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They are the life blood of the gaming industry and it just wouldn’t feel right if we say goodbye to the past decade without recognizing them. If it were not for developers, gamers couldn’t get to experience the memorable titles we’ve seen the last decade. I’m talking about the games that the media can’t stop talking about. The ones gamers keep playing for years; even after ten years (Final Fantasy, God of War, Street Fighter anybody?). They get you excited, you want to take a vacation from work and play till you’ve completed the missions. You cry, laugh, you get scared, and sometimes your rage overwhelms causing you to throw the controller into that spanking new HD set.

None of the aforementioned experiences would be possible without developers. And today, GamesThirst honors the best of the best. Most of them do a good job with the games they develop, but some are downright outstanding. Join us as we count down to the number one game development studio of this the decade.

17. Media Molecule:

The company came out swinging with what would later be one of the most brilliant games of any decade. LittleBigPlanet captured the hearts of gamers young and old world wide, and has managed to build a very dedicated online following, one that has fully realized the potentials of the play, create, share concept. The concept was ingenious, the tools of creation were revolutionary and very easy to use. LittleBigPlanet is well on its way to sell over 3 million copies worldwide and has given Media Molecule the ammo it needed to press forward with yet another title, we can’t wait to hear what it is.

Mod Nation Racers was announced as an exclusive PS3 game at E3, the racing game builds on the play, create, share concept and will allow you to create tracks, environments, set the type of weather conditions, and dictate the overall feel of what you’re creating. Although Mod Nation Racers is being developed by United Front, it’s always awesome when another company deems your idea as good enough to implement in their game, another testament to MM’s talent and potential. There’s no doubt that the company has a bright future, and bright on our list as they secured the number 17 spot.

16. Guerrilla Games:

Rarely has so much buzz and hype build for any one game. In fact, we reckon it was the biggest hype train for any title in history. Why? Well the hype was not started by Sony or even Guerrilla, it was the fanbase of the game that helped in garnering attention to a title that not many had played.

The original Killzone was released on the PS2 and although the reviews were mixed, the game went on to sell pretty well, with over 2 million copies world wide. Killzone Liberation was later released on PSP which also was a decent title.

However It was with PS3 GG shined the brightest. You see, hype buildup for a title can be a good thing and it could turn out really bad. The bad: if you don’t deliver, then your game stands the chance of being remembered forever as a failed title, (Haze anyone?). The good: If you succeed in making the game a blockbuster, then it’ll be a cash cow for decades and will be remembered as an awesome game. We believe Guerrilla succeeded at doing the latter.

Killzone 3 is rumored to be heading our way late this year, which is not far fetched if you put into consideration that the studio already has the engine and protocol to make the game. Whether it’s next year or the year after, you can expect even a bigger and better game from Guerrilla, and expect them to be high on our list at number 16.

15. 2k Games:

Companies that manage to bring an experience that has never before been forged, should always be on any list that sets out to honor those in the same field, 2k Games is one of those companies. Although the studio has developed over 20 games, including the recently released Borderlands which has been praised universally, no other title in 2K’s library stands out more than the awesome Bioshock franchise.

First released for the PC and Xbox 360, the game was later made available for the PS3. But what makes Bishock so different? Everything about it; in fact, some up to this day don’t feel comfortable with labeling the title as a shooter, well it’s different shooter that’s for sure. Narrative driven, and overall outstanding effort, 2K has a gem that’ll entertain gamers for years to come.

The sequel will be released this year for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. Not many developers have achieved what 2K has, and the number 15 spot on our list is well deserved.

14: Epic Games:

Just say the word “Gears” and the entire gaming community will discern what you’re talking about in no time at all. Epic Games is such an accomplished studio that you can’t just label it under one category. For one, they’ve created one of the most recognizable game engines on the market, in fact many of the games you’re playing now run on it, helping consoles realize their true power. It’s dubbed the “Unreal Engine” and the company has made a name for themselves with it.

