No one has mentioned R*. I had to force myself through GTA4 but ended up enjoying it. Having played L.A. Noire and RDR I am really looking forward to #5. These are sprawling, ambitious games set in beautifully realized worlds. Decent QA too.
Bethesda are still my fav and I've had few of the problems I read about here. I'd put up with a lot more to get that feeling of being footloose and heavily armed they always give me. FYI Oblivion had a difficulty slider that could correct scaling issues on console. Just sayin.
Ubi have made huge strides with the AC series and I'm sure titles like Just Dance etc. more than make up for anything PoP did financially. I still wish Prince of Persia had gotten more of their attention.
EA has done better and I give them credit for supporting Dead Space but Bioware had already built the Mass Effect universe and Dragon Age was in PC first production years before the buyout. EA can't take credit for either while the direction away from rpg staples to more linear gameplay is their idea. This makes for easier storytelling, better visuals and presentation and helps with the bottom line but are they better? ME yes, DA no. Jmos.
