• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

IGN: Top 50 Game Makers - Let's compare entire publishers to single studios

I'm kind of curious as to how an attempt at an objective list of the top game developers would turn out.

Factoring in each studio's commercial and critical output, I have to imagine Nintendo would still come out on top (Since they have produced many of the best selling and best rated games) but I wonder about some of the other developers IGN ranked highly on this list.

I feel like it'd be a bit unfair to compare studios that have a long history of producing good to great games (like, say, Capcom) to studios like.. Mojang or something, which have had a lot of success but basically only with one game.
 
Unsurprisingly, pretty shitty list.

If it's a list of 50 best developers of all time, companies like DICE, Infinity Ward, Rare and Level 5 have no business of being on the list. Westwood, Origin and Sierra all deserve to be way higher, in top 20 at least.

Oh and where's Infocom? Probably one of the most influential computer game developers of all time that basically only made good games.
 
You walk up to a random bum on the street and say
"Make me a ranked list of 50 viddyagame companies. I pay 2 Cents per line if you hand it in today"
To which the bum will respond
"These hourly rates are well below my threshold of merit. But don't you have the internet at your place of work? Might I suggest finding some penniless kid on textbroker or something?"

That's basically IGN.
 
When you're choosing between two games in the store, you don't give a shit if it was 5 or 500 people that worked on it. (Ok, non-GAFers)

Not all games are created equal, but they all fight for the same dollars. List is fair, if skewed.
 
I love when people pintpoint ND for the good or worse. I feel their are far more studio which are too high rather then ND.

I think IGN did a decent job making the list IMO
 
KillGore said:
Also, aren't the EADs technically different developers? I've never understood how that worked with Nintendo. If it is, why not just clump all Sony devs together? that should definitely be in top 10 IMO.
Click to expand...
EAD has a pool studio structure, where the "divisions" are really just project leads that draw from a large pool of shared staff who move between games as development demands. It's actually a pretty common structure for larger Japanese devs, Namco's and Capcom's internal R&D operate the same way (though Capcom used to have separate production teams until a couple years back). Technically, EAD Tokyo could be considered a separate developer though as they have entirely separate dedicated staff.

Of course given that EAD's never been involved with any Metroid game ever, my guess is that IGN really meant Nintendo's internal Japanese teams overall (EAD, SPD, NSD, EAD Tokyo).
 
SolarPowered said:
Capcom and Konami ranking so high is kinda silly. Also, Naughty Dog has a ways to go before they are up there with the big boys. Their influence on the industry is insane though.

Nintendo being number one is an obvious. Good on them for that I guess...
Click to expand...
WTF

where you born in 2005?
 
Yogsam said:
Holy shit. Sonic team, Epic and of all places, freaking Naughty Dog over WESTWOOD STUDIOS AND BLACK ISLE? What a stupid list.
Click to expand...
Before going 3rd party, Sonic Team was pure gold. Sonic 1-3k, Sonic CD, Ristar, NiGHTS, Sonic Jam, Burning Rangers, Sonic Adventure 1-2, Chu-Chu Rocket, Samba de Amigo, PSO.
 
Zia said:
Here's a much more interesting, relevant and logical top developers list:

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/174233/Our_Top_30_Developers_Double_Fine_to_Mode_7.php
Click to expand...

There is nothing interesting, relevant, nor logical about that list. Actually that is probably one of the worst lists I have seen recently. From Software next to "Temple Run" and "Dead Space Mobile" developers? No thanks.

Anyway if this is a "cumulative over the years" list then I can see Capcom firm at number 2, maybe even number one honestly. They had a large amount of high quality titles every prior generation (and were godlike with their arcade titles, no less). This generation they still have put out a fair amount of games I have been interested in, more than most publishers for sure.

A lot of stuff doesn't make much sense on this list though - Black Isle #45 to Bethesda #13 are you kidding me?

Pranay_ said:
Platinum ? Seriously ?
Click to expand...

Platinum not being on here is absurd considering some of the publishers/developers on this list.
 
I'm not necessarily a fan of Capcom's business practices, but they are easily in the Top 5 well rounded/quality catalogs in gaming (the other four being, in no particular order, Nintendo, SEGA, Sony, and SquareEnix).
 