Unreal Tournament is another tittle which was well received, but above all else, the Gears of War Franchise has made Epic Games what it is today. The Xbox 360 exclusive title has been one of the best selling on any platform, the first game was released on November 7th, 2006 to critical acclaim, the sequel, Gears of War two was just as successful putting a stamp on Epic’s venerability. The third installment in the long running franchise hasn’t been announced, but today we’re announcing Epic Game’s position on our list at number 14.

13: Infinity Ward

That studio is downright awesome. They developed Modern Warfare and said title went on to revolutionize shooter forever, and then there was Modern Warfare 2. It has outperform Grand Theft Auto IV to become the biggest entertainment launch of all time. Retailers around the world stocked their shelves with millions of copies of MW2 only to be gobbled up within days by thirsty gamers, but some may be curious as to why such an unrelenting buzz, and for that, we’ll have to time travel back to November, 2007.

At that time, the Call of Duty franchise was in a downward spiral heading straight to mundane status and eventually becoming extinct. Over the years the COD games were basically the same with different locations and situations of World War II. Obviously, gamers were getting tired of the same old stage, with the same old guns with different enemies. Everyone thought the franchise would eventually come to a screeching halt. But one studio saved the day.

Not only did Infinity Ward save the Call of Duty franchise, they propelled it to heavenly heights when the massively successful COD: Modern Warfare was released. Because of it, Treyarch’s effort – COD 5: World at War was a success. Because of Infinity, Activision will gross over a billion dollars on one game.

Gamers all over the world, millions of them are now simultaneously shooting at each other on Xbox Live and PSN. Some won’t report to school, others have already taken vacation. They’ll were at midnight launches all across the United States and various parts of the world. Indeed, for one studio to create such a game, doesn’t matter how long or how short they’ve been around, said company must be considered for the high spot, and Infinity Ward secured the 13th.

12. Team Ico:

When a studio creates not one but two games that were able to leave a positive imprint on gamers hearts, you know the studio behind said games have the right formula, Team Ico is among the few. Created in 1997, the studio’s founder Fumito Ueda joined SCE forging one of the best relationships in the industry.

The two games that left the imprint were ICO and Shadow of the Collosus with Metacritics of 90 and 9.1 respectively. The third game from Team Ico, The Last Guardian, is now under development and from what we’ve heard and seen it’s shaping up to be another unique title that will once again achieve the rarity of stealing a spot in our hearts. The studio just stole the number 12 spot on our list.

11. Bungie:

There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind about what this studio has accomplished over the years. You may recognize them for the bestselling Halo franchise but did you know the studio also has developed other great titles? Oni, Myth series, Marathons series, these are just some of the other games that are given less attention but are pretty enjoyable.

But back to the Halo Franchise, without it, there would be no Xbox; period. It single handedly propelled the console to recognizable status in a generation that was dominated by the ubiquitous PS2. Halo is literally the definition of console seller. Bungie has been around for quite some time now, starting their run on PC and eventually signing an exclusive deal with Microsoft to make Halo games for the software giant’s console.

The developer is now an independent studio, so hopefully we should see their games come to all consoles, or at least the Xbox 360 and PS3. One things for sure, they’re sitting pretty on our list at number 11.

10. Bethesda:

Some may think it’s an easy task, but to make a game that’s fun and exciting plus hours upon hours long, it takes a lot of brainstorming, and many sleepless nights. Bethesda has not only accomplished the task, but they’ve done it with more than one or even two titles. The studio deserves a round of applause from the entire gaming community for hits like: Wet (developed by ATM), Fallout 3, The Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles, The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, just to name a few.

Only a fool would overlook a company that has been in existence for over 23 yrs; that’s older than a lot of the boys who call themselves gamers. And much more experienced than some of the studios who only recently set up shop and now think they’re the “it” (*cough* Valve *cough*).

Also, the veteran developer has two big titles under development now, Brink and Rogue Warrior, set to release next year and the year after. But today, they’re set at number 10 on our list.

