The 20 Greatest Video Game Companies
- May 12, 2009 10:22 AM PST
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See the twenty most influential video game publishers and developers and the games they're known for.
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GamePro honors the biggest names in gaming. In no particular order, we name twenty companies who've given life to some of the most important titles in gaming history. Read on to see who tops our list!
LucasArts
Major Games: Sam & Max Hit the Road, X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Known largely for its prestigious line of Star Wars titles like the classic Doom-esque FPS Dark Forces, Jedi Outcast, and numerous others, LucasArts has done more than just Star Wars games. They've always been an big voice in the gaming world and achieved dominance in the point-and-click adventure genre with Day of the Tentacle and Full Throttle. To this day, LucasArts still maintains an admirable level of quality in their games with surprisingly enjoyable games like Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and have definitely played a valuable role in gaming since its inception back in 1982.
Atari
Major Games: Paperboy, Rampage, Unreal Tournament
It's tough to find a gamer who's never heard the name "Atari." From its trail-blazing history in arcade games to its introduction to the home console scene, you name it and Atari's been there and done that. Currently a subsidiary of Infogrames, Atari continues to satisfy gamers with sleeper hits like Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. We're also looking forward to their upcoming Ghostbusters: The Video Game.
Atlus
Major Games: Persona, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Odin Sphere
Famous for its cult classics and niche titles, Atlus continues to impress by acting as both a video game developer and publisher. Whether they're forging new territory by introducing obscure Japanese titles to American audiences or developing the next Persona game in-house, Atlus has always been a company to keep an eye on, and one that proves that you don't have to be a gargantuan game publisher to deliver great games.
Konami
Major Games: Metal Gear Solid, Contra, Suikoden
"I see you like to play Castlevania," says Psycho Mantis in Konami's timeless Metal Gear Solid (if you unlock this easter egg). A risk-taker through and through, Konami is responsible for some of the most innovative and downright massive titles of the past twenty years. From shoot 'em up classics like Contra to ground breaking, globe-spanning RPGs like Suikoden, Konami has and remains to be a prominent voice in the gaming industry.
Square Enix
Major Games: Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Bushido Blade
Square pioneered the role playing genre with its renowned RPG series Final Fantasy, but they're also known for other praiseworthy games like Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts. Square Enix has devoted itself to quality in just about every aspect of its releases. From beautifully animated cinematics to fantastical stories jam-packed with memorable characters, Square has one of the most loyal fan bases in gaming due to the high standards they set for most of their releases.
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I was surprised to see Nintendo so early in the pages, but then I realized it wasn't in order. Thank god, cause if Midway ever got the nod as best company in gaming, it would be a sad day.
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I agree with most of the choices on here. I know some of the borderline companies might have not made the cut but one that should have been one of the first 3 or 4 written down was totally missed. How could Blizzard have not made the list Will? What could have been a great article, has now become one giant epic fail!
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bcarter33 wrote:
I agree with most of the choices on here. I know some of the borderline companies might have not made the cut but one that should have been one of the first 3 or 4 written down was totally missed. How could Blizzard have not made the list Will? What could have been a great article, has now become one giant epic fail!
Because Blizzard is known for their computer games, and this article is about console games. The console games Blizzard did do in the 90s were ho-hum; definitely not worth being on a list like this.
A company that should have been on there was Activision. Their games in the early 80s were some of the best (Frostbite, Megamania, River Raid, Pitfall), were one of two 3rd party publishers for the Master System in North America, and today put out Call of Duty and Guitar Hero.
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eday_2010 wrote:
bcarter33 wrote:I agree with most of the choices on here. I know some of the borderline companies might have not made the cut but one that should have been one of the first 3 or 4 written down was totally missed. How could Blizzard have not made the list Will? What could have been a great article, has now become one giant epic fail!Because Blizzard is known for their computer games, and this article is about console games. The console games Blizzard did do in the 90s were ho-hum; definitely not worth being on a list like this.A company that should have been on there was Activision. Their games in the early 80s were some of the best (Frostbite, Megamania, River Raid, Pitfall), were one of two 3rd party publishers for the Master System in North America, and today put out Call of Duty and Guitar Hero.
And I quote: "The 20 Greatest Video Game Companies." This list isn't console-based at all.
Blizzard should have been in the top three. Very disappointed Gamepro.
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i agree blizzard should have been on the list... but the devs/ publishers are listed in no particular order... so its not listing them in order of greatness..
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wutisupmon wrote:
eday_2010 wrote:bcarter33 wrote:I agree with most of the choices on here. I know some of the borderline companies might have not made the cut but one that should have been one of the first 3 or 4 written down was totally missed. How could Blizzard have not made the list Will? What could have been a great article, has now become one giant epic fail!Because Blizzard is known for their computer games, and this article is about console games. The console games Blizzard did do in the 90s were ho-hum; definitely not worth being on a list like this.A company that should have been on there was Activision. Their games in the early 80s were some of the best (Frostbite, Megamania, River Raid, Pitfall), were one of two 3rd party publishers for the Master System in North America, and today put out Call of Duty and Guitar Hero.
And I quote: "The 20 Greatest Video Game Companies." This list isn't console-based at all.
Blizzard should have been in the top three. Very disappointed Gamepro.
Good point :) In all honesty, Blizzard should definitely be on there -- just so many great gaming companies in a 20 year span, so few slots!
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Oh thank god I realized that its not in order before I write my comment, while I was reading I was saying to my self "what the hell is going on with gamepro" any way If I would pick up the best five in Order from this list I would say:
1-Nintendo.
2-Sega.
3-Capcom.
4-Konami.
5-Sony Computer Entertainment.
by the way where is THQ!!? I don't see it in the list did they forget that they've been behind SmackDown series for more than a decade struggling to make it interesting , come on gamepro u have to give them credit for making WWE fans lose hope in there shitty products no one else made a franchise so helpless & disappointing from the first gameplay Trailer like THQ's SD vs RAW, well maybe Sega is trying to compete with them with Poor Sonic...:P I used to love u Sonic back then but sorry dud you totally lost it in the 3D era...
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wutisupmon wrote:
And I quote: "The 20 Greatest Video Game Companies." This list isn't console-based at all.Blizzard should have been in the top three. Very disappointed Gamepro.
Video games and computer games used to be considered separate things. I still consider them separate, and apparently GamePro does as well.
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