what is your favorite software developer?

[Hiphophippo]

I'm just not into the kind of games they produce, but I've wished for a while now that other companies would take a note from Stardock's playbook.

So you like what Stardock does except you don't like what they do?

Given the context I thought it was pretty obvious I was talking about not being into their games, but liking their business strategies and stances on DRM.

 

[angelous_lecter]

In order of appreciation...

ID - Quake
Sony Santa Monica. - GOW 1, 2, 3.
Valve - HL & L4D
Ubisoft - POP Genre, AssCreed, Rainbow's
&
SNK Playmore

 

[Lerxst]

I'm going for the classics here (and it's hard to tell the difference between publishers and developers a lot of times for some of these older games)

MicroProse - Civilization series
Firaxis games - the continuation of MicroProse in a way
Hasbro - "Tycoon" series
Accolade - Star Control series + plethora of other 16 bit titles back in "my day"

 

[Quantum Joker]

My favourite game companies would be Cyan and Blizzard.
I grew up on Cyan's Myst series, and both of these companies are among the few developers loyal to Mac gamers. Moreover, Starcraft is one of my favourite video games.

 

[JuryNelson]

I'm just not into the kind of games they produce, but I've wished for a while now that other companies would take a note from Stardock's playbook.

So you like what Stardock does except you don't like what they do?

Given the context I thought it was pretty obvious I was talking about not being into their games, but liking their business strategies and stances on DRM.

Well, right, but they are able to have those business strategies because of the kinds of games they make. So if you like your games big budget and your business practices indie, you're sort of fucked.

I guess what I'm saying is that if more companies took a note from Stardock's playbook, you may get fewer of the kinds of games you enjoy. Just something to think about, i guess.

 

[JuryNelson]

Silicon Knights. They gave the world Legacy of Kain. I do not care if they brought out Too Human, LoK more than makes up for anything they will ever do wrong in the future.

I didn't know they made LoK! They'll always have a page in my book for Eternal Darkness. Sometimes a clever gimmick really CAN carry a whole game.

 

[Serving UpSmiles]

Bungie bitches

 

[Hiphophippo]

I'm just not into the kind of games they produce, but I've wished for a while now that other companies would take a note from Stardock's playbook.

So you like what Stardock does except you don't like what they do?

Given the context I thought it was pretty obvious I was talking about not being into their games, but liking their business strategies and stances on DRM.

Well, right, but they are able to have those business strategies because of the kinds of games they make. So if you like your games big budget and your business practices indie, you're sort of fucked.

I guess what I'm saying is that if more companies took a note from Stardock's playbook, you may get fewer of the kinds of games you enjoy. Just something to think about, i guess.

Potentially true, but I'm not really a triple A, big budget kinda gamer. I just don't get into their type of strategy game.

 

[SimuLord]

Bethesda Game Studios, Paradox Interactive, and the old Maxis before EA Sims'd them to death...the good Maxis that did the old SimCity games.

 

[Slash Dementia]

Bioware and id Software - These are the only two developers that I've yet to play a game by and not enjoy.
I would add Bethesda to this, but their downgrade from Morrowind to Oblivion, and then Fallout 3 completely killed it for me. I hate Fallout 3, and Oblivion just gets boring after 10 or so minutes (unlike Morrowind).