I'm sorry, this list is an absolute mess. Quite a few pretentious choices as I would expect from Edge, really. They should have named it "Here's a list of some really good developers mixed in with developers who made good games in 2012 which means they are BEST EVER. Also, we forgot loads of studios lol".
I wouldn't put Valve at #1 myself, but I don't have a huge problem with it. Mojang at #2 though, seriously? Minecraft is an awesome game, helping to define a generation, sold loads etc. etc. I have no problem with that. Nintendo EAD have developed multiple games which are awesome, helped to define generations and sold loads.
In fact, there's multiple studios in this list that I think are just riding "current" hype rather than being among the best developers. Mojang, Arkane, Riot, ArenaNet, Rocksteady, Thatgamecompany, 343i, Telltale, Playdead etc. are all far, far too high on this list. Fucking Playdead? Seriously? That genuinely makes me angry.
Other thoughts:
- Media Molecule are too high. I love them to absolute pieces, but give them a chance to prove that they're more than just a LBP machine before putting them so high.
- Naughty Dog should be higher than Platinum Games. Rockstar North should be higher than both of them.
- Bioware, Bethseda, Kojima are far too low. Kojima especially. You can bet if it were 2013 and Ground Zeroes just released they'd be damn higher up this list.
- Sony Online Entertainment too low. As are Blizzard. Both of them have done so much more in MMO circles than Riot Games or ArenaNet, and both Blizzard & SOE have made fantastic offline games as well.
- Ninja Theory. I love Heavenly Sword, but no. Shouldn't be here, and certainly shouldn't be ahead of Santa Monica.
