There’s much debate as to whom the best third-party developers are right now. But what about over the history of gaming? Tonight, I attempt to somehow create a list of the 10 developers that stand above all others when you look at history as a whole. Is it perfect? Not at all, and I expect a lot of disagreement and debate over this list. But first, a few ground rules.

Rules:

- The developer must currently be third-party.
- Games developed as a first-party will count. So Bungie's work with Halo and Sega's long and storied work as first-party devs are factored into it. Also, remember: back in the days of arcades, everyone was a first-party because they all made their own cabinets.

Only 10 can make the list. Which 10? Find out next in:


Third-Party Developers Over Gaming’s History


10.) Sega

Now now, settle down, children. Yes, sega has been awful in recent years, but this is overall, remember? And back in the day, Sega was neck and neck with Nintendo. Heck, they've even had a few gems as a third party (F-Zero GX and Skies of Arcadia Legends among others), which barely put them on this list. However, given their current track record, expect them to fall off the list and be replaced very soon.


9.) Take-Two Interactive

As the parent company of notable developers Rockstar Games and 2K Games, Take-Two has some great franchises under their belt, and some impressive games coming out in the near future. Or rather, an impressive game in GTA IV that might have a bigger impact than GTA III did. Maybe.

Why not higher? Not much else to speak of outside of what 2K Games and Rockstar are doing with their big franchises: MLB 2K, BioShock and Grand Theft Auto.


8.) Square Enix

The overlords of RPGs, Square Enix are the people behind Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and any number of classic RPG titles, including Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger

Also they own Taito now. Please make a new Pocky and Rocky and/or ActRaiser, guys.

Why not higher? Outside of RPGs... Square Enix sucks. They can't make anything above decent outside of that genre, or at least they forgot how to. To say they’ve become an RPG factory is pretty much a concise statement. However, It’s A Wonderful World/The World Ends With You looks like it might be the first step to breaking that mentality.


7.) Activision Blizzard

Formed by the behemoth merger of 2007, Activision Blizzard’s products now include anything Warcraft or Starcraft, Call of Duty, the Tony Hawk series, Guitar Hero and much more. A diverse selection of games, as well as being the creator of some of my childhood favorites (Ghostbusters on the Apple IIe!), puts Activision Blizzard on the list.

Why not higher? Same reason as Square Enix – their series are too repetitive. On top of it, chief rival EA has been walking into their backyard and flat out embarrassing them with games like Rock Band and .skate, meaning Activision had better pick up the pace or get left behind. Call of Duty 4 was a good first step, but if the rumors on Call of Duty 5 come true, we’re right back where we started.


6.) Atlus

Surprised? Don’t be. Atlus’ titles are hard to find, but damn, are the quality, fun games. On top of that, Atlus has gradually become known for finding new kinds of games to create. Most of those come from combining genres that have nothing in common and making them have something in common. It’s a bizarre strategy… but it seems to be working.

Why not higher? Atlus’ body of work just doesn’t compare to the 5 companies ahead of it. That’s all.

5.) Valve

The men and women behind Half-Life, Team Fortress, Portal and the Steam downloadable content service have built an extremely stable foundation in only 10 years time. Valve’s rise in the developer community is pretty much unprecedented, riding on the back of innovative games that combine both game play and graphics to create a unique experience. Or, in short, Valve = good.

Why not higher? Like Atlus, Valve has a small, albeit impressive body of work. Expect to see them rise up this list in the future if they continue churning out quality games.


4.) Konami

Bring forth your Contras, your Gradius games, your Metal Gears. Konami has established itself as a huge player and is single-handedly responsible for creating an entire genre of games via its Bemani branch. That genre - the rhythm game - has exploded in recent years, and is now one of the biggest genres at gaming.

But why not #1? Unfortunately, recent years have seen a downturn in the number of games Konami has put out, and in general, it seems like they've kind of stepped back a bit and are actually slipping into a mode where they're sticking more to their franchises than branching out to make new titles. Elebits and other games, though, do offer some hope I'm wrong.


3.) Capcom

Home to an amazing number of my favorite games, Capcom has helped push gaming forward and created some of the most memorable characters in gaming history. Where would we be without Street Fighter, Final Fight, Mega Man, Okami, Resident Evil, 1942, Phoenix Wright, Breath of Fire and so many others?

But why not #1? Capcom has been slow to act on things they should have done, such as bringing back Street Fighter. Even though the game looks great... we should be talking about Street Fighter V right now instead of IV. Same with classics like Bionic Commando. Add on top of that some poor judgment calls (ex. killing Clover Studios) that have been based on money, and Capcom falls just short.


2.) Electronic Arts

Controversial? Yes. But Electronic Arts has had an undeniable impact on gaming and third-parties as a whole. They were the prototype for the modern third-party developer, the company that showed everyone else the way. They have launched more franchises than anyone else outside of the Big Three, but are notorious for cannibalizing smaller companies once they buy them out. They have been praised, yet at the same time scorned.

But why not #1? Repetition, repetition, repetition. All you need to do is look at EA Sports and see the result of that – games that sell well, but offer little to no real advances in technology. EA has taken steps forward with Rock Band and .skate, but there’s a long way to go.


1.) Namco Bandai

This one’s more about the Namco part of the company. Namco’s impact on gaming at its growth in the 1980s may only be second to Nintendo.

Galaga, Pac Man, Galaxian, Bosconian, Dig Dug, Mr. Driller, Pole Position, Xevious, Mappy, Rally-X, Ridge Racer, Soul Calibur, Time Crisis, Tekken, Taiko Drum Master, the Tales series, Xenosaga, Ace Combat, Katamari Damacy. An insanely impressive list that takes in many of my favorite series of all time. Namco’s track record of not just putting out games, but quality titles, including some of the most important titles in gaming history, earn it the top spot on the list, at least in my book.

Honorable Mentions:

Koei: For their work on Dynasty/Samurai Warriors, as well as countless other great RPG titles (Aerobiz Supersonic FTW!)

SNK: The Neo-Geo is love. Also, compilations and new Metal Slug games rock.

Hudson: Often lost amongst big third parties Capcom and Konami, Hudson has put out a solid line-up headed by the Bomberman franchise.

Free Radical: For their work on TimeSplitters as well as Goldeneye 007 (as part of Rare)

Epic: Unreal Tournament and Gears of War require me to give these guys an honorable mention, at least.

LucasArts: Along with Koei and SNK, they barely missed the top 10, but there's a strong case they should be there. I know that.

The Behemoth: Because Castle Crashers and Alien Hominid are awesome.

Ubisoft: If not for the Rabbids and Tom Clancy games, Ubisoft is an afterthought.

Bungie: Now free from Microsoft, the developer of Halo, Marathon and Pathways into Darkness has a bright future.