Netflix notably acknowledged in the shareholder letter that went viral in the entertainment industry that it competes with Fortnite more than HBO and loses to it. The subtext is clear: In the knock-down, drag-out competition for users’ screen time, the video game industry is booming were yesterday’s entertainment forerunners are lagging, if not outright busting. This is true even though the enormous success of that Epic Games blockbuster unquestionably remains an outlier.
According to information made public by market research firm The NPD Group, the video game business earned $60.4 billion in 2021, an increase of 8% over the previous year. A portion of the gaming industry’s success can be attributed to its internal generation of both new business strategies and the technological advancements that it has adopted.
Check out these pioneers in the gaming industry to get a sense of who is doing what in a field that seems to be evolving constantly.
Contents
- 1 Best Game Companies
- 1.1 The Pokémon Company International
- 1.2 Zwift
- 1.3 PlayVS
- 1.4 Mythical Games
- 1.5 Supernatural
- 1.6 MobilityWare
- 1.7 Twitch
- 1.8 Electronic Arts (EA)
- 1.9 Take-Two Interactive Software
- 1.10 DoubleDown Interactive LLC
- 1.11 Activision Blizzard
- 1.12 Jam City
- 1.13 Glu Mobile
- 1.14 Gearbox Software
- 1.15 Epic Games
- 1.16 ArenaNet LLC
- 1.17 Bungie
- 1.18 Nintendo
- 1.19 Ubisoft
- 1.20 Gameloft
- 1.21 Owlchemy Labs
- 1.22 Stage11
- 1.23 Bonfire Studios
- 1.24 Raven Software
- 1.25 Scopely
- 1.26 PlayQ
- 1.27 Geocaching
- 1.28 Naughty Dog
- 1.29 Zynga
- 1.30 IllFonic
- 1.31 Her Interactive
- 1.32 Insomniac Games
- 1.33 N3TWORK INC
- 1.34 PopCap Games
- 1.35 Bethesda Softworks
- 1.36 Valve Corporation
- 1.37 Obsidian Entertainment
- 1.38 id Software
- 1.39 Warner Bros. Entertainment
- 1.40 Big Fish Games
- 1.41 Infinity Ward
- 1.42 Santa Monica Studios
Best Game Companies
The Pokémon Company International
The Pokémon Company International, a division of The Pokémon Company with headquarters in Japan, is in charge of overseeing the licensing and promotion of the Pokémon brand in non-Asian markets. For example, Pokemon Snap for the Nintendo Switch and Pokemon GO on mobile both feature news, updates, and other information. The business also manages the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated television series, the brand’s website, and other things.
Zwift
Zwift is an indoor cycling app that improves home workouts and increases engagement by enabling users to visit digital locales from around the globe while performing at their best. The program offers workouts and training schedules created by professional trainers, a sizable user base that helps keep one another motivated, and expansive landscapes that effortlessly blur the line between exercising and playing video games.
PlayVS
High school and collegiate eSports players now have new options to participate for state championships and be recognized as athletes by their state association thanks to PlayVS, which is dismantling barriers in the eSports environment. PlayVS, which oversees two seasons of league play per year and immediately follows them with playoff competitions, has partnerships with state and provincial associations in the US and Canada and is actively expanding both its platform and community to offer players better eSports opportunities on a larger scale.
Mythical Games
Mythical Games is a group of the seasoned platform and game developers who collaborate to sell ground-breaking new concepts and improve gameplay. The business is committed to contributing to the development of an integrated secondary market based on real ownership of digital assets in order to foster a tighter relationship between users, developers, and content producers. Franchises like Blankos: Call of Duty, Block Party, Guitar Hero, and World of Warcraft all owe a lot to Mythical Games.
Supernatural
For people who enjoy playing video games and those seeking more from exercise than what traditional exercise can offer, Supernatural offers a revolutionary at-home workout experience. Users of the completely immersive VR platform can interact with virtually real landscapes like the glaciers of Iceland, the volcanoes of Ethiopia, and the ruins of Machu Picchu. The subscription includes exercises that target numerous muscle areas and meditations. Oculus Quest is a VR headset that lets you access Supernatural.
MobilityWare
MobilityWare specializes in creating incredibly replayable games for Facebook and mobile platforms. With its outstanding selection of games, the company offers consumers hours of fun with no learning curve, including Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, Jigsaw Puzzle, and Video Poker.
Twitch
Although Twitch isn’t a gaming firm in the traditional sense, few businesses are as integral to the gaming industry. The video platform-meets-social network, the preferred streaming option for the e-sports community and other gamers, was purchased by Amazon in 2014 and, according to the firm, draws more than 10 million visits per month.
Electronic Arts (EA)
EA, a true powerhouse in its field, is evidence that quality and quantity don’t necessarily have to be mutually exclusive. Some of the most recognizable sports video game series, such as FIFA, Madden NFL, and NBA Live, are produced by the EA Sports division. From The Sims to Medal of Honor, EA’s famous non-sports game, its Mobile division consistently does an excellent job of placing those hits in your pocket.
