Game Developer Research releases "Top 50 Developers 2008" report
by Griffin McElroy 
{ Mar 8th 2008 at 5:30PM }
Basing their rankings on sales figures, prolificacy, average review scores, and results from over 700 surveys issued to industry suits, GDR's list seems to be the most well-founded developer ranking we've ever seen (though Yarisians would probably disagree). We've got the whole list after the jump -- aren't you curious how your faves placed?
1. Nintendo
2. Infinity Ward
3. Blizzard Entertainment
4. EA Canada
5. Valve
6. Konami Japan Studio
7. Insomniac Games
8. Capcom Osaka
9. EA Tiburon
10. Bioware Edmonton
11. Bungie
12. Ubisoft Montreal
13. 2K Boston / 2K Australia
14. Harmonix
15. Bandai Namco Games
16. Square Enix
17. Game Freak
18. Epic Games
19. Hudson Soft
20. Neversoft Entertainment
21. EA Redwood Shores
22. Crytek
23. Nintendo EAD Tokyo
24. EA Los Angeles
25. Realtime Worlds
26. Bethesda Softworks
27. Naughty Dog
28. SCE Studios Santa Monica
29. EA Black Box
30. Turn 10 Studios
31. Traveller's Tales
32. Relic Entertainment
33. Beenox
34. Level 5
35. Tose
36. Codemasters
37. Maxis
38. Pawapuro Production
39. EA UK Studio
40. Firaxis
41. Amaze Entertainment
42. Massive Entertainment
43. Retro Studios
44. Sega of Japan
45. Sports Interactive
46. Tecmo
47. Sumo Digital
48. Crystal Dynamics
49. Obsidian Entertainment
50. Big Huge Games
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Abhinav Kumar @ Mar 8th 2008 5:57PM
Nintendo had a great year and it is rather nice to see Blizzard being praised. Bioware and Bungie taking 10 and 11 is rather nice too.
playwhutyalike @ Mar 8th 2008 6:13PM
Totally agree with what you just said.
Scott @ Mar 8th 2008 6:18PM
I wonder how they came about this list. While most of the developers on there are quite justified some haven't created a decent game in years, yet developers like Telltale games who are leading the way in episodic gaming are left out.
cxm @ Mar 8th 2008 10:37PM
Like they said, this list is, a combination of sales, review scores, number of developed titles, and surveys of industry professionals in order to determine the studio's reputation within the industry. Telltale Games just hasn't made that big of a splash outside of a small group of internet gamers/industry pros...that immediately handicaps them when compared to the likes of Nintendo, Infinity Ward, etc.
Mills and Boom @ Mar 8th 2008 6:19PM
"'Top 50 Developers' survey is now available for paid digital download for a price of US $2,995."
I'm thinking about picking up this and the Ordinance Survery map (the one on CD) for a fun evening.
Nintendo on top aye? Wonder how the Sony or MS die hard club feel about that...
Noshino @ Mar 8th 2008 6:44PM
"Wonder how the Sony or MS die hard club feel about that..."
http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/04/which-publisher-gets-the-best-review-scores/
We feel great, thanks for asking :]
Mills and Boom @ Mar 8th 2008 6:58PM
Sorry we're talking about proper results like this, not paid off reviewers.
Looks like someone slept through the Gamespot problems LOL.
Mills and Boom @ Mar 8th 2008 7:01PM
But if you'd like to play the review score game, why hasn't the PS3 put out a 90+ rated game yet? Which publisher had the highest rated game of this (currently, Galaxy), last gen (TP) and the generation before that (OoT)?
Plus when you factor in the Wii and DS outselling everything.
Nintendo really grabbed themselves by the balls after the N64 and Cube problems.
tmacairjordan87 @ Mar 8th 2008 7:49PM
you conveniently forgot to mention the 10 trillion shitty games the wii has to the maybe half dozen decent ones it has (not including gamecube/ps2 ports, although it's reassuring to know the wii can run them).
Sure the ps3 may not have a 90+ game in its first year (which will likely change this year), but a bunch of 80s is better than 1 or 2 90s and a bunch of 50s 60s and 70s when you're doing a total average
playwhutyalike @ Mar 8th 2008 7:58PM
tmacairjordan87,
This is a Developers list not a Publishers list. Yes, Nintendo has a lot of shitty published games. The titles they develop are pretty f'in outstanding in my opinion.
Mills and Boom @ Mar 8th 2008 8:52PM
You mean like the PS2? About 5 or so excellent games and the rest being drivel.
I always said the Wii would be the next PS2 as well. But then it went and outperformed it on the sales charts.
Lots of angry Anti-Nintendo people around!
Noshino @ Mar 8th 2008 10:16PM
"Sorry we're talking about proper results like this, not paid off reviewers"
Er, please let me know which other method is available to tell which publisher had the best ratings...
