It's a fact that if you want to stand out in a thriving creative industry, you need a memorable name. But sometimes game companies go so far with the quirk that their names become meaningless, ambiguous, or just plain weird. Inspired by this age-old fact (and partly bythis photo), we got thinking about the devs and publishers whose names imply a very differenttypes of business from what they actually are. And we thought of quite a few.
What's that? You want to know what we came up with? Oh, okay then, this. This is what we came up with. Sorry, but you did ask...
Monolith Productions
Really are:The makers ofthe rather excellent F.E.A.R. series.
But could also be :A manufacturer ofgarden ornaments for druids and hippie-types.
Climax Entertainment
Really are:A Japanese studio, most famous for the classic Shining Force RPG series.
But could also be:A porn label. This one's also applicable to publisher Koch Media, depending on how you choose to pronounce the company's name.
Banpresto
Really are:A long-standing Japanese dev, now asubsidiary of Namco Bandai Games.
But could also be: A hardline disciplinary board for magicians.
Activision
Really are:The mega-sizeable publisher of the Call of Duty and Guitar Hero franchises.
But could also be: A series of keep-fit videos.
Infinity Ward
Really are: The currently-troubled developer of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series.
But could also be: A building contractor specialising in really big hospitals.
Other ones we thought of
Platinum Games: Manufacturers of really expensive, high-classboard games made entirely out of precious metals.
Valve Corporation: A plumbing supplies outfit.
Llamasoft: A plush toy manufacturer, supplying exclusivelyto zoo and safari park gift shops.
Naughty Dog: A pet discipline school.
Core design: A freelance engineering team specialising in the building of nuclear power plants.
Splash Damage: An outsourcing supply service for beaches and swimming pools in need of life guards, due to accident or injury.
So that's our thoroughly silly morning's work. But what about your ideas? Are there any devs, publishers, or hell, even individuals in the games industry whose names you think imply a whole different sideline? Be asridiculous and obscure as you want (hey, we're leading by example here), let us know about them in the comments or via our portals onFacebookandTwitter, and if we get enough ideas, we might run a follow-up feature.