Take-Two Interactive Software
One of the best-known brands in the sector is this seasoned gaming corporation. Some well-known cultural phenomenon, such as the infamous Grand Theft Auto and NBA 2K, were created by Take-Two Interactive Software’s two divisions, Rockstar Games and 2K. A prime example of the company’s meticulous attention to graphic and motion detail is the blockbuster Red Dead Redemption 2.
DoubleDown Interactive LLC
For social and mobile platforms, DoubleDown Interactive creates traditional casino games including blackjack, slots, poker, and roulette. In 2010, the firm launched a casino game on Facebook, and by 2015, it was one of the best-selling apps in the Apple App Store.
Activision Blizzard
Activision Blizzard is best known for its massively multiplayer online role-playing games like World of Warcraft, but it also excels in other genres like first-person shooters (Overwatch), digital collectible card games, and others. They are renowned for giving away steins, shields, swords, and helms as service rewards, as well as some of the best April Fools’ Day practical jokes in the business.
Jam City
Jam City has created video game adaptations of hugely well-known tentpole series like Harry Potter and Marvel Avengers. Additionally, they signed a multi-year agreement with Disney to create games. The developer has established itself as a significant leader, notably in the free-to-play social and mobile categories. Its co-founders include the MySpace creators and a former executive from 20th Century Fox.
Glu Mobile
Some of the most well-known interactive mobile games of the past ten years were produced by Glu, which EA purchased in 2021. The industry leader in mobile gaming is responsible for blockbuster titles including Diner Dash, Design Home, Tap Sports MLB Baseball ’20, and Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, which have amassed billions of downloads from players all over the world.
Gearbox Software
Gearbox, a division of Embracer Group, has not only successfully navigated the ever-changing waters of the gaming industry for more than 20 years, but they have also remained forward-thinking, building on the success of the Half-Life expansion packs into their own smash hit franchises Brothers in Arms and Borderlands. Take the wonderfully intricate first-person shooter Battleborn from 2016.
Epic Games
We may never have another capital-P phenomenon like the one that occurred with Pac-Man, but Fortnite’s long-tail success has gone dangerously close. With initiatives like Unreal Engine, a product design suite that includes hyper-realistic design renderings and also has automotive applications, Epic Games, a company that predates the internet era by a long shot, is looking toward the future in addition to that enormous success.
ArenaNet LLC
This long-running company was founded by three ex-Blizzard programmers and is well-known for the massively multiplayer online hits Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. The NCSOFT subsidiary ArenaNet is renowned for utilizing the increasingly well-liked episodic-update concept.
Bungie
Bungie has developed from its allegedly “creepy one bedroom apartment” beginnings to become deserving of a well-known Microsoft acquisition. The big tech corporation bought Bungie in 2000, and it used the studio’s blockbuster Halo: Combat Evolved to introduce the Xbox gaming platform. Bungie left Microsoft, later broke away from a subsequent Activision relationship, and went back to its independent roots in the space of just a few short years.
Nintendo
Nintendo is well known for both its gaming consoles and video games. Nearly a century later, in the 1980s, the company—whose roots date back to the late 1800s—first debuted Mario and Donkey Kong. Owners of the Nintendo Switch may now play thousands more games, including well-known titles from Nintendo like The Legend of Zelda, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, : Breath of the Wild, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Ubisoft
Having been established in the 1980s, Ubisoft has produced well-known video game series including Assassin’s Creed and Rabbids. Ubisoft titles can be played on a variety of platforms, including Xbox and Nintendo Switch. The company’s technological specialties include cloud gaming and artificial intelligence.
Gameloft
There are 190 titles in Gameloft’s library, and 1.5 million downloads are made every day. The business has been creating games for consoles, PCs, and mobile devices for 20 years. Games by Gameloft include Dragon Mania Legends and The Oregon Trail.
Owlchemy Labs
Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality and Job Simulator are two popular virtual reality games that Owlchemy Labs created with the goal of incorporating hand movements into the gameplay experience. Google bought the business in 2017, and since then, it has incorporated Owlchemy Labs’ touch interface technology into its own products.
Stage11
Stage11 is giving the music industry a new dimension by experimenting with mixed reality and cutting-edge gaming technology. By combining stories, virtual worlds, and avatars, the business hopes to improve the fan experience. Additionally, NFT goods will be tradeable, allowing fans to interact with their favorite artists even more.
Bonfire Studios
After financing $25 million to create an eagerly awaited game, Bonfire Studios came out of hiding in late 2016. In order to foster a sense of adventure, exploration, and camaraderie among players, the company employs artists, level designers, character developers, animators, UX designers, VFX artists, developers, and more.
Raven Software
According to its website, Raven Software made the deliberate decision to remain based in Wisconsin, a state that serves as a gaming industry center and offers favorable cost of living and community benefits. Highlights from its gaming library include Heretic/Hexen and Soldier of Fortune. It has also prominently provided support for Call of Duty installments for other Activision partners Treyarch and Infinity Ward.
