Let’s face it, without developers; the 360 would just be nothing more that a sweet paperweight that you could watch DVDs on if you were so inclined. But being the technical powerhouse that it is as a system and having the library of games it does, I figured this week we should shine the light on the developers that make the top 1% of games possible. This list includes full developers (not Xbox exclusive), not independent title creators or even XBLA creators as those will come into focus further down the line. For now, sit back and remember who to thank the next time you forget how much fun you’ve been having for the past couple years since the Xbox 360 launch. If you disagree with our choices head on over to the official PlanetXbox360.com forums and let us know what your favorite Xbox 360 developers are, by clicking
here.
10. 2K Studios (Boston, Australia and Marin) - Formerly known as Irrational Games, their initial claim to fame in the latter half of the twentieth century would ultimately lay the groundwork for what many have called a masterpiece to the Xbox 360. System Shock 2 was touted as a PC title that with limitless choices and strong narrative, it could literally pull the player in and never let go. However amazing it was, it hadn’t been played by many gamers who owned a 360 and may have remained in obscurity if not for the perennial 2k hit, Bioshock. Not to insinuate that 2k owes all of their success to the underwater art deco masterwork as System Shock 2 and Tribes: Vengeance are both great titles in their own right. However, the next time you are charging down a Big Daddy remember that every piece an artist paints affects how their current canvas will look. With Bioshock 2 being pushed until Q1 of 2010, we can all hope the finishing touches with make it standout as much as its predecessor.
9. Bioware - After they made Jade Empire and Knights of the Old Republic on the original Xbox, it’s easy to see why Microsoft decided to keep Bioware around. Frankly, when it comes to role-playing titles that’ll immerse the player, you call Bioware. It doesn’t matter what universe you need created, Bioware will build a universe and make it compelling and large enough to get so lost in that you may never be found again. And can you really blame them with titles like Baldur’s Gate under belt? Mass Effect is the type of RPG that’ll swallow a gamer whole. I’m serious. I’ve had stories related to me of people picking up a 360 solely to play Mass Effect because it is a damn huge game and it’s only available on Xbox. Add in the mix of not only being sci-fi oriented but fun to boot and it doesn’t take that much of a stretch of imagination before you begin drooling at the mouth when presented with what Mass Effect 2 could be. Not that you couldn’t already waste a few more hours exploring the Mass Effect universe, of course.
8. Rockstar Games - Okay, so GTA IV wasn’t an exclusive, but the downloadable content available only to 360 owners sounds pretty special to me. As the original Xbox inched closer to the end of its lifecycle, owners were rewarded with a compilation of Grand Theft Auto titles that Playstation 2 owners had already seen comprised of GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas. However, Microsoft had a pretty good idea how to get GTA IV settled on the shelves of gamers owning an Xbox 360 and exclusive downloadable content was just the way to do it. $50 million dollars later and Rockstar set to shelling out two episodes of episodic content. The Lost and Damned followed by The Ballad of Gay Tony are both fresh takes on what players may have already seen in Liberty City and the expansion factor offers GTA IV further retail value over its Playstation 3 counterpart. While Rockstar is also responsible for the Midnight Club and Red Dead Revolver titles, it is the exclusivity of the content offered to 360 owners as a result of the business relationship with Microsoft that makes this developer stand out.
This feature list continues on the next page, please click below to continue.
