When I was a kid, I used to daydream for hours of what my own video game would look like. Since there were no smart phone or tablets and computers still used dial-up, I had plenty of time. Now that I’m older and write about the industry, I’ve learned about many many genres, developers, and publishers beyond The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time by Nintendo. Let’s play out this fantasy. If you created your own game, which dev team and publisher would best make your dream come true?
My knee-jerk reaction would be someone like Naughty Dog or Sucker Punch. With their successes with Uncharted, The Last of Us (Part 1 and 2), and Ghost of Tsushima, I would love for them to execute a gorgeous world with a heart-wrenching narrative for me.
However, on the flip side, I am a huge supporter of smaller (“indie”) developers and publishers. They tend to think outside the box and have creative ideas that break the mold. Outside of Nintendo, I religiously play games by Annapurna Interactive and Devolver Digital.
Devolver Digital creates a lot of edgy hits like Cult of the Lamb, Card Shark, Inscryption, Death’s Door, Gris, and Katana Zero. Each have a unique premise and memorable art style. I can envision them creating a spunky protagonist in a challenging platformer with a unique weapon for my game–perhaps not a gun umbrella, because, well, that’s taken (thanks, Gunbrella).
Image Credit: Devolver Digital
Annapurna Interactive can handle both simple and complex storytelling in a vivid art-style as well. They made a splash with walking sims before the genre gained popularity with Gone Home and followed up with What Remains of Edith Finch. They published the phenomenon that was Journey. If I were to create a walking sim or a visual novel, I’d go with AI. Besides, they put out Stray. They have my 100% vote in confidence.
Image Credit: Annapurna Interactive
I want to bring up one more–the Bloober Team. The irony here is that I have a HUGE chicken and am terrified of the horror genre. However, they were the ones that won me over with The Medium. The psychological manipulation they pulled off was impressive, and they are now on my radar. They are also tasked with the Silent Hill 2 remake, which is a massive undertaking to appease a starved fan base. If I had to make a horror game, I’d go the psychological route and trust the Bloober Team.
Image Credit: Bloober Team
What developers and publishers would be your dream team and why? Please share your thoughts with us on our Boss Rush Facebook Group or our Boss Rush Discord.
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The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship podcast of Boss Rush Media and The Boss Rush Network. Each week, Corey, LeRon, Stephanie, Edward, and their friends from around the internet come together to talk their week in games, entertainment, and more while also bringing topics for conversation, answer listener and community questions, and cover major news and events happening in the video game industry. Watch The Boss Rush Podcast live on Wednesday Nights on Twitch at 8:30PM ET / 5:30PM PT or on Friday mornings at 7AM ET on YouTube and podcast services everywhere. Thanks for listening! You can also get this episode one week early on Patreon.
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