13 NYC Gaming Companies Taking It to the Next Level
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 13 NYC gaming companies make it hard to believe “Pong” was once revolutionary.
Top Gaming Companies in NYC
- Riot Games
- Rockstar Games
- Jackpocket
- Dots
- Zynga
- Defiant Studios
- Avalanche Studios
What they do: 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.
Popular games: Powerball, Mega Millions
Founded: 2013
What they do: 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.
Popular games: "Dots," "Two Dots"
Founded: 2013
What they do: Defiant Studios is focused on creating storytelling experiences on PC, console and virtual/augmented reality platforms for a global audience.
Popular games: Stay tuned...
Founded: 2016
What they do: 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.
Popular games: "Farmville," "Words With Friends"
Founded: 2007
What they do: 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.
Popular games: "League of Legends"
Founded: 2006
What they do: 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.
Popular games: "Grand Theft Auto" series
Founded: 1998
What they do: 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.
Popular games: "Just Cause" series, "Mad Max"
Founded: 2003
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.
Popular games: "Blade Ballet"
Founded: 2014
What they do: 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.
Popular games: "Half the Sky Movement"
Founded: 2004
What they do: 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.
Popular games: "Herotopia"
Founded: 2010
What they do: 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.
Popular games: "1979 Revolution: Black Friday"
Founded: 2006
What they do: Dually located in both Halifax, Canada and Soho, Longtail Studios develops a variety of interactive games for mainstream audiences ranging from "Grey’s Anatomy" and "Imagine: Sweet 16" to "Gundead Defense" and "Motionsports: Adrenaline." The company's titles can be found on a variety of platforms, including Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo Wii and DS.
Popular games: "Rocksmith"
Founded: 2004
What they do: 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.
Popular games: "Body Mind Change," "Breaking Bad: The Interrogation" and "Science Game Lab"
Founded: 2009
