Least Favorite Game Developer

I've had some of the best conversations/debates with friends over this topic.  Who is your least favorite game developer and why?
 
Edit:  I wish I could change the title of this post.  Instead of least favorite: Who is the developer (you genuinely like) that tends to make decisions that irk you more often than other developers you are into.  Sorry for the title.  So far, everyone seems to be giving genuine feedback rather than spewing hate, though! Thanks!
 
Note: Developer and Publisher are 2 different things ; )

Probably NIS.
 
I appreciate what they're doing for JRPG's, but their games are excessively grindy and the stories and characters they create are usually annoying.
 
I know that's the kind of thing some people like, but it just doesn't work for me.

Nintendo: I know this is an unpopular opinion, but having not grown up with a Nintendo system (I had a Playstation), I don't find anything Nintendo does to be appealing. Between endlessly iterating on tired old IP's and being decades behind with features now considered a staple (like online play), I have zero affection for Nintendo.
 
Square Enix: Much like Nintendo, nothing Square Enix does particularly excites me. Add that to the fact that Final Fantasy games haven't attempted to be the least bit accessible to anyone not already invested in the franchise and you have a deadly combination.

There are so many to choose from...
 
Right now, it's got to be Turn 10 Studios for completely butchering FM3 (search a bit to find my lengthy discourse on why I hate that game); for a while it was between Retro Studios and Nintendo Software Technology for putting out the Metroid Prime series, but with Hunters being the biggest stinker of all of them, IMO. Yes, I didn't like the Metroid Prime series, and no, I didn't bother playing 3 after 1 and 2.
 
There are a million worse ones, I'm sure. Those just stand out as reasonably celebrated developers that I really have issues with. So I must raise the flame shield. *raises flame shield*
 
EDIT: @President_Barackbar: I agree with your opinions on Nintendo's main division and SquEnix. Both are on their way down now.

" Probably NIS.  I appreciate what they're doing for JRPG's, but their games are excessively grindy and the stories and characters they create are usually annoying.  I know that's the kind of thing some people like, but it just doesn't work for me. "

This is kind of a dumb flamebait topic.  Nintendo, really?  They're your least favorite game developer?  
 
The only right answer to this question is a developer who makes shovel ware that none of us even play.

Bioware.

" This is kind of a dumb flamebait topic.  Nintendo, really?  They're your least favorite game developer?    The only right answer to this question is a developer who makes shovel ware that none of us even play. "

" This is kind of a dumb flamebait topic.  Nintendo, really?  They're your least favorite game developer?    The only right answer to this question is a developer who makes shovel ware that none of us even play. "

" @FancySoapsMan said:

" Probably NIS.  I appreciate what they're doing for JRPG's, but their games are excessively grindy and the stories and characters they create are usually annoying.  I know that's the kind of thing some people like, but it just doesn't work for me. "

Yeah, NIS is kinda terrible... "

" This is kind of a dumb flamebait topic.  Nintendo, really?  They're your least favorite game developer?    The only right answer to this question is a developer who makes shovel ware that none of us even play. "

" @EvilTwin said:

" This is kind of a dumb flamebait topic.  Nintendo, really?  They're your least favorite game developer?    The only right answer to this question is a developer who makes shovel ware that none of us even play. "

least favorite =/= worst "

Ion Storm Inc for Deus Ex Invisible War
But also, Ion Storm Inc as favorite for Deus Ex. 
Life is funny that way -.-

" Ion Storm Inc for Deus Ex Invisible War But also, Ion Storm Inc as favorite for Deus Ex.  Life is funny that way -.- "

" @President_Barackbar:  I guess this can be done civilly, I just think the OP should have made more of an effort to explain exactly what it is he wanted in his post.
 
@FancySoapsMan said:

" @EvilTwin said:

" This is kind of a dumb flamebait topic.  Nintendo, really?  They're your least favorite game developer?    The only right answer to this question is a developer who makes shovel ware that none of us even play. "

least favorite =/= worst "

You're going to have to explain the logic of that to me.  If a developer is your least favorite, that means you prefer any developer to them.  Which would make them the worst. "

Oh, Sonic Team for sure. They have single handedly ruined what was once a highly respect property, while at the same time dismantling an entire fan-base.
Sonic as a property is phenomenal, something other developers would kill for a chance to make something out of it. The amateurish quality, and complete lack of any imagination regarding Sonic is amazing.
 
From a P.R. standpoint, Square wins the cake regarding most asinine public statements made...For some reason, Bioware recently seems to be trying to compete for this "prize". Which is confusing as hell, because they've been pretty level-headed for years regarding explaining their products.

Bethesda. Not a fan of their style of games. Their open worlds leave me feeling lost. 
 
Square Enix, for reasons others have posted. Hoping I enjoy Deus Ex: HR as much as I intend to.

I didn't want to make a hater thread and so far it seems like it hasn't been.  I was half asleep when I posted this.  Basically, I was laying down thinking about how Capcom often introduces game mechanics into otherwise amazing games that drastically reduce the fun-factor (Dead Rising is an example).  However, I would certainly NOT consider Capcom to be the worst developer, thus the "least favorite" rather than worst (I don't hate Capcom by any means).  Of course, after reading some of the comments, I see how that comes across.  My apologies.  Honestly, the title of the thread is the main problem!  I wish I could change it!!!

