Gamasutra.com - Game Developer's Top 20 Publishers, 2006


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By Trevor Wilson
[Author's Bio]
Gamasutra
January 8, 2007

Game Developer's Top 20 Publishers, 2006

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Game Developer's Top 20 Publishers, 2006

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6. Microsoft Game Studios

Year formed: 1975
Headquarters: Redmond, Wash.
Studios: Bungie Studios (Redmond, Wash.); Ensemble Studios (Dallas); FASA (Redmond, Wash.); Lionhead Studios (Guildford, U.K.); Microsoft Game Studios Japan (Tokyo); Rare (Twycross, U.K.)

Microsoft’s internal game development endured a transition phase during this period, ignoring the all-but-defunct Xbox platform and preparing new titles for the Xbox 360. The lack of a release as popular as the company’s Halo series for Xbox has caused the publisher to drop three spots in our ranking. The stable of studios holds much promise for its home platform, however, with Halo 3 on the way and a pledge of support from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi and his studio Mistwalker. With a lower console price point than Sony, Microsoft has some real opportunities to move forward in the coming generation.

On the PC side, Age of Empires III has consistently cleaned up the charts since its October release, reaching platinum status and becoming the fastest selling entry in the long-running series, and a Windows Vista-only Halo 2 will make for interesting results next year.

7. THQ

Year formed: 1989
Headquarters: Calabasas Hills, Calif.
Studios: Blue Tongue Entertainment (Melbourne); Concrete Games (Carlsbad, Calif.); Cranky Pants Games (Kirkland, Wash.); Heavy Iron Studios (Los Angeles); Helixe (Burlington, Mass.); Incinerator (Carlsbad, Calif.); Juice Games (Warrington, U.K.), Kaos Studios (New York); Locomotive Games (Santa Carla, Calif.); Paradigm (Dallas); Rainbow Studios (Phoenix); Relic Entertainment (Vancouver); THQ Australia Studios (Spring Hill, Australia); THQ Wireless (Calabasas Hills, Calif.); Vigil Games (Austin); Volition (Champaign, Ill.)

Thanks to heightened revenues, THQ moves up two spots on the list this year, though the company had a lower average review score, and respondents to our survey were less than favorable when ranking their milestones and payments. THQ’s highly rated producers and significant revenue aided the publisher’s climb up the list of Top 20 Publishers.

While the company has continued to expand its original releases, its bread and butter is still its collection of licensed titles, several of which sold more than one million copies during the period and aided the publisher’s rise on our charts (Cars and WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2006 being the company’s most notable hits).

THQ expanded its operations and added considerable talent to its resources with the establishment of the internal studios Kaos and Incinerator, and the acquisition of Juice Games, Vigil Games, and Paradigm Entertainment (along with its Stuntman franchise). And in what seems to be a running industry trend, THQ is also now under SEC investigation for its handling of stock options over the years.

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