Top 10 Best Video Game Developers

The Top Ten
1 Nintendo Nintendo Co., Ltd. is a Japanese multinational consumer electronics and software company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan.

Nintendo was founded in 1889 as Nintendo Karuta by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade hanafuda playing cards. After venturing into various lines of business during the 1960s and acquiring a legal status as a public company, Nintendo distributed its... read more

Nintendo not only saved the video game industry, but also revolutionized it. Nintendo has created the most well-known and beloved franchises in gaming history. Time and time again, Nintendo releases video game masterpieces that solidify themselves as timeless classics, destined to be enjoyed for decades to come. The amount of quality and refinement that goes into every Nintendo game promises fun and memorable experiences. Nintendo has been the biggest influence in my life, and made me who I am today, and there is no other video game company in existence that deserves to be #1 other than Nintendo.

I bet if you went out on the street with iconic video game characters from various companies and franchises on sheets of paper and asked pedestrians the names of those characters, Nintendo's characters would be the most recognized. That just says it all.

Nintendo does what others can't - they have produced game franchises and consoles that nearly everyone has had some contact with. For other franchises, you have to be more familiar with the gaming scene. But Nintendo goes beyond gaming. It's a pop culture staple, recognized by nearly everyone.

2 Naughty Dog Naughty Dog is an American video game development company based in Santa Monica, California. Acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2001, the company is known for producing critically acclaimed video games such as the "Uncharted" series and "The Last of Us." Naughty Dog has a reputation for storytelling and technical prowess in game development.

Naughty Dog is hands down the best developer out there, besides Insomniac Games. They started off with Crash Bandicoot, which was the perfect mascot and character for its time. It was perfect for the age group that it was directed toward. Moving onto the world of Jak and Daxter set the benchmark of gaming for its era, defining what storytelling and gameplay are really supposed to be. Moving onto the Uncharted series and The Last of Us, both of these games are absolute masterpieces. They've come a long way from where they started and no one has ever put as much effort into making a video game as Naughty Dog. They are the god of video game developers.

Naughty Dog deserves to be in the top 5 at least, maybe even top 3. Every single game they have created has been nothing short of magnificent. From Crash, to Jak and Daxter, to Uncharted, to The Last of Us, they have never failed to meet expectations. At first, I was fine with their #6 spot, but after creating The Last of Us, they deserve the #3 spot in my opinion, behind Bethesda and Valve. Rockstar makes a great case for #3 too, but I feel like Naughty Dog's storytelling puts them just a hair ahead. I write this review right before Grand Theft Auto V, so most likely I would put them at #3 and at #4 after it releases and I play it, but Naughty Dog deserves a top 5 spot for sure.

3 Bethesda Bethesda Game Studios is an American in-house development team at Bethesda Softworks established in 2002. Previously synonymous with parent publisher Bethesda Softworks, the studio's name and logo were established with the release of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind in 2002. The studio is currently led by executive producer Todd Howard.

Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, even Starfield! Do I need to say more? Most of Bethesda's games have won countless GOTY awards.

Every single one of those games features a huge open world beaming with content, variety, and diversity. I am so glad to see Bethesda so high on this list. That shows that people really know what they are talking about and can appreciate the studio that brought upon us some of the most celebrated video games of all time.

Skyrim is still the best game I have ever played, and part of that is because of how extensively Bethesda worked on the game and put so much content and detail into it. Bethesda also gave us a sort of similar (gameplay-wise) title in the Fallout series, which was also phenomenal. They also pumped out Dishonored and Wolfenstein, both with a similar feel and both excellent and fun. So basically, Bethesda has put out a ton of my favorite games, and I think they should be number 2 (after VALVe of course) on the list, closely followed by Rockstar and Square Enix (Sleeping Dogs, anyone?).

4 Valve Valve Corporation is an American video game developer, publisher and digital distribution company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.

Nobody trail-blazes like the folks at Valve. Despite their notorious delays, frustrating secrecy, and the existence of the Artifact game, nobody seems to break new ground like they have. Just about every product they put out is of the highest quality, and in my book, they are a standard for other developers to strive towards. They also have taken good risks to try and further the gaming industry as a whole, which is what the industry sorely needs right now.

The best would be an understatement for Valve. Seeing that they have never made a single average, let alone bad, game is impressive. In fact, they have made some of the very BEST game series including Half Life, Portal, Team Fortress, DotA, and others, none of which were even remotely boring or lacking content. Valve's games set standards for all the games to come. And they made Steam, the best digital distribution service available. Second to none, Valve is the best, of the BEST!

5 Rockstar North Rockstar North Limited is a British video game developer based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company was founded as Acme Software, in Dundee in 1984, by classmates David Jones, Russell Kay, Steve Hammond, and Mike Dailly, and was renamed DMA Design in 1987.

