Table of Contents
The best Software Game Developers in the video game industry are fiercely competitive. For a company to create more than one commercially successful game, it needs vast resources or an immensely talented team of creators.
In many cases, video game publishers let their guards down after producing one hit game. They attempt to make the most money out of a single title. But after the game loses popularity, so does the publisher.
In this article, we’ll focus on game creators and software providers that give game development they’re all. These companies are constantly developing new titles and updating content for their older ones. Intrigued? Let’s get started.
Tencent Games
Tencent Games is one of the biggest technology companies in China. Its portfolio ranges from social networks and music and e-Commerce and search engines. Despite that, many people in the western world know Tencent Games for its role in creating, publishing, and investing infamous games.
Below is a list of some of the most successful video games owned or partially funded by Tencent: PUBG, League of Legends, Call of Duty: Mobile, FIFA: Online, and CrossFire: Legends.
Additionally, Tencent Games has investments in plenty of well-known video game developers. In the usual style, it owns 100% or a portion of these companies:
- Riot Games—100%
- Epic Games—40%
- Supercell—84%
- Ubisoft—5%
- Activision Blizzard—5%
Thanks to these massive investments, Tencent is solidifying its place in the future of gaming. Sooner or later, many of the games you’ll come across will have been created by a developer with affiliations to Tencent.
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Sony operates in the same manner as Tencent. It has a studio that focuses on creating video games. And it has multiple departments that have nothing to do with games: Electronics, music, consoles, and military equipment, to name a few.
In the gaming space, Sony is the reason millions of people fell in love with video games. Think of PlayStation. Sony revolutionized the console business with the launch of the PlayStation in 1994.
To date, the PlayStation is the Number One selling console in the world. Sony provides hundreds of games on its console, many of which come from the studio it owns. The Japanese brand has ownerships in more than 100 video game developers.
For example, Sony owns Naughty Dogs, the company behind such hits as The Last of Us and Uncharted. It also owns Insomnia Games, the developer behind Spider-Man and Resistance. Surprisingly, Sony also owns the brands behind Grand Turismo, Kung Fu Rider, and the NBA Series.
Evolution Gaming
Evolution Gaming is the biggest software provider of live dealer casino games. Created in 2006, the company is responsible for changing how people play table games like poker, blackjack, and baccarat online.
In the past, the only way you could play blackjack was against software. This is despite the fact that blackjack is a game played against a casino’s dealer. If you wanted to play poker, by contrast, your best bet was to play against bots.
These days, you can play these games against real people. All you need is a web camera and an account at a casino with live dealer games. With that in mind, Evolution Gaming also owns NetEnt—the Swedish giant behind slots like Starburst, Mega Fortune, and Guns N’ Roses.
The average casino provides games from multiple studios. You’ll find lots of games from casino software like Yggdrasil, Play’n GO, Microgaming, and Evolution. This helps widen variety and spice up your gameplay.
Activision Blizzard
Located in California, Activision Blizzard is one of the fastest-growing video game publishers in the world. The company’s stock grew by more than 20% in the last year and it is projected to continue rising in the next five years.
The explanation is that Activision Blizzard is constantly building its fanbase by creating new, better video games. And it’s ever providing support for its existing franchises. On the other hand, this brand has ownership in over a dozen fast-growing studios. Below are some of them:
- Infinity Ward
- Beenox
- Vicarious Visions
- Major League Gaming
- Demonware
Activision Blizzard’s growing love for eSports is another reason its stock will continue to climb. Esports is one of the fastest-rising sports in the world. As such, the success of the sport will mean more growth for the publisher.
Electronic Arts (EA)
Love it or hate, EA is a trailblazer in the gaming industry. And there are no signs it will fade out of relevance any time soon. The reason is that EA is the brand behind some of the most successful video game titles ever.
We are talking about video games that need to be updated every year like Madden, FIFA, and Apex Legends. These are games people play year in, year out. And as a result, EA’s skillset will continue to be on demand for years to come.
Crucially, EA doesn’t work alone. It has investments in a series of studios like Ubisoft, DreamWorks Interactive, Firemint, Respawn Entertainment, and Tiburon Entertainment.
That said, EA is a grossly controversial company. Its critiques argue EA focuses too much on monetization and too little on making its games enjoyable. If this holds up and gamers get off the EA bandwagon, the future of this publisher could become uncertain.
Microsoft
Microsoft is one of the biggest software companies in the world. And that’s because it keeps its focus on what it knows best—creating software and consumer electronics. For a long time, Microsoft was all about general office software.
But since 2000, the California-based brand has become synonymous with video game products. First, it created Xbox. Then it dabbled with video games, streaming platforms, and buying out smaller competitors.
As a video game developer, Microsoft is known for creating Forza, Halo, and Gears of War to name a few. As an investment brand, Microsoft has shares in Playground Games, Mojang, 343 Industries, and Turn 10 Studios.
A couple of years ago, Microsoft created Mixer, a gaming platform meant to rival Twitch. It failed and shut it down.