Describe how you feel about the following 15 game companies...
EA: They appear to enjoy treating games and game companies like businesses, instead of works of passion and love. Which is fine, except we still remember a time when games and game companies were treated like works of passion and love, and we miss those days. We miss the days when the publisher didn't treat every gamer like a potential pirate, the days when making a good game (and not profit maximization through nickle and diming the customer) was the key to success, and the days when game makers were not all part of one giant faceless corporate entity. They're evil, perhaps a necessary one, but evil nonetheless.
Nintendo: They know their market and their niche, and they're happy to pursue it. This is what I like to see, a company doing what they do well, rather trying to do everything and screwing it all up.
Square (Enix or not): Final Fantasy 8 remains my favorite Final Fantasy game.
Bioware: Recent disappointments do not erase the fact that they've made some tour de force games. While it's easy to write them off, I believe they have the potential to return to form in the future. Of course, this could be the fanboy talking.
Blizzard: The only Blizzard game I've ever played is Warcraft 2, and I quite like it. They appear to have found the ideal MMO formula, judging by the success of WoW, so I think that's where they're going to continue their focus in the foreseeable future.
Valve: The darling of the PC gaming sphere, and for good reason. First they announced their arrival on the gaming scene with Half-Life, a masterpiece in its day and still holding up decently well after all these years. Then they came back with Half-Life 2, which also marked the debut of Steam. Steam has revolutionized online distribution for PC gaming, and has in fact become the de facto online distribution channel, which other companies are desperately trying to play catch-up to. Subsequent games such as the Left 4 Dead series, Team Fortress 2, the Portal series, and DOTA 2 have only reinforced Valve's reputation. They don't make many games, and they don't make them quickly, but damn their games are good. Also, they can't count to three.
Capcom: The company's business decisions are apparently being made by a chimpanzee.
Ubisoft: Ubisoft also tried the draconian DRM tactic, but it blew up in their faces. When legitimate customers are unable to play your game because your DRM servers are down, then you've got a problem. They were saved by the quality of their games, such as the Assassin's Creed series (possibly excluding Revelations), and the huge pile of IPs they hold.
Rockstar: They allow gamers to indulge their inner asshole, and for that I applaud them.
Naughty Dog: Would you believe I've never played a single Naughty Dog game? These guys need to make PC versions of their games already. I wanna see what all the fuss over The Last of Us is about.
Bethesda: The Elder Scroll series and Fallout 3 are great games. Glitchy and rather crash-happy, but great nonetheless. Bethesda have found a formula that works for them, though they may need to change things up soon, to avoid going stale.
Telltale Games: Never played any of their games, though I have heard good things about the feels they evoke.
Irrational Games: One word: Bioshock. That's what they're known for, that's what they're good at. Well, that and System Shock 2.
Obsidian: New Vegas was the game that made both old-school and newcomer Fallout fans happy, and for that they deserve kudos. Unfortunately, it was rushed out to market by Bethesda before it was fully complete, which resulted in some notably missing content, such as large chunks of the Legion quest line, and the ability to free play after the end of the main quest. Here's hoping Obsidian will get to develop more Fallout games, and more importantly have the time and freedom to get it right.
Deep Silver: Who?
Most Favorite Games Company? Why?
Valve, for the reasons mentioned above.
Least Favorite Games Company? Why?
Sourcenext. Never heard of them? They ported Resident Evil 4 to PC. It was so bad, it's an insult to call it a Resident Evil game, and in fact it's also an insult to call it a port.
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