The magic of most of Rockstar's back catalogue is the open-world nature of them. It sucks when a game ends but most games from Rockstar let you continue the game in whatever fashion you want even when the storyline ends. In Red Dead Redemption, you can still hunt bounties and skin animals to your heart's desires. In L. A Noire, you can bust endless street crimes. In Grand Theft Auto V, there are the taxi missions and tow truck missions among others.

Nintendo may have saved the game industry but even they can't hold a candle to Rockstar's finest. Rockstar also has many of the greatest characters in gaming. Franklin Clinton, Michael De Santa, Trevor Phillips, Lemar Davis, Cole Phelps, Rusty Galloway, Hershall Biggs, John Marston, and Max Payne among others.

I only have a few favorite games of all time, and around three are Rockstar's games. They are an incredible studio. They deserve to be above Valve and Bethesda because Bethesda doesn't make good games anymore, and Valve literally doesn't make games anymore. But Rockstar just throws out masterpiece after masterpiece. I think they should tie with Naughty Dog, though.

6 Capcom Capcom Co., Ltd., or Capcom, is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Mega Man, Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, Ace Attorney, and Monster Hunter, as well as highly successful games based on the Disney animated properties.

Resident Evil, Mega Man, Devil May Cry, Street Fighter, Okami, Ace Attorney, Viewtiful Joe, Dead Rising, Ghosts n' Goblins, and the Disney games for the NES. Those are all masterpieces that make Capcom deserve a place in the Top 10.

Coming out with great games like every single decade: Mega Man, Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, Dead Rising. Most consistent video game company.

What?! Capcom has the greatest game ever! Mega Man, Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, Street Fighter. I could go on and on!

7 Square Enix Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer, publisher, and distribution company that is best known for its role-playing video game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts role-playing game series.

From Chrono Trigger to Nier Automata, I'm currently playing Octopath Traveler. Square Enix is the best J-RPG game company to date. Their games don't let you grind, instead, they make you go through the story with whatever you have at the time. Every Square Enix game you have is full of emotion and relatable characters (sometimes they feel like anime characters) which I instantly care for. And boy, is the environment magical.

Kingdom Hearts is reason enough, and the later installments in the Final Fantasy series are, even if they aren't as good as the earlier ones, still some really awesome games. And if we go back even further, we have Chrono Trigger, which even after two decades, is one of the best games ever made.

I don't know why Square Enix isn't in the top ten. This company made games like Final Fantasy XII and Kingdom Hearts. Who doesn't love those? I understand how Valve can be in first place. They're not only one of the most well-known companies (who am I supporting here?), but also one of the smartest. However, I think Square Enix deserves a spot in the top ten.

8 Rare Rare is a British video game developer located in Twycross, Leicestershire. The company was established in 1985 by Tim and C hris Stamper, founders of Ultimate Play the Game. During its early years, Rare was backed by an unlimited budget from Nintendo, primarily concentrated on Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games . During this time they created successful titles such as Wizards & Warriors, Battletoads,... read more

The thing that makes Rare so great is the fact that they perfect any genre they touch. Tell them to make a platformer, they give you Banjo-Kazooie. Ask them for a racer, you get Diddy Kong Racing. Fighting game? Take Killer Instinct.

Say what you will about their tenure with Microsoft, that doesn't change the fact that they made the best life simulator on 360 (Viva Pinata). Even their Kinect games have that Rare charm to them, and I'm looking forward to their newest game, a pirate adventure game called Sea of Thieves.

Loosely using JonTron's terms, when Rare came along, it was not about the high score. It was about the adventure. That's what is rare about Rare Ware.

Nintendo is better, but Rare certainly deserves better than 8th!

9 Bioware BioWare is a Canadian video game developer based in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 1995 by newly graduated medical doctors Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk and Augustine Yip, alongside Trent Oster, Brent Oster, and Marcel Zeschuk. Since 2007, the company has been owned by American publisher Electronic Arts.

For me, BioWare sets the standard for character development. Their NPCs are well-rounded and realistic, as are (most) of your interactions with them. They also lead the industry in allowing character choice to customize the player experience without detracting from the overall narrative. Hands down, BioWare has made the most compelling grand scale narratives in gaming (Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect).

I really love Bioware's games. I've played the entire Mass Effect trilogy and all three Dragon Age games. I'm very much hoping they will continue making such amazing games and won't focus fully on multiplayer games. Storytelling is definitely their best quality. Mass Effect 3's ending genuinely made me sob. (EA, keep your hands off this company and let them make their games.)

I really respect Bioware. I mean, they made the Mass Effect 3 Citadel DLC. Hands down, it's the best DLC I have ever played in my entire life.

