To make (and then sell) a video game it takes several different companies, each of which is responsible for a certain part/aspect in its creation cycle. Each of these has an influence on how the game will look and what it will contain.
Developers
They are the production studios which create new or develop existing game titles. Developers are either:
- independent 'indie'(e.g. Utopian World of Sandwiches),
- owned by publishers (e.g. Naughty Dog owned by Sony),
- a part of publisher groups (e.g. Electronic Arts)
and they form teams varying from just a handful of people (e.g. developers of The Witcher franchise or other Indie developers) to over a hundred of employees divided into sectors (spread across country or even world) specialised in making different aspects of a game.
They make game based on a publisher's request or in case of Indie developers they make games based on their own vision. Smaller development teams tend to produce games on a PC platform first, because it's more universal and not own by Console Manufacturers.
Publishers
Companies which are responsible for promoting, marketing, distributing and/or financing game titles and franchises. They influence what is in a game and some do own their groups of developers. Publishers which own a game platform are called First Party Publishers.
Publishers decide what games are made. Jobs they provide are for example, commisioning, finance management, marketing and market research.
Console Manufacturers/First Party Publishers
First party Publishers are the companies which make hardware (game consoles). The most notable companies are:
- Sony (PlayStation4 and older),
- Microsoft (Xbox One and older),
- Nintendo (3DS, Wii U and older).
Some of the less notable, for either fairly new or old but stopped being a company, are respectively:
- Ouya,
- Sega (Dreamcast).
They are so called gatekeepers - they decide what games will be developed and released on a specific platform. They also own development companies, or provide a financial support for them, and control their production process. Each of these companies do have game titles exclusive on their gaming console, e.g. Nintendo - Super Mario franchise; Xbox - Halo franchise.
Distribution and Retail
Distribution and retail have a huge influence on the types of games which are made. They work both in a physical and digital way.
Physical
Distributors sell and deliver games from warehouse to the retailer. Through the negotiation with publisher and distributors, retailers find a shelf space for games and organise sale promotions.
Digital
Games are being more often distributed electronically, via internet through console manufacturers and sites (e.g. Steam). This way is cheaper as it doesn't include the additional costs of duplication, packaging, warehousing, transport and retail space. Another advantage is that updates and additional content can be added more easily.
Nowadays the mobile and tablet platforms (Apple, Sony - Android and Microsoft - Windows) are popular as the gaming platforms, so companies are becoming important in a way in which games are being distributed.
Outsourcing Companies
They provide art, animations, design, graphics, physic engines, programming, audio/sound design etc. to developers and publishers. Outsourcing companies themselves are not a part of development teams, hence the name 'outsource'.
They tend to share their work for free or for small money, this way is cheaper and faster (for developers) to obtain assets for a game. Outsourcing Companies are also responsible for making the various merchandise for game titles.
Press and Media
Journalistic groups and people specialising in making reviews and analysing titles. These are shared on magazines, websites and television. Like for any other industry, press and media affect whether the game becomes successful or not.
Some internet journalist websites include:
- IGN
- Kotaku
- Games Radar
- GameSpot
- Metacritic
- Escapist
Whereas some of the game magazines are:
- PlayStation Official Magazine
- Xbox: The Official Magazine
- PC Gamer
- EDGE