5 Wealthiest Gaming Studios of All Time

Video game studios are among some of the wealthiest companies in the whole world, with billions of dollars lathered over an entire galaxy of playable experiences and groundbreaking innovations. Like the year before this one, the industry retains its place as one of the highest-grossing forms of entertainment on the planet. And to be fair, this is only likely to blossom into an even grander empire as the years course by.

It's a common curiosity, wanting to know which video game developers accumulate the most money from their games. But to be fair, it isn't that much of a surprise, either. If, however, you're keen to know who pulls in the lion's share of the yearly funds from their award-winning masterpieces, then look no further. Here are, from what we've gathered, the five wealthiest video game studios of all time.

5. Activision Blizzard

Activision Blizzard, formerly known as two separate developers, Activision, and Blizzard, came to fruition in 2008. Since merging into one of the biggest video game companies in the world, the double-barrelled studio and its countless subsidiaries have amassed a whopping $4.85 billion in wealth. This, of course, comes loaded with a nexus of best-selling franchises and standalone exclusives. Collectively, the team has cemented its place as the fifth highest-earning video game company in the world.

Granted, it isn't possible to ignore one's wealth when it boasts a library of quite literally thousands of first-class games that span every genre in the book. Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Guitar Hero, Diablo, and Starcraft, to name but a few, have helped to shape the studio's legacy, with more projects fleshing out its curriculum even today. Combined with its Treyarch and Infinity Ward subsidiaries, it's easy to see why so many flock to Activision Blizzard to get their gaming fix on a daily basis.

4. Sega

Sega is one of the most loved video game companies on the planet, with contributions to the format that stretch way back to 1966. In its primitive years, it was easy to get absorbed by the toys, arcade cabinets, and jukeboxes that the company poured out. Years later, anyone would recognize the team for its award-winning video game franchises such as Sonic, Total War, and Yakuza. Meshed together, the company accrued just over $4.9 billion in wealth, marking its place as the fourth richest pawn on the board.

Of course, Sega's breadth of knowledge goes much deeper than video games, as we previously mentioned. Prior to becoming engulfed by the gaming industry, the Japanese-based company was known for its importation of coin-based machinery and other types of entertainment. Through the formation of its multi-tiered monopoly, Sega has now become one of the leading stakeholders on the market.

3. Nintendo

Given Nintendo's incredibly wealthy selection of handheld consoles and video games, it's easy to see why it would secure such a place on this list. Also, seeing as both the Nintendo Wii and the Nintendo DS are two of the best-selling consoles of all time, it's difficult to picture the company as making anything less than a few billion dollars for its efforts.

Nintendo, being the jack-of-all-trades of the gaming universe, has amassed just shy of $6.3 billion in its time on the nexus, thereby making it the third highest-earning gaming companies on the map. As time goes on, this will more than likely ascend to the apex, though it all boils down to whether or not the firm will capitalize on home consoles that compete with Xbox and PlayStation. As it stands, Nintendo is the kingpin of handhelds, but that's about as far as it goes, meaning there's definitely unchartered territory left to explore.

2. Microsoft Studios

It makes sense, seeing Microsoft Studios meandering about with a $12.82 billion chain on its coattail, what with the parent company having not only its own gaming division, but a stake in Steam's flourishing kingdom. And that's just a couple of things that Microsoft holds dear, with a plethora of other worlds contributing towards its overall wealth and status.

Microsoft Studios holds its residency on the frontline thanks to best-selling franchises such as Gears of War, Halo, and Forza. Oh, and not to mention its association with Minecraft, the biggest and most popular video game in existence. And even without these colossal sagas there to bolster its reputation, Microsoft Studios would still employ enough content to solidify its place as one of the wealthiest companies in the network.

1. Song Interactive Entertainment

Pulling ahead by just a smidgen is, of course, Sony Interactive Entertainment, a globally recognized firm that is and always will be known for its award-winning PlayStation brand. With a solid $13.4 billion in its chest, the blue and white giant takes the lead as the wealthiest video game empire in all the land.

PlayStation is arguably known for all its first-party exclusives that line its shelves. To put it short, that's God of War, Uncharted, Horizon, and hundreds of other best-selling sagas that have shared their influences across multiple generations. Combined with the subscription-based platform, PlayStation Plus, Sony Interactive Entertainment accumulates one of the heftiest scores in the industry.

So, what's your take? Are you at all surprised by the top five wealthiest studios? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.