What we're here for...

Making a game can be an extremely complex and time-consuming process. In order to achieve a high standard title with next-gen game play a wide range of expertise is needed. Within this blog, Stimula © aims to help you understand a wide vareity of job roles within the gaming industry and also how the many different types of organisations that make our gameplay possible function... We hope to give you an insight into the range of diverse skills needed to make a hit, from programmers to artists!
02. 03. 06.

Publishers, Developers and Indie Developers

In the Gaming Industry there are many different types of organisations and companies that all aid in the production and distribution of games. You have Publishers, Developers and Distributors.

Publishers:
They specialise in the Publishing of Games for the public to see. An example of a Publishing House would be Capcom Eurosoft Ltd (now more popularly known as Capcom Europe), a branch of the worldwide leading Japanese Developer and Publisher of Videogames. It has headquarters in Osaka, California, Hong Kong and the UK, with studios in the UK and Hong Kong HQ. The company also has offices in Germany, England and Canada. and was founded in 1979 as Japan Capsule Computers by Kenzo Tsujimoto who to this day is the CEO of the company (Chief Executive Officer). [Please click here to see an example of the Executive Style Structure Capcom uses] It claims to be devoted to the manufacturing and distributing of ‘electronic game machines’... In 2008, Capcom was one of the fifty largest software companies in the world. The Company has employed around 1000 people. A successful example of a game Capcom have published would be Resident Evil 5 in 2009 (as seen on left.) Within the first 3 weeks of it's release date, the game had sold over 2 million copies worldwide and has become the best-selling game of the franchise in the United Kingdom. As of September 2009 the game had sold 5 million copies worldwide since it's launch date.

Developers:
In development studios a multitude of different people work together in order to physically create a video game, they may specialize in a certain console like the Xbox or for a specific company like Capcom as seen above. Other developers may work soley on RPG games of FPS (First Person Shooters). However some developers may focus on switching their product onto other game platforms/systems like from the Playstation 3 to the PC, or even into a different language. An example of a Development Studio would be EA Canada, Electronic Art's largest studio and employs just under 2000 people. EA Canada also boasts the world's largest testing operation in the gaming industry. Some successful games the studio has produced includes the popular Need for Speed series, and even the worldwide hit, The Sims 3.


Indie Developers:
In addition to big names like EA there are also many Independent Studios, which are usually smaller and more often than not like to focus more on innovative ideas that large developers may not produce. Independent Studios like to find a niche market and occasionally become very successful. Independent Studios aren't governed by any foreign power and don't like to be influenced by anyone or anything. An example of an 'Indie' Developer would be PopCap Games, based in Seattle - Washington. Despite being a small company with just under 200 employees, the company produces quite a large range of successful online games. The majority of their games are free however full versions are available for download for a small fee. PopCap also specialise their games on multiple platforms - the most popular being for the iPhone/iPod Touch, Xbox, PS3 and PC. Their well known game Bejeweled has sold more than 25 million units across all major platforms since it's release in 2001.
07. 08. 11.