Game companies you avoid

[Aussie2B]

I don't really avoid any publisher since I know even a crappy company can get the rights to publish a good game. Granted, some publishers muck up the localizations of games, but if I want to play said game, it's not like I have many options. It's either put up with a shoddy localization or import.

In terms of developers, I tend to avoid Western developers in general. They just don't often make the kinds of games that appeal to me. I grew up with NES, so I like platformers, Japanese-style RPGs, Zelda-style adventure games, shmups, arcade-style racing, etc. Western developers seem more interested in making FPSs, sandbox games, realistic racing, realistic sports, and so on. I'm always happy to give a Western game a try and have discovered plenty of gems, but in the end my gaming is still probably around 90-95% Japanese.

[Dr. Dib]

Nearly anything associated with Disney, so that would include Buena Vista Games. It's more of a personal thing against Disney for some reason that I could never shake-off my personality. I think it started with SatAM possibly being held back from DVD release by Disney and it escalated from there....

Though Kingdom Hearts has slipped into my collection...

[skaar]

I used to have a huge hate on for Eidos, but I realized after a few years that I miss some good titles if I blanket hate a company. I think there are more companies that would make me second guess a choice of title than any I would specifically avoid.

[The 1 2 P]

3D Realms for talking about games instead of putting them out. And most of EA's games with the exception of the Burnout series. And ditto for Activision with the exception of the Modern Warfare series.

[colicub]

Phoenix Games.

Even though I really want to get a copy of Animal Soccer World.

[tpugmire]

I don't really avoid any companies for console games, but I absolutely refuse to buy any Sony PC games. After the never ending series of fuck-ups that they made to Star Wars Galaxies, I have absolutely no use for them.

[MASTERWEEDO]

Wisdom Tree

[swlovinist]

Southpeak Entertainment for two words...

Two Worlds

[Famidrive-16]

valve

lol southpeak, didnt know those guys were still around

[mezrabad]

Hey OP, great idea for a thread. It really made me think about whether or not I consciously avoid buying games from a particular company, and if not what -do- I avoid buying?

No particular company comes to mind. However as far as types of games I avoid:

Any mainstream sports title pretty much doesn't exist to me. I don't even notice it on the shelves. Baseball, Hockey, American Football, Football (aka Soccer), Basketball, Olympics stuff, and most Xtreme sports appear to me as just a jumbled mess of pictures and images, providing me with no real data input.

"Games for girls" games that go out of their way to look pink, frilly and aimed at my daughter are games I've learned to avoid like the plague. I actually got a couple for my daughter once and they were really poor games. Lesson learned. She now only plays games that are fairly gender neutral but age appropriate (she's 8): Pikmin, Animal Crossing, anything Mario, Little Big Planet and others.

Licensed Crap: Any game based on a movie made to coincide with the release of same movie. Yes, there have been exceptions to this rule, Spiderman 2 being the most notable (for consoles, not for PC) but for the most part, it has to really force its way on to my radar via word of mouth for me to be even interested about thinking about considering purchasing it.

Board Games turned Videogames: Learned my lesson with Family Fun night. There's just no point in playing Sorry! on my TV when we can play it on the Dining Room table.

Xbox Live Arcade: I have bought some, Puzzle Quest and Portal come to mind, but if for some reason my internet is down, Portal -will not play- as the full game. That's not a model of purchase I want to encourage..

[Robocop2]

Avoid certain companies? No, I honestly pay very little attention to who made the game as long as it looks interesting.

Avoid certain genres? Absolutely

[Jehusephat]

I unconsciously avoid EA games... probably because they're mostly sports games, and I can't be bothered to play a simulation of something that I can't stand in real life.