• 9Sep 09

  Behold, the Best Developers happen to Begin with 'B'?

  I was recently thinking about my favorite developers and one unusual pattern was beginning to develop in my mind. This pattern involves a certain letter in the alphabet. The letter B. When asked my favorite developers, the first five game developers I spit out all Started with "B". These happened to Bethesda, Bungie, Bioware, Black Isle, and last but not least Blizzard. These are easily some of the top game makers of all time. I will explain, my logic, which will be painful to your eyes and your intelligence.

  Take Bethesda do I need to say anything other than Oblivion. If I do you might as well not read the rest of this blog because it will be pointless and lame to you. This is one of my favorite games of all time. This one game, is now the game I compare all single player focused RPG's on. All new RPG's are either better, the same, or worse the Oblivion. Not to mention they made other Elder Scroll games that were great, and that little known game Fallout 3. They really are the Johnny One Note, when it comes to gameplay style, but they sing that note better than anyone else has.

  Bungie, oh Bungie they have pulled me away from once being a Nintendo fanboy. I actually defend Microsoft now, I know, I dont believe it either. I love one of the largest monopolies in existence, who have suffered numerous antitrust lawsuits around the globe. It only took about 20 minutes of Halo Combat Evolved to steal my heart and soul. Not to mention they followed up the original with some solid sequels. And will continue to have my business for years to come, as long as it has a Spartan in it ill probably buy it.

  Bioware, the company that never disappoints. They are as reliable as a family pet, and twice as likeable. Probably one of my first game developers I really trusted. Ever since the Balders gate series. These were the top of the line RPG's back in there day with beautiful stories and environments. Then they continued on with the Neverwinter Nights games. When I thought they couldn't be outdone, they did, by outdoing themselves with Knights of the old Republic. Bioware is truly the master of Story, especially how they put the player in the eyes of the characters. They pull you into the game content like no other developer. They probably developed the best single player RPG ever. This being Mass Effect of course. The gameplay was good, the graphics were good, the flow was good, but the Story was indescribably good (Mostly because I am really bad with words). The story kept we wanting more and more, and I hoped it would never end. And it probably won't if they continue to make money from it. I guess that is a good and bad thing. This makes the one game I look forward to above all others be Mass Effect 2. Oh I even forgot to mention Jade Empire.

  
  
  

  Ok moving on, Black Isle, the kings of the old school. They made a couple small games you probably never heard about like Fallout, Icewind Dale, or Baldur's Gate (assisted). The company does not exist anymore but the legacy they left will last for years to come. They helped set the standard for an RPG. Over 10 years later that standard is still set high by them. They are similar to the Beatles that they are mostly gone, revolutionary, and never forgotten.

  Ok, I guess its time to talk about the developer that withdraws $15 dollars from about half the people in the world's credit card account each month, Blizzard. The Warcraft series that has set the bar for strategy games at least 27 million times, and probably will be milked for another 10-34 million more times. But I don't care because I will buy it, play it, and enjoy it. I can actually remember the day I brought Diablo home and put it in the old Pentium II 266mhz. I don't think I blinked for about 7 hours. I was blown away like I stepped into a snowy (please brace yourself for a lame word play)...blizzard. This was the first game that really introduced me to online cooperative play and "loot obsession." Yes this game was the probably the gateway "drug" for the millions of currently loot obsessed people in the world. Can you honestly tell me you didn't waste hours upon hours trying to get that "legit" Stone of Jordan or Godly Plate of the Whale (If that even was truly legit)? And Diablo II didn't disappoint either.

  Does Blizzard deserve their own second paragraph. I believe so. So after Diablo and Warcraft, Blizzard once again decided to ruin my life by taking Warcraft, improving it, and and sending it into space. The bastards (even all insults in this most must start with B, so please Bear with me)! The reason they are bastards is they made me suffer through several presidents to get a real sequel, even though it is still not here. And its not that the presidents I speak of had short terms. I was actually afraid they might destroy the world with incompetence and thus never get to see a real sequel to the game, but with the Audacity of Hope the outlook has changed. (Another crappy play on words here, as Obama's slogan was...and sequal coming out...and Ill stop..I promise).

  Ok, one more paragraph for Blizzard. WOW, aka, also known as World of Warcraft, the 12 thousand stone (a very underused unit, imao) Gorilla walked into our home and punched us all in the face. Then continually steals our money, punches in the face again, makes out with your girlfriend, and yet we continually forgive him. Why I ask, is it the Barren's chat, the little pink haired gnomes, the Murlocs, the Loot obsession we developed from Diablo? What ever it is the Gorilla wont let us go for long, we always come back. Will we be saved by Bioware's upcoming 13 thousand stone gorilla.

  
  
  

  Ok not all the best game developers exclusively begin with the letter "B", but I was surprised without thinking my first five I spurted out did. Ill give props to Codemasters, Nintendo, Rockstar, Lionhead, Square Enix, and manyothers. They all start with equally good letters. But If you are thinking of starting a company, I would suggest the letter "B", in this highly competitive market, it doesn't hurt to have any help you can.

  
  
  

  P.S. I hold no responsibilty for the opinions stated in this Blog. I formally stand by the fact that everyone has a right to my opinion and Ill leave it at that. Oh, also, if you had time to read this whole article and have not played some of the games I mentioned here you wasted your time reading when you should have been playing them. It would have been much more rewarding.

  • Posted Sep 9, 2009 6:24 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
  • 7 Comments
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