Best game dev. studios

[MadMummy76]

I previously asked you who are the most incompetent developers, now I ask: who do you think are the best (most competent) game development studios?

I don't mean the ones who created your absolute favourite games, I mean those who create technically flawless games, that run perfectly, always have stable frame rates, never do anything unexpected. And just feel "right".

I can't really describe what that "right" is. It's the feeling you get with games like Half Life. It's the small things like the audible and visual feedback the game gives, the consistency, etc.

My first choice has to be Remedy Entertainment. Going back all the way to their first game "Death Rally" I remember it as perfectly polished. Probably the most consistent studio in this regard, since I don't think they ever made a game that wasn't well put together.

Digital Illusions used to be like that also. Their early games were some of the most polished games back in the day including but not limited to their pinball series, Motorhead, All the way up to Rallisport Challenge, which is the last game of theirs I actually remember as being perfect. Of course after that I haven't played most their games, but the ones I did, I was not impressed with.

I also have to mention Valve, even if they stopped making games, when they did they were well done.

Who else?

[ethansito]

I don't really pay attention to game developers. I just play the games, lol.

I only notice when there is outrage.

[kalin]

Can we nominate our own studio, or is that cheating? <shill>http://www.funktroniclabs.com/</shill>

But seriously, I'd probably have to give it to Klei for having super amazing games despite being so completely different per game. There's a lot of devs doing a series and getting very good at it, but klei nails it every time with a completely new genre and style. Second place might have to go to hollow knight team cherry for doing such amazing work with a pretty small team.

[FulleMetalAlien]

IO Interactive, CD Project red and 4A games are some of my favorite developers. All their titles have been fun and replayable. Would put ID software in there too somewhere, they always make something worthwhile.

[TelperionST]

I don't think studio that have only released a few games belong in such a topic, however the Banner Saga was pretty amazing(would be godly, but part 3 feels rushed, to the point, that it doesn't take into account of pas events, especially when it comes to the ending).

I get that. I would have wanted to give the third spot to Blizzard for releasing some of the most robust and iconic games ever made. Everyone knows StarCraft II. I have also heard of this thing called World of Warcraft, and I hear that even today it's pretty darn popular. All three games in the Diablo-series are exceptionally well-made with a polish that's hard to find anywhere else. However, because of the last couple years, I can't in good conscience nominate Blizzard. There are also a lot of studios that I really liked, but don't exist anymore. That leaves a lot of Indie studios that haven't published many games.

[Dub-Z]

SFV's business model is a mess but it's an incredibly well playing competitive game that still demolishes everything else in the current FGC scene today, on a technical level.

[Dub-Z]

I enjoyed Tembo the Badass Elephant from them a couple years ago.

[Merlin]

Game Freak. I think as a developer they are underrated. They almost exclusively make pokemon, but even the odd out game they make like pocket jokey or that old SNES game I forget the name of(something like spark man) are well made. With pokemon they are so consistent that you can map out the release cycle of games in the past and essentially know exactly when a new game will come out. You always know what to expect, and the changes made are iterative, small, but positive(usually). Their games are wholesome and accessible to everyone while still keeping fans coming back.

[Zoltor]

I personally love your statement about Crapcom. They're doing better these days compared to what? SF 5 lol Crapcom has been botching every game they released since the "original release" of Okami if I haven't missed anything. One way or another, they screwed up the release of every game since then.

I wouldn't list id as a stand out company for such a topic, but ingeneral yea, they've been pretty good lately, probally the best western so called AAA studio these days(lol not like they have much competition).

[Lehran]

Konami was my favorite before the board of directors were secretly replaced with goat demons and lizard people.

It terms of current developers it's mostly just whoever annoys me the least now.

I hear nothing but good things about CD Projekt Red, but I can't get into the Witcher games without playing them in order and the first ones combat gives me cancer.
Capcom seems to be doing better these days, so I treat them like a lunatic who took their medication today and enjoy what I can get while staying out of stabbing range
id Software has been really good consistently, but I'm cautious of anyone with Bethesda ties now.
First party Nintendo devs have been my happy place for the last few years a bad Nintendo game is rather uncommon and you can normally see it coming a mile away.

[Dub-Z]

Housemarque. Their tech, polish and design consideration blows my mind in stuff like Resogun and Nex Machina. Their rate of output was pretty impressive as well. Alas, they seem to be moving away from their forte and into battle royal to survive.

Avalanche is pretty good. Haven't seen that one mentioned yet. Their Mad Max release was the first time I remember seeing people almost effortlessly hitting 120+ frame rates on PC, and that it's still their own engine at work on Rage 2 (not I'd Tech) blows my mind.

Naughty Dog is kind of outta control when it comes to their tech, tricks and art direction.

Capcom is getting pretty great again with anything on the RE Engine, but I don't know who the specific teams at play are.

IOI Interactive's work is pretty spiffy if you take a look at last year's Hitman 2.

[Dub-Z]

Hard to deny Rockstar's polish and finesse.

[Dub-Z]

Huge fan of Klei as well. Their output is extremely polished and well considered.

[SckizoBoy]

I mean, Titanfall Has always been my shit. Respawn does things well. They're a very competent team. Unlike Activision. ~Cough cough~

Eh... Respawn are a studio, Activision are a publisher (of similar BS level as EA, but w/e). Depends which part of Activision we're talking about. Like many, I used to think Activision were good (back during the early Infinity Ward CoD days and when they were CA's publisher), but since about 2007-8 I haven't given a toss about pretty much anything Activision publishes or their subsidiaries develop. Hell, I didn't even realise they became Activision Blizzard until well after 2010! -_- Still, not very competent... no, indeed! Latest shocker... not much of a surprise, unfortunately.

[R.U.S.E]

Did I really never respond to this? Well let's fix that :P

My favorite game studio has got to be From Software for no reason other the the Armored Core series.

Other then that SEGA.