Summary
Video game developers are the teams we have to thank for bringing us entertaining interactive media. Many studios have come and gone, but only the solid and consistent have survived.
Game studios have stayed alive by adapting to the many generations of gaming, from arcades to home consoles, either through following trends or gaining more success by innovating how games are played. We will look at some of the most relevant developers that have thrived through software genre variety, constant hits, and their impact on the industry.
1982
United Kingdom
Fighting, Action-Adventure, Platforming, FPS, Beat-em-up
Tim and Chris Stamper they began developing video games under Ultimate Play The Game with their release of Jetpac on the ZX Spectrum computer. Eventually, they becameRarewhen titles like Battletoads launched on the Nintendo Entertainment System, which started an intimate relationship with Nintendo. Nintendo began to trust them in handling Donkey Kong Country on the SNES, which was a hit through its pre-rendered 3D graphics and platforming game design.
Once the Nintendo 64 hit launched, Rare became a second-party developer for Nintendo. This brought us3D platformerslike Banjo-Kazooie, which innovated on what Mario 64 started by having tighter controls and camera movement, dynamic level design, and rewarding collectibles. Other notable games in this era were Diddy Kong Racing, 007 Goldeneye, and Killer Instinct. Nowadays, Rare is a shell of its former self, but its legacy lives on through Rare Replay on Game Pass.
1988
Japan
Fighting, J-RPG, Simulation, Arcade Ports
The fighting game legend had the humble start of porting arcade titles onto the NES and Master System. Arc System Works didn’t develop their games until 1994 with a Sailor Moon fighting game on the SNES. It’s pretty fitting that its first developed game, which wasn’t a port, was from the fighting genre.
Although not as mainstream in 1998, Arc System Works hit gold with its Guilty Gear series debut, famous for the crisp 2D sprites in the 3D fighting era and the rock-inspired soundtrack. Arc System developed many other anime-inspired fighting games that are critically acclaimed, such as Blaz Blue, Persona 4 Arena, and Dragon Ball Fighterz. All are still heavily played within the community due to their beautiful animations and fun game systems.
1969
Beat-em-up, Survival Horror, Stealth, Side-Scroller, Rhythm, Sports
Konamiis a developer whose roots are embedded within the coin machine business. It began as a jukebox company, which became a game developer for arcade games in 1978, with Block Yard being one of its first launches. In the coming years, Konami further cemented itself into the gaming market as it began to develop home consoles like the NES.
Many classic series debuted on the NES; Castlevania, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Metal Gear, and Contra. Contra was also famous for debuting theKonami code, which granted players a much-needed life boost.
1940s
United States
Platformer, Shoot-em-up, Beat-em-up, J-RPG, Fighting
Service Games,Segabegan distributing coin-operated slot machines in Hawaii, with the Sega Bell being its most famous in the 1950s. After a few mergers and liquidations, the company ended up in Japan in 1952, where it further expanded. In 1973, the expansion started with its arcade game era, then the home console era, where it eventually went toe-to-tow with Nintendo in the 16-bit era withthe creation of Sonic the Hedgehog.
In the 1990s, Sega became a household name as gamers competed to determine which console, the Sega Genesis or the Super Nintendo, was the best. Other notable titles were Shinobi, Gunstar Heroes, Streets of Rage, and Phantasy Star. Despite having a good run, Sega stopped developing Dreamcast consoles and continued creating games. It has now entered a new era, where it has begun to build series other than Sonic and Yakuza.
1986
RPG, FPS, Survival Horror, Sports
Bethesdacreated its first game, Gridiron!, for the Amiga in 1986. It became a publisher and developer throughout the years with the launch of The Terminator for DOS. Then, it developed its magnum opus series, The Elder Scrolls: Arena. In the 2000s, Bethesda Software’s development split into Bethesda Game Studios, while the former focused on publishing.
In 2004, Bethesda acquired Interplay’s most famous series, Fallout. Bethesda later launched Fallout 3, a drastic change from Fallout 2 in that the series was now in the first person. However, it did feel like the first two entries through the V.A.T.S system, which paused the game and went into a turn-based mode. The Fallout series was made famous over the years as more games debuted, and it is now a successful live-action series.
2006
Fighting, Arcade, J-RPG, RPG, Puzzle
A merger between two video game powerhouses, Namco and Bandai. Despite both companies existing since the 1950s,Bandai Namcojoined to have a higher chance of relevance in the video game market. Bandai Namco began to share popular series such as Pac-Man, Tekken, Katamari, Dark Souls, and its ever-growing properties from Shonen Jump’s manga series.
While Pac-Man is still a video game icon, it was a massive success in both Japan and international audiences through its fun maze-pattern gameplay. Bandai Namco is currently regarded as bringing us many great games based on anime and manga properties, such as Naruto, One Piece, Sword Art, and Dragon Ball.
1996
FPS, Puzzle, MOBA, Simulation
Founded by ex-Microsoftemployees Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington,Valveimmediately shook the industry with its breakthrough hit, Half-Life. Half-Life changed how video game narratives were told, as the story was told through the world and dialogue from the characters.
Other developed series were Counter-Strike, Dota, Team Fortress, Left 4 Dead, and Portal. All of these series are well-made and offer different gameplay from one another. Each is critically acclaimed and fun to play to this day. Valve also created its video game storefront with the launch ofSteam. Steam pioneered how we now buy most of our software digitally despite having home consoles. We wish to see more entries from this beloved developer.
2003
J-RPG, Sports, Boardgame, Strategy, Rythm
Another legendary merger between two JRPG developers, Square Soft and Enix.Square Enixdecided to merge when both companies thrived as they had hit series while maintaining profits with the help of Sony. Square Enix developed the Kingdom Hearts series, specializing in RPGs, making the genre more mainstream as it merged Final Fantasy and beloved Disney characters.
Despite merging, Square Enix never stopped pumping out its popular series, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. Both are influential to the RPG genre, and are more popular than ever as both have had recent entries, like Final Fantasy 16 and Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince.
1979
Fighting, Side-Scroller, J-RPG, 3rd-person-action
Capcomis responsible for our entry into the fighting game genre through the influential Street Fighter series. Two opponents duke it out on a single plane and perform various special moves. The games have expansive and colorful character rosters. Capcom developed the most popular fighting game series, like Powerstone, Darkstalkers, and Marvel vs Capcom.
In addition to fighting games, Capcom has created various games like Devil May Cry, Mega Man, Resident Evil, and Monster Hunter. It doesn’t have the best track record when developing multiple entries for the series, like Mega Man, which caused burnout and canceled games. Still, nowadays, Capcom seems to have learned from its mistakes.
1889
Platforming, Action/adventure, RPG, Metroidvania
Nintendo needs no introduction, as it is synonymous with video games. The oldest company to develop video games, Nintendo, began creating playing cards and toys. That changed in the 1970s when Nintendo launched its first home console, the Color TV 6 and 15, which were Pong clones. Eventually, it began to focus on the arcades with Shigeru Miyamoto’s Donkey Kong featuring the face of Nintendo and the video game, Mario.
Nintendo did so well at developing video games that it saved the industry from the crash of 1983 with the NES. This console spanned various series, such as The Legend of Zelda, Kirby, and Metroid, which still thrive. Most, if not all, Nintendo games are complete and polished, a not-so-common feat in today’s industry of high-fidelity graphics.
