Whether you’re a serious MMORPGer, a casual Call of Duty enthusiast or a dabbler in mobile Tetris, you probably have some sort of relationship with games. Major advancements in the medium has made gaming a pillar of the pop culture zeitgeist. With unbelievable graphics and new technologies like virtual reality, these 12 NYC gaming companies make it hard to believe “Pong” was once revolutionary.
Top Gaming Companies in NYC
- Riot Games
- Rockstar Games
- Jackpocket
- Dots
- Zynga
- Avalanche Studios
Entertainment and media conglomerate Warner Bros. Discovery operates media brands, channels and products, including CNN, HBO, the Food Network, New Line Cinema and Turner Classic Movies. Warner Bros. Games employs a team of engineers in its development studio that creates hugely popular game franchises like Mortal Kombat, Suicide Squad and Harry Potter.
Take-Two Interactive describes itself as “a leading developer, publisher and marketer of interactive entertainment.” It’s the parent company responsible for game development labels that produce well-loved titles including NBA 2K, FarmVille and Grand Theft Auto. Their games are designed to be played on PC and mobile devices, as well as console systems such Xbox and PlayStation.
Jackpocket is an app dedicated to helping more people play the lottery. Players never have to worry about losing their tickets or missing out on the big jackpot because the app allows users to play popular games like Mega Millions and Powerball.
Dots specializes in mobile games and boasts more than 100 million downloads of their various “dot”-themed games. Using minimalist art as an inspiration, their feature game Dots was created to be a calming interactive experience that could still attract competitive players with its addictive simplicity.
Zynga is an online and mobile gaming company well known for its social games, which have been played by over 1 billion people worldwide. Founded in San Francisco, Zynga has since expanded its offices to New York and other locations around the world.
Riot Games is a player experience-focused gaming company headquartered in Los Angeles. With offices around the world, New York is home to their broadcasting team of producers, writers and editors, who keep Riot connected to the world of eSports.
Founded nearly twenty years ago, Rockstar is an established video game development and publishing companies. The company's popular portfolio of titles includes Max Payne, Red Dead Redemption the Grand Theft Auto series, which has shipped some 150 million copies.
Avalanche Studios is a Stockholm-based video game company that straddles the Atlantic, keeping a second home in the heart of Soho. Avalanche creates open world games in which players are in control of where they go and what they do.
DreamSail develops games that aim to usher players along an avenue of self-discovery through a series of challenges. In addition to their console games, the company is working on a feature virtual reality title for the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
Games for Change creates social impact games around issues ranging from climate change and recycling to civics and conflict. The company also helps advise and incubate the development of titles that promote education and humanitarian efforts.
Herotainment develops multi-platform games for children. The company's signature title, Herotopia, is an entertaining virtual world that educates children about respecting other cultures and how to deal with bullying. The award-winning game is also being developed into additional mobile games, toys, music and books.
iNK Stories creates immersive storylines across multiple mediums. Ranging from graphic novels, documentaries, virtual reality or their own original video games, the company’s work has been used by prominent organizations including the MLB, Google, Paramount Pictures, ESPN and 20th Century Fox.
Playmatics’ multi-platform games include augmented reality, education, government, health, museums, real world and transmedia. Headquartered in Dumbo at the Made in New York Media Center, the team at Playmatics believes in creating games with a balance of storytelling and practical thinking.