"But if you'd like to play the review score game, why hasn't the PS3 put out a 90+ rated game yet? Which publisher had the highest rated game of this (currently, Galaxy), last gen (TP) and the generation before that (OoT)?"
mmm, I think you should have specified by saying exclusives, because the PS3 has 3 games over 90.
Galaxy does seem like Mario 128...anyway, great game (despite the fact that I didn't like it), but this generation has just started.
Lol, its funny that you mention TP as a last gen game, I though Nintendo fans like to claim that it is game from this gen. Anyway, no, it isn't the best rated, it is Metroid Prime, but guess what? the PS2 had its game called Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, and Xbox had Halo also rated at 97.
And about OoT, well, I did enjoy the game, although I think that Majora's Mask is the one that should have become famous.
"Nintendo really grabbed themselves by the balls after the N64 and Cube problems."
Sorry but they are doing pretty much what they did before, I mean, their online service is almost non-existant, no 3rd party focus, rehashing of old franchises.
All they did fix this time was the price of their console, that and selling a casual game to attract that group.
"You mean like the PS2? About 5 or so excellent games and the rest being drivel."
If you only found 5 excellent games on the PS2's library then you sir are missing a hell lot.
"I always said the Wii would be the next PS2 as well. But then it went and outperformed it on the sales charts."
Outperformed? I have yet to find a non first party game that has performed well on the Wii...unlike the PS2.
And I doubt it will be the next PS2, I doubt any of the consoles this gen are able to achive that.
A Pissed-off English Gamer @ Mar 8th 2008 10:18PM
Nintendo have had a very good year. The Nintendo lovin' is starting to feel un-justified, i think; they've put out good games, but there's almost no innovation whatsoever when it comes to the premises of these games. They've really fallen back on their big-guns in the fresh context of their new platform, but they set themselves up for this really; no other developer on the list was in Nintendo's position for such potential market dominance.
Either way, my 3 favorite developers were in the top 5 (Nintendo, Valve, Blizzard). They all performed well this year, and good. These are 3 developers i've loved very much for a long time, and they've made some very wise decisions this year.
Mills and Boom @ Mar 9th 2008 8:19AM
LOL, week in, week out. NDP in, NDP out. The Wii constantly out performs the PS2 in the same time frame. (http://vgchartz.com/hwlaunch.php?cons1=Wii®1=All&cons2=PS2®2=All&cons3=DS®3=All&weeks=156 or Nishino can't read or something)
Ladies and gentlement - the new PS2 takes a bow.
To balance all my arguments out I haven't played on a Wii or DS since Xmas and I hate Metroid Prime 3 (too linear).
But like I said they really do know their stuff. To have 2 machines that perform better than last gens behemoth is incredible.
Noshino @ Mar 9th 2008 10:52AM
"LOL, week in, week out. NDP in, NDP out. The Wii constantly out performs the PS2 in the same time frame. (http://vgchartz.com/hwlaunch.php?cons1=Wii®1=All&cons2=PS2®2=All&cons3=DS®3=All&weeks=156 or Nishino can't read or something)"
Noshino does know how to read, unlike you who doesn't know how to type someone's nickname well.
Here is another chart for you to check:
http://vgchartz.com/hwlaunch.php?cons1=N64®1=All&cons2=PS®2=All&cons3=®3=All&weeks=400
wow, the 64 was beating the PS for such a long time, look how that turned out huh.
At this point, the Wii depends on its casual appeal, unlike the other 2 consoles. It has been over a year and the only 2 hardcore games were NMH and Z&W.
Like I stated before, none of the consoles this generation have what it takes to become the next PS2, they need an appealing price point (around the 200s), 3rd party support (which Nintendo doesn't have, shovelware doesn't count), vast library of different genres. Thing is, Nintendo is the closest to it, but because they have hanged this "casual" title (when Variety reviews your games, then yes, you have "casual" stickers all over you) that many of the hardcore crowd don't feel comfortable with...
Then there is the 360, but its history will not allow it to go as high, I think next gen it will be runner up to that seat.
And the PS3 has too high of a price point to even appeal to everyone, and I doubt they are anywhere close to hitting the 200s...
"But like I said they really do know their stuff. To have 2 machines that perform better than last gens behemoth is incredible."
yah yah, business, I guess the fact that they rehashed old technology is what disappointed me this time, good ol' N, anyway, let me know when they get a machine that has the guts to actually compete, not on sales, with the other 2 (Lol, that reminds me, last time I had a conversation with Fernando, the only thing he was bringing up was the games, not even he was able to bring something against that, and to say that you aren't disappointed by the path Nintendo took this time is utter bs, they have always been trying to bring the most powerful console all around, yet not this time with the DS and Wii)...
upz @ Mar 10th 2008 1:27AM
I think Noshino pretty much mopped this one up, but I can't let this point sit:
"Sorry we're talking about proper results like this, not paid off reviewers."
