting back on their feet to finally try again to show more of the Oddworld universe!
- Favorite Games from Oddworld Inhabitants:
Number 3. - Konami
Ever since I completed my Naughty Dog vs. Insomniac Game series, people always requested me do to a Capcom vs Konami series… it's tempting, but we already know Konami is the winner here! Sure Capcom has more recognizable characters like Mega Man, Street Fighter, and the rest, while Konami and Capcom are very similar towards each other, the one thing Konami has over Capcom is three things:
- Storytelling
- Gameplay
- Innovation
For the Gameplay, we're talking about Contra, Rocket Knight, their Ninja Turtles games, Konami's X-Men arcade, all of the Castlevania games, the Simpson's arcade, Batman Returns, Bucky O'Hare, Blades of Steel (a fucking sports game), and so many more are (to me) more exciting than playing another Mega Man game, Street Fighter, all of their arcade titles and the rest!
And for innovation, need I say anymore? They've created the stealth-action game with the original Metal Gear! Hell, we have an entire rhythm and music genre of games like Dance Dance Revolution and Beatamania that innovated that very game genre! Those two single handedly save arcade gaming in the 2000's brining non-gamers and hardcore gamers alike to dance and party like its 1999! The only thing Capcom keeps doing is release fighting games and that doesn't last forever unless you're talking about Street Fighter II.
I brutally love Konami and all of the great things they have done. Sure they may have had a bunch of draw backs like worthless spin-offs from many of their series, unresolved Castlevania timeline, and a bunch more, but you should expect that from a developer corporation! In a matter of fact, this is the only developer corporation that has and still does deliver satisfactory after all of these years unlike the likes of Nintendo, Capcom, EA, and the rest. They don't bullshit by giving you incomplete games that we have to buy in DLC, required to connect or sign in a logging account through internet, nor do they even treat us like tools. They go by the basic rule of releasing qualitative games at its fullest year after year after year! I still can't believe that my old partner from Boochow, Amuia lives right next the Konami Head Quarters in Japan and it seems like the best place to live at in this country! If I were to be a game developer, I would definitely trust Konami to excel to success. With all the reasons that I've made, Konami earns their spot at being my third favorite video game company ever!
.jpg)
Number 2. - Insomniac Games
With all the great things that I said about Konami, I still have a very warm and special place in my heart for Insomniac. What they've accomplished for me is Platforming perfection! Yes, they've done a much better fucking job than any Mario, Sonic, Crash, Jak, Mega Man, and all the other platforming series you can name. They're also responsible to for making me a Playstation fan with the first Spyro game along with Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot: Warped. Back when I had my Original Playstation, I was so fucking obsessed with Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage and Spyro: Year of the Dragon at the point where it has become my most replayed game ever! It took the Banjo-Kazooie format of collecting gems, talasments, and dragon eggs and give its players the greatest variety of mini-games and level challenges that I've ever seen. From riding a submarine, skateboarding, flying through rings, speedway races, power-up testing, saving friends like Hunter, and so many more that feels like a wonderful adventure that you can never have in real life. I loved the gameplay in the original Spyro because we can glide, breathe fire, charge, fly, collect, bash, power-up, and swim underwater that still remains the best swimming mechanics ever seen in a video game! There are just hundreds more reasons why Spyro is definitely my favorite experience on the Playstation. It's a shame that Insomniac never picked up from the Spyro series because we could have had a lot more innovations with the series with love and care, unlike the many developers that ruined the franchise.
But I'm not mad at them for moving on from Spyro because they have made my favorite video game franchise of all time; Ratchet and Clank. Unlike Naughty Dog's Jak series, Insomniac still continues the Ratchet and Clank series with love and care and for that they earn their spot as being my second favorite video game company ever! Ever since I discovered the series started in 2002, the series still made me laugh, cry, and get so excited that not even the likes of other platformer series has ever done. Hell, every single one of the Ratchet and Clank games has the highest replay value because they reward the player better weapons and more challenging gameplay while doing the whole game all over again. Plus the more I think of this series every single day, the more connected I become with the franchise as a whole. I love all the characters, the weapon selection, platforming challenges… and nearly every aspect of the series. I couldn't believe how awesome the Future series became when they given us Pixar level presentation that almost look like you're controlling an animated movie and A Crack in Time became my third favorite game of all time because all of the effect put in the story, the details, the features, and the gameplay. It always makes me wonder why other developers who made 3D Platformers (especially Nintnedo) couldn't give that much effect into it. And it still pisses me off that the general public never recognizes the purity and the awesomeness of the Ratchet and Clank series as a whole! But my eyes are not fooled and I know much better than these idiots who only drown themselves with old franchises from the NES days and First-person shooters that are copy and paste clones of each other. And the best part of all is that the PS3 is ending its lifespan and Into The Nexus (not quite as good as A Crack in Time) was a great culmination of the PS3's life span.