Scopely
Scopely, a well-known mobile game business with connections to Hollywood, collaborates with both internal developers and international outside studios. The rapidly expanding company takes pride in its diversity of approaches, pushing beyond casual gaming into role-playing and strategy games. It is the creator of blockbusters like Star Trek Fleet Command and Looney Tunes World of Mayhem.
PlayQ
A growing mobile game developer is Play Q. The company prioritizes simple-to-understand gameplay, vibrant graphics, stories suitable for all ages, and just-right levels of familiarity — think platforms and riddles.
Geocaching
This geocaching pioneer was already getting players outside and GPS-scavenging for treasure years before the great Pokémon GO fear of 2016. In addition to fostering a strong network of forums, activities, and even environmental outreach, geocaching has also promoted responsible play.
Naughty Dog
Naughty Dog was founded in a garage in the late 1980s, and with the help of ground-breaking franchises like Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, and Uncharted, it eventually expanded to become one of the top American gaming firms. While still maintaining an indie-style culture, the firm places a strong emphasis on cross-studio collaboration between programmers, developers, and designers. It also creates award-winning blue chip games.
Zynga
Words With Friends, Farmville, and Tiny Royale are just a few of the social mobile games developed by Zynga that have become some of the most played games ever. Over 1 billion people have used the company’s games, which led to the opening of offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and India.
IllFonic
IllFonic, which was co-founded by veterans of the music industry, has developed into a top independent game studio, becoming known for tactical games like Armored Warfare and survival horror games like Friday the 13th: The Game. According to top brass, the corporation makes an effort to keep its independence even as it expands and meticulously develops initiatives with a long-term perspective.
Her Interactive
Her Interactive creates games for girls with budding inner sleuths, inspired by their enduringly well-liked and timeless Nancy Drew series that has resonated across decades. Her contributed to dispelling the myth that video games were exclusively the domain of males, and it has carried over the loyalty it has built up over the years into the modern gaming environment, extending beyond the desktop.
Insomniac Games
Insomniac Games, the brains behind Spider-Man, one of the gaming industry’s mega-hits, made its mark with PlayStation-only titles like Ratchet & Clank and Spyro the Dragon. One of the real significant American gaming companies is this one.
N3TWORK INC
By itself, N3TWORK made a killing with Legendary: Game of Heroes. The business then invested those profits in an ambitious new venture, giving other developers access to the studio’s best practices for things like ongoing campaign optimization and ad creative development—a sign that a corporation is looking for novel business ideas.
PopCap Games
The tile-matching Bejeweled series, which according to its creators once recorded a sale every 4.3 seconds and has sold more than 50 million copies, is where PopCap first gained notoriety in the casual gaming industry. The developer, which started in a small Seattle apartment and was acquired by EA after the conclusion of the Plants vs. Zombies franchise, is still devoted to easy, pick-up-and-play entertainment.
Bethesda Softworks
The Elder Scrolls, a groundbreaking RPG series with realms so complex that a “loremaster” position had to be created, helped this behemoth with more than three decades of history become a household name. Since then, Bethesda Softworks has expanded into practically every other genre, including shooters, sports games, and strategy games.
Valve Corporation
Valve, a company founded more than 20 years ago by two ex-Microsoft workers, shot to fame and fortune with its very first game, the seminal first-person shooter Half-Life. In particular, virtual reality hardware has been anticipated by the company. Early VR innovations made by the team are infamous for getting Mark Zuckerberg interested in the technology.
Obsidian Entertainment
The gaming industry is undoubtedly in the era of sequels, and these RPG experts, who were founded in 2003 by a group of former Black Isle employees, made their name with two sequels that were superior to the originals: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords and Neverwinter Nights 2. Meanwhile, Pillars of Eternity’s well-known crowdfunding success shown that Obsidian is skilled at navigating the extended falls that can be typical of the quicksilver gaming industry.
id Software
Legacy id games like Wolfenstein 3D (perhaps the ne plus ultra of RPGs), DOOM (which helped bring in the modern multiplayer model), and QUAKE—all of which redefined what a PC game might be—are probably familiar to even the most casual players.
Warner Bros. Entertainment
This large entertainment corporation has demonstrated that holding some of the most valuable intellectual property (IP) outside of Marvel under its umbrella is a wise financial decision. Hit series like Mortal Kombat, which is run by the Chicago-based subsidiary NetherRealm Studios, and Batman: Arkham, which was released by the London-based wing Rocksteady Studios, are managed by Warner Bros. Entertainment’s gaming division.
Big Fish Games
Big Fish competes in the desktop game market, but it’s best recognized for providing entertaining, low-stakes mobile and social diversion of the “simple to play, hard to master” sort. Consider beat-the-clock, puzzle, hidden object, and tile-match games, such as the hugely well-liked Gummy Drop!
Infinity Ward
Even though Infinity Ward is now an Activision company, its flagship franchise, Call of Duty, continues to be a major source of revenue. A 2015, Inc. breakaway team that had previously worked on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault founded the firm back in 2002.
Santa Monica Studios
Santa Monica Studio still has the appearance of a visionary after twenty years. As examples, consider the fact that the God of War series has won more than 190 Game of the Year awards and the internally produced film Raising Kratos, which explores the costs associated with game creation.