The video game industry can be a rewarding business to make money off of. The multi-billion-dollar industry requires businesses to work and improve their content each year. Not every company is guaranteed success in the industry. Out of 2 developers that see the light of success, there are perhaps 10 that don't see any form of success. This post aims to cover underrated video game companies that worked through adversity and still made great games. Though they weren't appreciated by the industry/fans, these companies soldiered on. Let’s start with the first underrated video game company Radical Entertainment.
Guerrilla Cambridge
Almost for three decades, Guerrilla Cambridge was one of the great gaming companies that could not get enough appreciation. In nineteen eighty-nine, the company established in the United States of America under the name of Millennium Interactive. After ten years, Sony bought the company and renamed it to become SCEE Cambridge Studio. The company began to grow from that time and developed more than 12 games in that period. One of the most famous games’ of the company was the Playstation one-hit MediEvil. In fourteen years, SCEE Cambridge Studio launched several games both for desktop computers and video consoles. Though they could not manage to stay relevant in the industry. So, in two thousand twelve, ownership of the company changed again, and the Dutch-based development company bought SCEE and made it Guerrilla Cambridge.
After that event, the company managed to produce high-quality games like Mercenary, Killzone, RIGS, though they could not stay or even reach the top tier level. Their Virtual Reality multiplayer games like Horizon Zero Dawn and RIGS were exciting and innovative, though; they could not reach to large audiences. That is why the Guerrilla Cambridge took second place on the list of underestimated video game companies.
Radical Entertainment
Radical Entertainment was founded in nineteen ninety-one in Vancouver, Canada. The specialization of the company is AAA game software and the development of indie video games. Studio games in the video game development industry did not get enough appreciation, and that was one of the reasons why many video game companies like Radical Entertainment was able to take over the hump. Radical Entertainment never got a chance to prove and realize top tier experiences. Many players would argue that their games are fun and generally speaking, they are very reliable. The company is one of the underestimated video game developers, but that does not mean that they did not offer high-quality games at a time. Quality licensed video games like The Incredible Hulk-Ultimate Destruction, The Simpsons- Hit and Run were very famous in the early twenties.
After they launched these games, Radical Entertainment worked on Prototype game series. These series are about open-world actions, and it was one of the highest-rated and sold games of the company to this day. The second part of the game series- Prototype two sold out in its first two months after Radical Entertainment launched it on two thousand six. After that game, the highly competitive industry of game development pushed the company towards downfall, and that was the last famous game that they launched during their twenty-year tenure. Radical Entertainment never got a chance to become the top ties video game company in spite of its rich content and exciting games.
Silicon Knights
Silicon Knights are a Canadian video game development company that is operating nineteen ninety-two. They were very successful in the nineteen nineties and early twenties, though the company never was able to cement its legacy as one of the top tier video game companies in the gaming industry. Silicon Knights were the partner of Microsoft Games Studios until two thousand five. During that time frame, the company managed to launch some exciting video games. The most famous work of Silicon Knights was Blood Omen-Legacy of Kain game. Starting from that game, they established the foundation of Legacy of Kain franchise that led the company to a partnership deal with Nintendo. They launched several games with Nintendo, such as Eternal Darkness-Sanity’s Requiem and Metal Gear Solid- The Twin Snakes. These cult game classics become famous, though only for a short period.
After partnership deals with both Nintendo and Microsoft Games expired, Silicon Knights slowly lost its relevance even though they were producing high-quality video games. After parting ways with those juggernauts, Silicon Knights start to develop video games independently. Their best trilogy series was the Too Human video game. It was for Xbox three hundred sixty. Marketing of the game was not held well; that is why, despite the quality of the game, Silicon Knights could not become popular.
Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment was one of the first video game companies in the late nineteen eighties. Experienced players argue that the company once was the biggest publisher in the business, though, poor sales’ rating of their games made them less famous. The company was a mid-tier video game developer that managed to launch games like Turok, Freestyle BMX, burnout, Dave Mirza, and many more games. Unfortunately, their unique approach to Freestyle bike riding games could not manage to get the attention that they deserved. That is one of the reasons why Acclaim Entertainment is one of the most underrated video game companies of all time.
Zipper Interactive
Zipper Interactive is another video game company that is on the list. The company founded in nineteen ninety-five and start working with Microsoft Games Studios. They launched the first game of the Zipper Interactive in two thousand, which was Crimsons Skies. The vampire-themed video game became famous for a short period. Their second game was MAG, which had more success than the previous one. Sony PlayStation two bought the rights for the MAG and SOCOM series from Zipper Interactive. Unfortunately, these games lasted only for two to three years because Sony launched its brand new PlayStation three console.
The games were not supporting PlayStation three, and that lead to the downfall of the company. Their short term success in the industry made them one of the most underestimated gaming franchises. Whether it is Crimsons Skies, or Redmond, SOCOM U.S. Navy, these games deserve more credit by both individuals and the gaming community. The reason for that was their interactive gameplay and high-quality game design.
Final Thoughts
Video games are one of the favorite activities that people from all over the world enjoy. There are several genres of them and endless supply for different video games. Video game companies try their best to produce the games that gamer audiences would love to play. Though not all of them ranked/rated relatively and some of the unfair criticism leads to the downfall of those companies.
Underrated video games are the ones that have high-quality graphics, unique themes, challenging levels, but despite these qualifications, the ones that cannot become famous or sell well. The concept of underrated video game companies is affected by players, game reviewers, critics, and the overall industry itself. Do you have a favorite video game? Do you think that the owner of that game is an underestimated company? If so, Why? You can share your thoughts and stay tuned for more interesting content.