As for the Resistance series, believe it or not, I actually like the first game a little better than anything Uncharted has ever done. I admit it, I only put Uncharted ahead because I wanted it to be a fare game in the Naughty Dog vs. Insomniac series to be a tie before I put Ratchet & Clank Future as the winner. I am an admirer of science fiction and it's sweet to see a spiritual successor of Disruptor by having the Chimera invading alternative history of WWII. It's an old tired ass concept but at least it's much better than having soldiers only shoot other soldiers/terrorists. Heck, Resistance: Fall of Man was the first PS3 game that my brother and I got for the system and it still remains the best of the series (I never really cared for 2 or 3 to be honest). Despite my ups and downs with the Resistance series, the one thing Naughty Dog did when they gave up the Jak series, was when Ted Price openly went public and said that they're going to have to give up on the series.
I salute to Ted Price for acting professional to their fans and thanking their fans for helping their series in supporting them! Not only does Insomniac make great games, but they also treat their fanbase with full respect, unlike Blizzard, Capcom, and many more ungrateful companies in the world. Sure their game F.U.S.E. was a drawback from Insomniac, but it was EA's bullshit from changing the Overstrike look to this generic shooter. And right now, they're finally breaking loose from Sony to work with Microsoft to make Sunset Overdrive, and after having too many dark games in the gaming industry, this looks like a breathtaking, colorful experience that feels so breathtaking to watch. You know, since Insomniac is on board with Xbox One and there's a Killer Instinct on Xbox One, maybe I should reconsider getting that console if I get the chance. It's crazy to think that this company has been great as they always were and I'm more than happy to place them as my second favorite video game company of all time! Even though Insomniac is drifting to more of the shooters nowadays, I can hardly care for any downfall that they'll make in the future because Insomniac has reached platforming perfection for me! And that's all I ever fucking want from this video game industry!
- My Favorite Games from Insomniac Games:
Number 1. - Rareware (Nintendo Years)
I miss Rareware! You miss Rareware! We really do! We all really miss Rareware and Nintendo when they were working together like a married couple. Rare from the 1990s to the early 2000's was nothing more than quality and quantity perfectly balanced into one! They were the first company that I actually gave a crap about only to start religiously follow their business and catchup on their releases. And it's all thanks to their release of Donkey Kong Country that blew me away with their graphics and gameplay, but open my eyes in telling me you have to pay attention to them. You should all know that the Donkey Kong Country trilogy will always have the best place in my heart because, while Ratchet & Clank achieved 3D Platforming perfection, DKC trilogy achieved 2D Platforming perfection! Their atmosphere was some of the best that I've ever seen in a video game where the graphics, presentation, sound effects, and even the soundtrack were so clear that it felt that I was there and forgotten what reality was for that moment in time. I still have a huge obsession over Donkey Kong because he was the real hero before "jump-man" stole his spot light.
Though they haven't quite released a game that was better than DKC, but they've earned a special place in all of our hearts like Banjo-Kazooie, Jet Force Jemini, and more! Though I'm not that much of a fan of GoldenEye, everyone still talks about how great it was to finally play an FPS on a console for the first time. Hell, I'm still obsessing over the "Ultra Combos" that I've made in Killer Instinct. If that isn't saying anything, nothing will. To be quite frank, Rareware is the best development company that Nintendo has ever had! They're better than HAL Laboratory, Game Freaks, Nintendo EAD, Retro Studios, (hell!) they're better than any development team that worked for Nintendo! I think I kinda drift from being a Nintendo fan because there hasn't been a better game developer with their partnership with Nintendo like Rare was. Many of their games are pure magic. And that's something that many games doesn't have, magical quality that even outdoes the likes of Disney. I can never say the same thing for any other game developer beside Squaresoft but we all know that they're not the same as they used to be. I miss Rare with their partnership with Nintendo because that was some of the most fun I've ever had in my life! I would kill for Nintendo to get Rareware back because more than ever, they both need each other right now! Microsoft has done a lot of awful things with Rare because of all of those fucking corporate control they've made. I mean it was terrible to see Grabbed by the Ghoulies, Censorship in Conker: Live and Reloaded, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, Viva Piñata, and all those worthless Kinnect Sport games that wasted Rare's potential. Not to mention that the newer Donkey Kong Country games are subpar as well! Though it may never happen, but one day! Just one day! They would reconsider partnering up once more to make some of the best line of games ever! Go ahead and say that I'm delusional and stop hoping for the best but more than ever, I have faith for this to even happen! Perhaps you should too if you're willing to have the possibilities to become a reality!
Look at this video and see why!
.png)
.png)
So that's my 8 Favorite video game companies. Join with me new time when I count down my Top 6 Favorite Video Game plots! I'll be more than happy to see all of your discussion in the forums! Till then, have a happy new year!