9. Santa Monica:

Mostly praised for the topnotch God of War franchise, the studio also developed Kinetica and Warhawk with Incognito Entertainment but like many other studios, God Of War is Santa Monica. The game, God of War III just won the award for most anticipated game of 2010 at the VGAs are few weeks back cementing the fact that the series has not lost its thunder, on the contrary it’s evolved into something that’s now larger than life.

Creator David Jaffe is no longer at with the team but that does not mean the studio fell asleep at the wheel; the demo released is living testimony. God of War is also a system seller so if you own a PS3 get ready to see more folks on PSN when the game hit store shelves in March. Santa Monica secured its spot today at number 9 on our list.

8. Insomniac:

They’ve been in the industry since 1994, and from their arrival, the studio has been pumping out great games like the long running Spyro the Dragon and Disruptor. They’ve given PS3 owners nothing but solid fun with games like: Ratchet and Clank: ACIT, Resistance: Fall of man and Resistance 2. Ratchet and Clank: ACIT came out a late last year and some hailed the conclusion as an end fit for a magnificent and entertaining series.

Both Resistance games went on to sell over 2 million copies, and if rumors are to be believed, we’ll be getting our hands on yet another title by the end of 2010. For PS3 owners, Insomniac is a beloved studio that adds great value to the platform and crucially needed games to the PS3’s ever growing line of exclusive IPs. They’re placed at number 8 on our list.

7. Rockstar Games:

What else needs to be said about the studio that has managed to release a game was once the biggest entertainment launch of all time? Not much. Mention Grand Theft Auto and gamers the world over will recognize the controversial franchise. On April 29th, 2008, Grand Theft Auto IV sold $500 million worth of the game in one week, shattering all previous records with 3.6 million copies of the title sold on day one.

Not many studios have had such an impact on the industry like Rockstar and now, they’re developing an exclusive for the PS3 titled Agent. Grand Theft Auto: Ballad of Gay Tony was just released, and before it the PSP title Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.

Other games to be released this year includes Red Dead Redemption, and some even predict that GTAV will be released this year also. Without a doubt, Rockstar is a revolutionary company dedicated to bringing its fanbase the content they desire. That desire has secured them the number 7 spot on our list.

6. Ubisoft:

Anyone heard of Splinter Cell: Conviction, Assassin’s Creed II or Shaun White’s Snowboarding? Of course you have and you also know that this company which has been creating excellent titles for well past a decade is responsible for said titles right? Indeed, Ubisoft is one of the better studios around.

Founded in 1986, the five brothers of the Guillemot family founded the company as a computer games publisher based in France, Ubisoft soon after extended its reach to markets including the United States, UK and Germany. Assassin’s Creed was one of the company’s best selling titles selling over eight million copies worldwide, the Splinter Cell franchise has also done extremely well for the company. They’ve created so many games that it would last too long to go down the list, and they’re sitting pretty at number 6 on our list of the decade’s most outstanding development studios.

And now we’ve arrived at the decade’s top 5 most outstanding devs, here you’ll find the Studios that have demonstrated the most passion, dedication and commitment to bring us the best games available.
Without them, gaming would be a fading past-time. Help us give praise to:

5. Capcom:

Ah Capcom, one of the companies that has been around seemingly forever, if I try to list the amount of titles the mega company has released I’d run out of time. Some you might have heard of include: Street Fighter, Resident Evil, Marvel VS Capcom, Onimusha and Lost Planet just to name are few. The company began its run in 1979 as a machine manufacturer and distributor of electronic games, now they’re one of the leading companies in the gaming industry celebrating over 25 years of bringing great entertainment our living rooms.

Capcom’s games are also among the best selling titles with hits Street Fighter IV selling well past 4 million copies with Resident Evil 5 doing just as great. Having an outstanding devs list and not including Capcom would be like cooking food and not adding salt; the company has added salt to the crucially important number 5 spot on our list.

