Obsidian Entertainment - Top 10 Developers @ Gamasutra

Gamasutra has kicked up their Top 10 developers for 2012, based on the criteria "these are the developers and studios that left their mark on 2012 — the ones that the industry will be watching in the years ahead", rather than shipped games or sales volume. Obsidian made the cut:

If Double Fine paved the dusty road between game players and game developers, it was Obsidian that turned it into a two-way street.

Double Fine proved that crowdfunding game development is viable, but it was Obsidian that made its fans feel like they were part of the team. Through constant updates, fan forums, and a constant back and forth feedback loop, the team's "Project Eternity" feels like a crowd-developed game.
More importantly, Obsidian represents a developer quickly adapting and thriving in what is a rapidly changing game development world. The studio had been struggling with bad deals and draining triple-A work, but thanks to crowdfunding, it may have reinvented itself while playing to its core strengths.

If the studio is able to sustain with Project Eternity, and even have a follow-up developed in a similar way, it will have proven that a decently-sized studio can survive and thrive by independently making the games it wants to make, for fans that want to play them.

More information.

I've never heard of half these games. Oh well…

Originally Posted by rjshae
I've never heard of half these games. Oh well…

You are not the only one.

Digital Novels? A Bust a Move clone? A tablet CCG? LOL

Originally Posted by darkling
Digital Novels? A Bust a Move clone? A tablet CCG? LOL

Well there a site for sophisticated developers only. There a bastion for developers with unbiased articles. Excuse while I laugh.

Originally Posted by darkling
Digital Novels? A Bust a Move clone? A tablet CCG? LOL

Games you're not interested in. Fine. Just be aware that there's someone out there rightly laughing at your obsessions with low fantasy without guns and the other pet peeves of the notoriously petty RPG audience.

I like my low fantasy with guns, thank you very much!

And perhaps I shouldn't have lumped in a digital novel, which would take writing skill, and a tablet CCG, which might take game design skill, with a Bust-a-Move clone so I'll restate my incredulousness:

A BUST-A-MOVE CLONE?!?!

That's all.

It's good that they're not putting them in the list because of a bust-a-move game but because of their business strategy moves then.

Honestly, you're free to enjoy what you want, but the dismissive attitude was uncalled for, especially when it's clear that you gave the list a mere glance.

Actually the Analogue visual novel approach sounds kind of intriguing. If it opens up the gaming experience for a new audience, then I'd have to say that's a good thing.