10 Ubisoft Montreal

It should be higher than Rockstar. They beat Max Payne with Splinter Cell. They beat Grand Theft Auto with Watch Dogs. Ubisoft is entirely better than Rockstar. It should be number one on this list, just compare its games' qualities. Please vote for Ubisoft.

Ubisoft Montreal versus Rockstar was in my mind for a while, but Ubisoft is the victor. In 2013 alone, they released so many good games: Assassin's Creed 4, Splinter Cell Blacklist, Rayman Legends, and in 2012, they made Far Cry 3. I can't wait for Watch Dogs.

Far Cry, Assassin's Creed, Watch Dogs, Tom Clancy... enough said. And the main difference is that all those franchises are from that single same studio in Montreal. They deserve better than 6th.

The Contenders
11 id Software ID Software is a video game developer, founded in February 1, 1991 by John Carmack, John Romero, Tom Hall, Adrian Carmack (Not related to John Carmack), and Jay Wilbur. They made heavy contributions to the video gaming industry, as they are considered the founders of the fps genre, with classic games like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake. They were bought by ZeniMax Media on June 24, 2009

Being the company that pretty much invented first-person shooters and is responsible for creating the Quake engine, which many current 3D engines derive from heavily in one way or another, AND being the company that made Quake, arguably the first full 3D game in history, I think these guys deserve to be a bit further up the list. Their lack of innovation lately lets them down a bit, but they're definitely pioneers.

This is the most important company of all time in the context of the First person shooter games. All its technology has been used by other companies like VALVe (The source engine has some stuff from the ID Tech engine 2 and Half Life 1 is ENTIRELY done with some of John Carmack's engines). And their games are some of the best games I have ever seen: Doom, Quake, Rage, Wolfenstein,… 11/10

Due to id Software being one of the most influential companies in the industry (writing the book on FPS), I would like to believe they should be higher on the list. However, I can understand why they are not in the top 10 due to their current relevance in the industry. Hopefully, the relative success of Doom 4 will change that in the near future!

12 Sega Sega Games Co., Ltd., originally short for Service Games and officially styled as SEGA, is a Japanese multinational video game developer and publisher headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with multiple offices around the world.

Not only did they make the most incredible mascot, which I adore so much, I even have a tattoo of him. But they also did extremely well back in the '90s catching up to Nintendo, which might not sound like much but if you think about it, Nintendo was HUGE back then so for another company to come up with a new mascot and catch up to Nintendo is incredible.

The Sonic games are incredible, I've been a HUGE Sonic fan my whole life, I don't care what these new 3D games are like because I still play the hell out of them, and the quality is unmistakable. I LOVE speed and I'm glad SEGA were around to bring us that, Sega should be at least 9th or 10th on the list, to be fair.

Sega created Sonic, Shenmue, and the best consoles. Agree or disagree, it doesn't matter. The fact is, without Sega, you wouldn't have online gaming. The Dreamcast allowed for online gaming right out of the box. Even before that, there was a Net Link for the Saturn, and even one for the Genesis.

13 CD Projekt RED CD Projekt RED is a Polish video game development company founded in 1994. The company rose to international fame with its "The Witcher" series, which has won numerous awards for its storytelling and gameplay mechanics. Headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, CD Projekt RED is a subsidiary of CD Projekt, which also owns the digital distribution service GOG.com. The company is dedicated to creating complex,... read more

They made The Witcher as good as they could, given the budget. After its release, it was good, so money started rolling in. Then they improved it with the Enhanced Edition, not just patches. Talking about patches, the final patch removed all copyright protection. How thoughtful is that? No copyright protection for Witcher 2. Instead, they wanted to file lawsuits directly against illegal downloaders. People complained, they dropped the idea. Instead, they appealed to people just to buy games and support the developers. There is something inspiring about all of this. Perhaps when they get rich they will become corporate, but for now, Rohan will answer...

Give it 5-10 years and nobody else will even come close to CD Projekt. They haven't developed many games, but the ones they have made have been excellent and well ahead of their time graphically. This developer has a lot of talent working for them. Plus, they're a developer who really knows how to listen to its fans. The Witcher 3 will put them much higher on the list and Cyberpunk 2077 should solidify their spot in the top.

14 Insomniac

Spyro, Resistance, and Sunset Overdrive alone deserve giving Insomniac a spot in the top 10, but Ratchet and Clank make this developer top 5 worthy. Ratchet and Clank are just so much fun. Also, the new Spiderman game looks amazing. The best developer behind Naughty Dog.

Ratchet and Clank is the most unique game I have ever played. These games are one of my favorites of all time. Insomniac really puts time and creativity into their games. Thank you for the great games.