Rubbish list in general, but I appreciate the fact that Looking Glass is both acknowledged and placed so high. Admittedly for me they'd probably be in my top five, definitely in my top ten, but #12 ain't so bad.

They must not be forgotten!
 
~Devil Trigger~ said:
WTF

where you born in 2005?
Click to expand...
I don't think Konami has made a new successful franchise since the PS1 days. With their sole relevancy this generation being MGS4. Maybe if they include the arcade side with Beatmania, DDR, and others. I'd be slightly more for them

But their console side of development is a tree in the woods, where if it fell. No one would give a shit about it.
 
Why is Level-5 even on this list? Serious question. Outside of Layton they never did anything revolutionary (except maybe have the fastest prince to peasant dive I've ever seen), and have a questionable track record.

Edit: I just saw Level-5 is above Japan Studio, and Polyphony. WAT Polyphony defined the racing sim and sold millions upon millions. Level-5 has done ... ?
 
Turn10 is not even in the list while is far superior to many of those, they have deliver 4 90+ in the past 7 years, they are currently the ones leading the racing genre.

Lack of Criterion is also annoying.
 
Sarcastic Response said:
lol In a way that now the original game series that Uncharted came from Tomb Raider, is copying their way of cinematic storytelling with seamless transitions between gameplay and cutscenes that has gained it praise? It's like I'm talking to a bunch of brick walls in this thread.
Click to expand...

That was all done before Uncharted though. They just did it better.
 
I H8 Memes said:
In terms of quality 0ver their entire lifespan Valve >>>>>>>>>>>>>>Capcom

Valve released their first game in 1998. The worst game they have ever made is Half-Life 2 Episode 1. And it's a pretty damn good game.
Click to expand...

Wait, what? Never in a million years would I consider Valve to be better than Capcom. Sure, Valve makes some good games, but if you're not into FPS, then you're not really gonna be a fan. Capcom has a much much much more diverse lineup.

On this list - Treasure is far too low, and I would have definitely replaced Rockstar with someone like Namco. Then it might be OK.
 
Uhh what the hell is Level-5 doing at #22? Arguably the only good they made was Dark Cloud 2, and Ni No Kuni isn't even out yet! What are these guys thinking?
 
How can you compare the entirety of Capcom to individual studios like Bungie and ND? It does not make sense. You can only compare Capcom with Sony right? They should either list the individual dev studios that worked on these games under capcom or remove them from the list.
 
ilnadmy said:
Uhh what the hell is Level-5 doing at #22? Arguably the only good they made was Dark Cloud 2, and Ni No Kuni isn't even out yet! What are these guys thinking?
Click to expand...
Even DC2 is a mess structurally, though I liked it. L5's best games are really DQ8/9 and the Layton series.
 
This may be the worst list I've ever seen from IGN. That is significant.

Once you get past #1, it's like a monkey just picked them all out of a hat in random order.
 
I object to the makers of Ultima and Wing Commander being listed at lower level than the makers of Peggle.
 
MTMBStudios said:
There is nothing interesting, relevant, nor logical about that list. Actually that is probably one of the worst lists I have seen recently. From Software next to "Temple Run" and "Dead Space Mobile" developers? No thanks.
Click to expand...

You didn't look very closely at the order -- the list is strictly alphabetical.
 
lol Level-5 is above Epic, Irrational, Sony Santa Monica, Treasue, Westwood, and Bungie just naming a few here......I'm ok with this list just the entertainment that will follow.

( I actually like Level-5....but I can't agree with this list)
 
Not sure if the thread title started that way or was edited, but it fits. Baffling how a site cannot know the difference between a huge company and a development studio. Do writers for other entertainment mediums fuck up on the easy stuff this often?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Mouse PI For Hire tops 730,000 in sales, current sales split reaches 50% console / 50% PC
16
212
Cert.in.Death replied
Top 50 New Indie Games Coming in 2026
Opinion Trailer Indie 
25
2K
IbizaPocholo replied
[IGN] 30 Horror Game Masterpieces
12
615
LordOcidax replied
IGN: The Top 40 Super Mario Games of All Time
Opinion Trailer 
44
3K
Evil Calvin replied
Top 50 Xbox Live Arcade Games | Kim Justice
Analysis Trailer Platform 
1
423
willothedog replied
Top Bottom