Countdown to Develop 100: The Top Studios of 2006

As we approach the release of the 2015 Develop 100 later this year, we’ll be taking a trip down memory lane to explore the previous victors in our regular list of the world’s most successful studios.

The year is 2006.

Microsoft had kicked off a new generation of consoles with the Xbox 360. The Wii wasn’t far behind. The PS3 slipped into the following year. Nobody knew what an App Store was.

Develop’s ranking of the world’s most successful studios for 2006 – compiled with the help of Chart-Track and UKIE predecessor ESLPA – is unsurprisingly dominated by console developers, with mobile gaming far more limited before the advent of the smartphone.

The Top 100 includes some familiar names that are still with us today, as well as some sadly missed studios: a still-independent Pandemic Studios, Bizarre Creations, Neversoft, Raven Software, Ensemble Studios and more.

Take a look through the full list below, see where you favourite studios once stood, and keep your eyes peeled in November as Develop reveals this year’s list of the world’s Top 100 most successful games developers.

First published in 2005, The Develop 100 celebrates its tenth anniversary this year and returns to print for the first time since 2011, included with the upcoming December/January issue of Develop magazine.

It’s also an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of your studio (whether they are in the listing or not), your brand or service firm. The Develop 100 is a must-read publication read and kept by execs the world over. 

Don’t miss out on a chance to be a part of it: email Charlotte Nangle on cnangle@nbmedia.com or Jennie Lane on jlane@nbmedia.com or call them on 01992 535 647 to find out more.

The Develop 100: The World’s Most Successful Game Studios 2006

1. EA Canada
2. Pandemic Studios
3. Konami Corporation
4. Maxis
5. Nintendo
6. Ubisoft Montreal
7. Polyphony Digital
8. EA Redwood Shores
9. Traveller’s Tales
10. SCE London Studios
11. Rockstar North
12. Capcom
13. Ubisoft France
14. Namco
15. The Collective
16. Neversoft
17. Treyarch
18. Rockstar Leeds
19. Sonic Team
20. EA Los Angeles
21. Radical Entertainment
22. Yuke’s
23. Vicarious Visions
24. Criterion
25. EA Chertsey
26. Sports Interactive
27. Gearbox Software
28. Heavy Iron Studios
29. Amaze Entertainment
30. Konami Japan
31. Codemasters
32. HB Studios
33. Eurocom Entertainment
34. Game Freak
35. Genuine Games
36. Luxoflux
37. Swordfish Studios
38. Creative Assembly
39. Digital Illusions (DICE)
40. Infinity Ward
41. Konami Tokyo
42. Juice Games
43. Relentless Studios
44. Rockstar Toronto
45. Rockstar San Diego
46. Blizzard Entertainment
47. Microsoft
48. Rare
49. Ensemble Studios
50. Toys for Bob
51. Frontier Developments
52. Valve
53. Free Radical Design
54. Lionhead studios
55. A2M
56. Shiny Entertainment
57. Gusto Games
58. Sega Studios USA
59. Midway
60. Raven Software
61. High Voltage
62. 7 Studios
63. Obsidian Entertainment
64. Blade Interactive Studios
65. SCE Studio Liverpool
66. Altron
67. Pivotal Games
68. Insomniac Games
69. Sumo Digital
70. Firaxis
71. Monolith Productions
72. Beautiful Game Studios
73. Bizarre Creations
74. EA Chicago
75. Bungie
76. Spark Unlimited
77. Climax Studios
78. Digital Eclipse
79. LucasArts
80. Dimps
81. EA Tiburon
82. Red Storm
83. Team17
84. Salvage Entertainment
85. Relic
86. Volition
87. Helixe
88. Shaba
89. ArenaNet
90. Guerilla Games
91. Clap Hanz
92. SCE Studios Santa Monica
93. Omega Force
94. BioWare
95. BigBig Studios
96. Zoo
97. Aqua Pacific
98. Kuju Entertainment
99. Magic Pockets
100. Hudson