They would be much better if it weren't for Universal Interactive Studios, and they could keep the Spyro franchise.

15 From Software

From Software is my favorite company of all time, along with Game Freak and Nintendo. If you hate From's games, you probably aren't a hardcore gamer.

Quality over quantity. That's their belief. And they make our games super fun and challenging.

Praise the Sun! Do I need to say anything else?

16 Blizzard Blizzard was founded under the name Silicon & Synapse on February 8, 1991 by Michael Morhaime, Frank Pearce, and Allen Adham. They primarily made ports of other games for other studios until 1993, when they made Rock N Roll Racing and The Lost Vikings . In 1994, They became Chaos Studios, Then Blizzard Entertainment Inc. after being bought by Davidson & Associates. Then, they made their first big... read more

Even though Blizzard is catering to a bit of a niche crowd, they manage to have a massive fanbase of dedicated and loyal people. And even though the games they make may not be appealing to everyone, they are all quality games with a lot of money and work put into them. Also, Blizzard's story department are geniuses. The stories in WoW, Diablo, and StarCraft are just amazing with a super rich lore. Blizzard is just the best developer out there right now.

This list makes me realize there are so many good game developers out there. But Blizzard is the only developer (not counting Westwood because it was usurped, and I was a huge fan of RTS at the time) who I've run to a gaming store or their website to purchase every one of their games. They are so intent on providing a fun gaming experience in every one of their games, it floors me every time.

Blizzard has the most stellar, creatively unique, and imaginative game developers out there. Each outstanding game they create has a vast ever-expanding universe, each with their own story and intriguing lore from StarCraft, Diablo, Warcraft, and Overwatch! Blizzard has the greatest jaw-dropping cinematics hands down! I've always imagined if they'll ever create an MMOFPS like StarCraft Universe someday! A gamer can dream.

17 Bungie Bungie, Inc. is an American video game developer located in Bellevue, Washington, United States. The company was established in May 1991 as Bungie Software Products Corporation by University of Chicago undergraduate student Alex Seropian, who later brought in programmer Jason Jones after publishing Jones' game Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete.

I voted for Bungie because I know where they are headed. Though they are currently in a primitive condition due to their recent split with Microsoft, they will rise to be as well-known as Valve and Rockstar in the next 10 years. That, I can assure you. They are already very popular due to their community spirit and for creating the most successful sci-fi video game franchise of all time: Halo.

And as if that wasn't enough, they are currently working on what looks to be the game that will have possibly the biggest effect out of all next-gen games: Destiny - a highly innovative FPSMMO that will take players to the stars.

Now that they are an independent company and not under the money-grabbing grip of Microsoft, they will gradually start making subsidiary companies to make games for them, and they will begin to publish their own games. When this happens, Bungie will officially have made it where they deserve to be.

18 Eidos Interactive Eidos Interactive was a British software technology developer and video game publisher, now operating as Square Enix Europe.
19 Kojima Productions

Kojima should be right up there, at least at 3. You know a game developer is loyal to its customers when they literally were thinking about cancelling Metal Gear Solid 5, but chose not to, saying "with MGS5 we're taking quality over sales." Not to mention Metal Gear Solid is one of the gaming industry's most respected franchises with one of, if not the best, ongoing story! Kudos to Kojima and can't wait for MGS5!

Kojima was one of Konami's key developers. However, Konami fired him. Konami should be bankrupt and be abandoned for their such dumb actions.

Kojima should be at least 3rd or 4th. Have you played any of their games?

20 Namco Bandai
21 Game Freak

Game Freak has made several different games besides Pokémon. However, let me point out that Pokémon is the second/third best-selling franchise in Game Boy Original, soon-to-be 3DS games. Only behind Mario and Mario Bros., the two best-known franchises in any video game.

Game Freak is awesome and has a lot of potential. They will be in the top in a few years.

Pokemon, Pulseman, Drill Dozer, HarmoKnight and Yoshi!
All amazing games! Why isn't Game Freak in the top 10?

22 Infinity Ward Infinity Ward is an American video game developer. They developed the video game Call of Duty, along with five other installments in the Call of Duty series.

Infinity Ward has made the No. 1 shooter game, Call of Duty. Can't believe it's not counted as top 10!

Always a big fan of the Call of Duty games Infinity Ward develops. Can't wait to see Call of Duty: Ghosts.

They made Call of Duty, my favorite game series.

23 Rockstar Games Rockstar Games, Inc. is a multinational video game developer and publisher best known for their Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead, Midnight Club, Max Payne, Bully, and Manhunt games.

If you are a Grand Theft Auto fan, then you will love Rockstar!

Haven't played any, but I hear good things.

Use trailers that are real for starters.

24 Hudson Soft
25 Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles.
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