Every industry has its giants. Smartphones have Apple and Samsung, social media has Facebook and Twitter, online video streaming has Netflix and Amazon and Google probably controls everything else. Well, almost everything. The gaming industry has its own giants (none of which are Google) and a thriving marketing is making them billions.
Ubisoft
Ubisoft started small ? an innovative project between five brothers in rural France. But it?s come a long way to be able to compete with more traditional gaming giants. Ubisoft is known for successfully producing sequels to capitalize on new games that resonate with the public. Think Assassin?s Creed. These games have certainly left their mark on the gaming industry, with unique styles and features that other studios try to recreate in their own title. Yes, with a net worth of $3.69 billion, Ubisoft has earned its place among the gaming giants.
Nintendo
Everybody knows the name Nintendo. It?s probably the oldest gaming entity on the marketing, having established itself as a playing card manufacturer in the late 19th Century. That?s right, about 140 years ago. In the course of Nintendo?s history, it?s been accredited with saving the entire gaming industry with the release of the original Super Mario Bros., introducing the world to an entirely new way of gaming with the Gamecube and Wii consoles and for letting us race against donkeys and turtles as an Italian plumber. Their innovations have paid off, building a company with a net worth of $20.11 billion.
King
One word. Candy Crush. Ok, so two words. But that?s all King has needed to accumulate a net worth of $5.69 billion. King was a relatively unknown gaming studio until the release of Candy Crush, and the addictive mobile title is still driving their profits today. There?s just no arguing with success.
Electronic Arts
EA has made a large portion of its wealth by dominating the world of sports games, with yearly releases of FIFA, NBA and NFL games that are all extremely successful among fans of each sport. EA is now worth $22.9 billion, and it?s reached this summit in part by making smart business moves. EA acquired DIC in Sweden to take over the Battlefield franchise and even partnered with Disney to distribute all Star Wars games ? and Star Wars gaming can be considered an entirely industry in-and-of itself.
Apple
No, no one likes gaming on a MAC. But Apple isn?t included here as a gaming producer. Rather, Apple has arguably created the world?s most important platforms for gaming: iPhones, iPads and the App Store. Apple is responsible for much of the success of the mobile gaming market and smartly takes a small fee for each transaction that happens through the App Store. That means all those in-app purchases in games like Candy Crush are feeding the Apple giant, a model that has helped the company accumulate a net worth of $526.82 billion.
Activision Blizzard
Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch? the list goes on. Though the name Activision Blizzard may not be as familiar to the common man as Nintendo, the games it produces are among the most iconic and well-known in the world. And they make a lot of money, bringing the company?s net worth to $29.23 billion.
2K
This gaming studio has produced several top-selling games itself, including several entries in the Civilization strategy series. But, it also owns Rockstar games. You know, the ones who make Grand Theft Auto. No big deal, just the highest-grossing game of all time. Add the Bioshock series and the Borderlands franchise under Gearbox Software to the picture and you can see why 2K is worth $3.22 billion.
Microsoft
Sure, Microsoft has made most of their money just selling PCs. After all, no one wants to game on a MAC. But Microsoft is also the investor of the Xbox, Playstation?s main competition in the console market. The system has been smartly developed over the years and features like Xbox Live have made the console one of the most preferred methods of gaming today, giving Microsoft a net worth of $402.06 billion.
Sony
Playstation. Each one seems to do better than the one that came before it. By establishing a solid base of support in fanatic opposition to the Xbox, Sony has established itself as a leading figure in the gaming industry, besides their excellent audio equipment and other electronics. The company maintains a net worth today of $37.45 billion.
Tencent
Tencent? Who?s Tencent? Only the company behind League of Legends. And Tencent doesn?t make its money by selling the League of Legends game itself, they?ve earned their $197.4 billion net worth with lots and lots of micro transactions in this highly popular game.