4. Polyphony Digital:

Formed in 1998, Polyphony digital is one of the most recognizable names in the gaming industry. The studio’s flagship title, Gran Turismo, has done more for the Playstation brand than any other before or after it, so much so that the series has sold over 53 million copies worldwide as of September 2009. If that doesn’t say enough nothing will; Gran Turismo is universally known as the definitive racing sim with none other even coming close to achieving what it has.

Soon, (February) the next installment in the venerable series will be available in Japan and will hit the west in summer. Expect Sony to sell a plethora of PS3s when the game hits, but as for now the studio’s been hit with the number 4 spot on our list.

3. Naughty Dog:

Naughty Dog, what can we say? They’ve done more for gaming in terms of taking gameplay, narrative and storytelling to another level than any other developer; and for that we clap our hands thunderously for them.

Naughty Dog is team that has been around for over 23 years. It’s the studio behind classics like Crash Bandicoot 1, 2, and 3 which went on to sell over 23 million copies combined, that’s a million for every year they’ve existed. But that’s not all, if you’re not familiar with the Jak and Daxter franchise, then you have not been gaming very long, indeed you are a newcomer if you haven’t experienced the dynamic duo take down evil forces over and over again, and now rumors are running rampant about a new iteration for the PS3.

The company said that with every new console, they develop a new IP, that’s why Crash Bandicoot was on the original Playstation, Jak and Daxter on the PS2 and now, the Uncharted franchise on the PS3. Naughty Dog has caused developers from across the board to reassess how they create their titles, and to compel such change, your creation must be one that’s game changing. And that’s exactly what they’ve done with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and we’ve done our part by placing them at the number 3 spot on our list.

2. Square-Enix:

The venerable company opened its doors 1975 and have undeniably made a name for themselves globally. You just can’t deny the power of this company, developing games for all platforms they’re now one of the most important players in the industry. You undeniably know Square-Enix for its biggest name Final Fantasy, but it would be injustice to box the developer/publisher into a “Final Fantasy box” because that’s the name that most people know.

Kingdom Hearts, Nier, Order of War, The Last Remnant, Star Ocean: The Last Hope and Supreme Commander 2 are just some of the awesome titles that are either already available or under development. On December 17th of last year, Final Fantasy XIII was released in Japan and in one day the game sold over million copies, a big accomplished when the PS3’s rather modest install base of just over 4 million is taken into consideration.

Now the anticipation is on, we in the west have to wait (albeit impatiently) till March to get our hands on it. Square-Enix deserves the number 2 spot more than any other studio we researched.

1. Drum roll please……… And the decade’s number 1 most outstanding development studio is……. Opens envelop, puts on glasses…….Kojima Productions! Cheers, cheers.

I can remember the moment like it was only this afternoon, I got the demo from a friend and for days I messed around with the other games totally ignoring Metal Gear Solid; I had no idea what it was so when there were no other games left to play, I delved full throttle into it, needless to say I never turned back.

And so have millions of gamers around the world. The Original Metal Gear Solid for PS1 was one of the games that help change the way we played back then and the ripple effects can be felt even today. Never before had such an experience created, never before had a title been so interactive, so addictive, so mature and although the game was somewhat short, it set the stage for what was to come; it was only the beginning.

Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes for Gamecube, Metal Gear Solid: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid: Subsistence, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid: Guns of The Patriots and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker for PSP which is set to hit store shelves soon, are just some of the games with the more wildly known Metal Gear Solid title but don’t think that’s all the reputable mastermind has in his repertoire, other titles include Zone of Enders and Lunar Knights.

Kojima Productions is the most sort after studios and Kojimasan himself is a legend in the industry. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the best selling game on the PS3 to date, a testament to the games popularity. Now Metal Gear Solid: Rising is coming, this time not only to PS3 but also for Xbox 360 and PC, hopefully it lands this year but whether it does or not, the gaming world should help us give praise to the studio that deserves it the most, let’s all stand and clap our hands uncontrollably for Kojima Productions.

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