Top 10 Video Game Developers! (feat. Waste Control Dave)

As much as we enjoy just popping in the disk and relaxing over an awesome video game, we must take a second to appreciate the genius and hard work that goes into creating that which becomes our passion and, in some cases, our downfall. This list is dedicated to the Top 10 Video Game Developers. These are the companies that allow us to escape our real world troubles. But wait! I'm not about to tackle such a controversial list on my own. That is why I have a guest lister today. Joining me in this endeavour will be Dave, aka Waste Control, from Boss Battle Podcast. Dave?...

Shit man, I'm a talker, not a writer. Oh well, guess I'll give it a go. We all have our favorite developers and publishers, those crews that we rush out to buy their new game reguardless of what it is. This list is about the ten teams that have made significant advances in this hobby that has blown up. We put our heads together and came up with this list. Remember, this is how we see it. You're going to disagree. That's the fun of the internet.


The Top 10 Video Game Developers


10. Epic

(Snake) Two Words: Unreal Engine. Unreal Tournament is the first time I had ever played such in such an in-depth, realistic world. It also introduced me to first person, multiplayer combat. No, not Goldeneye, UNREAL. This engine revolutionized the gaming industry. I would not be playing Halo today if I had not been stuck in the arcade booths honing my skills as a professional trash-talker playing Unreal in the arcades. Just look at how many games use this.

(Waste Control Dave) Couldn't agree more. The Unreal Engine has changed the way developers craft games. When you see Powered By Unreal at the start of a game, you know it's going to be strong. Although I don't really care for their personal games, I have to give it to Epic for making an Engine that is beast.


9. Bandai-Namco

(Snake) This is the company that truly brought Japan to America. There's really not much else to say other than that. They gave us gems that would have otherwise fallen to the wayside and would only be mentioned in passing as we perused our local video game establishments that still trade "retro" games. If you've ever played a truly Japanese import, you'll understand what I mean. They do great work over there...most of the time, and Bandai didn't just give us our favorite toys...but also the chance to play games we would otherwise never see.

(Waste Control Dave) I agree. God I'm so thankful for Bandai. Not only did they bring Japan to us ignorant Americans, but opened the doors for other companies to do the same, like Nippion Ichi and Aksys. Some of my favorite games came from these guys, and they really helped bring some new and inovative games to the American stage. Fucking Katarami. Amazing.



8. Id

(Snake) Doom...Enough said.

(Waste Control Dave) Yeah, what he said. Oh, and Rage.


7. Bungie

(Snake)I can't say enough about Bungie. I don't care what you think about Halo, these guys are awesome. They are passionate about the games that they develope and it shows. This really brings me back to the glory days of gaming (Megaman, Zelda, etc..). They love that they struck gold and they should be proud. Deep storylines, great gameplay, and multiplayer! You can't deny it, they are young, but they have set there place in video game history in stone.

(W.C. Dave) Bunige's the only company that I know of that has masterfully crafted an amazing storyline in all their games.....in a fucking FPS. It's also the only shooter that has both a solid single and multiplayer. Even though they have merged with Microsoft at this point, they learned that they needed to close the doors on Halo and move on to something new. Other companies might want to take a cue from them.


6. Bethesda

(Snake) Bethesda is amazing at what they do...but that encompasses alot. They make great games that cross genres and that's so important when it comes to gathering a gamer following. Umm...Elder Scrolls, Fallout 3, and now...a new Fallout? Hell Fucking Yes.

(W.C. Dave) As a guy that loves DnD, Bethesda brought that sense of wonder and excitement about fantasy roleplaying off the paper and on to the screen. Ever action had a reaction, whether imediately or down the road. Even though the story was the same no matter how times you played it, it was the ability to play it any way you wanted that really enveloped freedom. And now that they have the reins of Fallout, they blended their ideas from Elder Scrolls into the world of Fallout and made it fantastic. I know people say it isn't the same Fallout anymore, but that's ok in this case. Hey, we could have gotten another Fallout Tactics. Quit your bitching.


5. Valve

(Snake) Half-Life series is one of my favorite new series that has come out in the last decade. The physics engine is just amazing. But what else can you say? Left 4 Dead, Portal...really what the fuck!?! This shit is awesome, ughhh Dave take it please I'm having a moment.

(W.C.) Man, I'm just drooling. I'm a Valve fan-boy through and through. I cant think of a single game that they have made that was bad. Inovative? Yep. Ground-breaking? Hell yeah. And now with Portal 2, Valve will always have a place in my black little heart. Fuck, I still play TF2 on the xbox. The only thing I have to say about them is that Valve Time sucks. But the wait is so worth it.


4. Blizzard

(Snake) I really sank my gamer teeth into the mid-ninties PC craze. It just all fell into place. My dad was a PC gamer and I was a console gamer, but when SNES couldn't offer anything (because I couldn't buy games on my own), I had to start appealing to my dad's affection for PC games. Blizzard really delivered. I love strategy games because I am a military history nerd. Blizzard just fucking delivers. STILL. Yes, Blizzard.

(W.C. Dave) What can you say? They hold the crown for MMOs, RTSs and Hack and Slash. Jesus, everyone has been chomping at the bit for Starcraft 2, and hell, when MLG picks up your game the day it drops, you know you're at the top of not only your game, but the game as a whole. Every game is solid and when you have the following that Blizzard does, you have to live up to it. And Blizzard never fails.



3. Square (soft, enix..whatever it is)

(Snake) I really can't say anything that everyone doesn't already know. Square is sooooo awesome. Final Fucking Fantasy...Hell yes. But it goes way beyond that. Square has just brought itself out of the ashes of bankruptcy to attract the attention of not only Disney, but every Japanese and American gamer. Square just can't do wrong right now unless they try. (OK some of the shitty Final Fantasies don't count, they still have Kingdom Hearts)

(W.C. Dave) What's left to say? It's Square. They are amazing. Oh yeah, and they gave us Chrono Trigger.


2. Nintendo

(Snake) Ok...where would we be without Nintendo. Sure, they flooded the market with alot of shit, but they gave us so many icons. Legend of Zelda, Mario...that right there alone should give us reason to bow down. I don't care where your allegiences lie, we ALL owe Nintendo for even having games so available to play.

(W.C.) When you talk about Icons, it doesn't get any bigger than Nintendo. Damn man, everyone knows Mario. Shit, even people who don't game know the red shirt plumber. And as a company, no one is emulated more than Nintendo. Motion control? Nintendo. Handheld? Nintendo. No one has been copied more. And no one has made more of an impact in lives than Nintendo.


1. LJN

(Snake) LJN is just amazing in everything they put out.......

Ok that's just fucking stupid. Here's the REAL number 1


1. Capcom

(Snake) Hell Yes, Capcom. What genre can they not tackle? Ok there actually is an answer to that, but I'll leave it to W.C. to call me out on it. BBBUUUTTTT, Megaman bitches. Only one of the best series to ever exist. Mario may hold the record for most appearences in video games, but most people don't realize that Megaman is number 2. Other than that, Street Fighter and the Marvel license... yea tournaments are still centered around their games that have been out for over a decade and some close to twenty years.

(W.C.) Yeah. FPS. Anyway, Snake is the Capcom fanboy, so I only have a little to say about it. It all comes down to versitility, and Capcom does it to a T. They've fucked up in the past, but when they get it right, it's out of this world.


So that's it(fuck you Waste Control). I hope you enjoyed our take on the Top 10 Video Game Developers. It was a fun process and I hope you check out Boss Battle Podcast to hear more from Waste Control Dave.