Apparently, average review scores collected from various corners of the internet are horribly biased (since every single reviewer is paid off, naturally), whereas the individual findings of a single magazine, whose ratings system is devised from an unrevealed algorithm with their own weighting, are honest to goodness "proper results." Makes perfect sense to me.
The3rdNuisance @ Mar 8th 2008 6:23PM
id Software #Notlisted FTW
Actually, they haven't released a game since what, Doom 3? Nevermind, forgot about Orcs and Elves and the Doom RPG.... well, that explains why they aren't there.
That is a very good list though, regardless of the fact I don't know half of them.
Cesaria @ Mar 8th 2008 6:32PM
You deserve it, Nintendo.
sevendash @ Mar 8th 2008 6:46PM
I'm so happy to see Insomniac up there in the top ten. I can't wait to see them keep rising!
TheOverlord#2 @ Mar 8th 2008 6:46PM
Go Nintendo!!
Woah. Game Freak is right under Square Enix! Doesn't GF only make pokemon games...?(no disrespect to the Game Freaks)
WhatIsThatThing @ Mar 8th 2008 7:35PM
Play Drill Dozer for GBA. Right now. DO IT.
Cal @ Mar 8th 2008 6:48PM
Take not Activision... INFINITY WARD >>> Treyarch, please save Call of Duty from the cold, un-skilled grasp of Treyarch...
Cal @ Mar 8th 2008 6:48PM
*note
Cal @ Mar 8th 2008 6:49PM
Oh and good to see EA Canada (FIFA makers) up there =)
Wii60 @ Mar 8th 2008 7:22PM
Any list with EA in the top 5 smells kinda funny.
Hell, if EA was in the top 20 I'd still disregard the list as BS.
A Pissed-off English Gamer @ Mar 8th 2008 10:20PM
I know what you mean, but that's like, in stead of listing Bungie and Rare separately listing them all as Microsoft Studios (I am aware Bungie has become independent, but you know what i mean).
EA is a very large company. More like an empire really, with down-trodden conquests put on merciless dead-lines. :-)
cxm @ Mar 8th 2008 10:29PM
Well, this is a developer rankings list, not publisher rankings. Despite the infamously evil antics of the EA publishing empire, their development teams are usually better regarded by industry pros...if anything, they get bonus points if they're able to put out a decent game despite EA Publishing forcing them to spew out sequels/rehashes.
Hey Apples @ Mar 8th 2008 7:30PM
Harmonix... 14, Neversoft... 20.
ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Mar 8th 2008 7:44PM
Nintendoes what others don't?
playwhutyalike @ Mar 8th 2008 7:51PM
I was expecting to see more flames going on in here. *puts fire extinguisher back under kitchen sink*
Sir.sinho @ Mar 8th 2008 8:10PM
Why is Realtime Worlds that high up? I mean they made one game (Crackdown) and got its sales figures jacked way up because of the Halo 3 beta. Why wasnt that factored in?
Mr Khan @ Mar 8th 2008 8:19PM
Realtime World's got praise because Crackdown was their breakout project, even though it was composed of industry veterans
Now i go to brave Snow and ice and drifts and indecipherable roadways to claim Brawl
Batzarro @ Mar 8th 2008 9:26PM
Infidels! Where is Midway Chicago? Where is Rare? I will not stand for this popularity based biased survey!
F1shBone @ Mar 8th 2008 10:20PM
id not being on the list kills its creditability as far as I'm concerned.
cxm @ Mar 8th 2008 10:43PM
Kill's id's credibility, or the list's? All they released in the last year was Quake Wars, IIRC, and that didn't do all that well as far as I can tell. The fact that they've been a Doom/Quake factory since, well, forever, definitely lowers their standing, in my book...especially since none of those games have been all that great.
Oh, and Game Developer magazine is pretty well respected by industry pros, so this list carries some weight. The magazine's like the Wall Street Journal of Gaming when compared to most other gaming publications.
Mills and Boom @ Mar 9th 2008 8:22AM
Completely agree CXM.
id are some of my fave devs (alongside Nintendo, Valve and the pre-2000 Factor 5 and Rare). But they've not had the best time recently. Did id even work on Quake Wars, I only played a bit but didn't another studio take over?
Anthony @ Mar 9th 2008 5:38AM
Any list with EA on it loses its credibility.
Aj Collins @ Mar 9th 2008 2:13PM
Is it just me or is Rockstar North not on the list? Has no one heard of Grand Theft Auto or Manhunt before?
Jack Sprat @ Mar 10th 2008 11:57AM
Yay 4 Blizz in the top 3!