Bungie.

" This is kind of a dumb flamebait topic.  Nintendo, really?  They're your least favorite game developer?    The only right answer to this question is a developer who makes shovel ware that none of us even play. "

" Nnooo.  "

Bethesda for what they did to Fallout. Bastards. 
 
EDIT: Also, Oblivion has to be one of the most overrated pieces of crap ever.

Obsidian 
 
Their games are so full of good ideas. I want to love them so bad but they still manage to make sure every goddamn game they put out is nearly unplayable. 

Bioware for me. I think its great that they make the games they do but they just don't appeal to me at all, its not what I want from a game. I have yet to play a bioware game I liked.

Capcom. After spending a life never playing fighting games, I bought SSFIV. Fuck them. No wonder they keep getting their asses kicked in the market. That game is so goddamn hard to penetrate. Lost Planet 2 did pretty much everything I think modern games should avoid. They need to get out of the dark ages. Challenge in a game is fine. I'm not a pussy. But when I have no clue how to even do things in the game at a basic level (I am pretty sure the game doesn't explain charging AT ALL, it was luckily the only thing I really knew about Street Fighter). So much of Capcom's recent work has been really really terrible. It's reminding me of why I hate the eastern industry so much. 
 
And I'm worried that Bioware might soon enter the hall of shame for me. I would dedicate my life to any of these three games: Mass Effect (NOT 2! Good game, but shouldn't have been the sequel to Mass Effect), Dragon Age: Origins, and Borderlands. Mass Effect 2 effectively took a massive, bloody shit on the parts of Mass Effect that were most unique and imo, enjoyable. And mildly improved on the least interesting/enjoyable part of the original. And then ripped apart the continuity of my original Shepard's story. Or really, any of their stories. I pretty much said "Ok, fuck you Bioware" when the only only response the women I so loving boned in the original found out I was like gave to me when she found out I had survived was a 7 second insert of a kiss involving her shoving her face through my helmet. I mean seriously? Thats it? That's the "OH MY GOD YOUR PREVIOUS GAME WILL HAVE HUGE EFFECTS ON THE WAY THE NEXT UNFOLDS!!!" you were so proud of? Yeah, I know they weren't saying it would be mindblowing in it's altering effects, but come on. CLIPPING? Really??? And then going right back to being TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE CORE NATURE OF THE CHARACTER WHO'S SKIN YOUR WEARING. 
 
/rant

Anyone who has complaints about Mass Effect 2 must be either clinically depressed, on drugs, batshit crazy or a combination of all these things. So I don't buy Bioware as anyone's 'worst developer evaaar'. 
 
I think most developers have at least one title that kicks ass. So it's tough. I guess whoever was in charge of those Guitar Hero games - because they stopped people actually learning a musical instrument and was just a whole bunch of lies.

........or to put it another way, liking video games and not liking Mass Effect 2 is like saying Pizza parlours are your favorite place to eat; but you don't like pizza. It just doesn't make sense. It just doesn't compute.

Obsidian

" ........or to put it another way, liking video games and not liking Mass Effect 2 is like saying Pizza parlours are your favorite place to eat; but you don't like pizza. It just doesn't make sense. It just doesn't compute. "

" ........or to put it another way, liking video games and not liking Mass Effect 2 is like saying Pizza parlours are your favorite place to eat; but you don't like pizza. It just doesn't make sense. It just doesn't compute. "

" Bethesda. Not a fan of their style of games. Their open worlds leave me feeling lost.  Square Enix, for reasons others have posted. Hoping I enjoy Deus Ex: HR as much as I intend to. "

Treyarch and Infinity Ward earned my hate, even if most of it deserves to go to Activision.

Capcom, that went from a favourite developer while growing up (especially for Street Fight 2 and Resident Evil 2), to a less than appealing one with mediocre titles like Resident Evil 5 and Lost Planet 2. Super Street Fighter 4 is good, and Marvel Vs Capcom 3 is frantic, still not quite up to their legacy in my nostalgic blurred vision.  
 
Konami, from their glory days when they popped out lots of interesting games, to having a one hit wonder franchise Metal Gear Solid. Castlevania is still interesting, but not the beast it once was on titles like in Rondo of Blood or Symphony of the Night. Silent Hill lost its main focus and quality when Team Silent disbanded after Silent Hill 4.  Devil May Cry, after 4 iterations, seams to have lost its flair.
 
Activision, with titles like Mechwarrior, Zork and Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure, to cashing out every year - distributing - Call of Duty and Guitar Hero. 
 
LucasArts, that went from games like Monkey Island, Zombies, Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, and Rogue Squadron, to money grabs like Force Unleashed 2.  
 
 
Considering how far the developers have fallen, I think the most disappointing and least favourite one nowadays for me has to be LucasArts. Now they only develop Star Wars games, and they don't get even that right. 

Lots of good developers listed on here :\
 
I think I'd go with Lionhead Studios because the games are so far from the promised reality, and they're ultimately pretty mediocre. I'm tempted to say Bethesda/Bioware as well for declining RPGs, but they're still better than Fable.

Out of the big ones I'd say Epic or Blizzard, their games just don't do anything for me. 
 
No point in picking on niche devs.

Ubisoft

SEGA -  
They have a marvel license but only release shit.
They want you to keep spending cash on the same old  "Classics" compilation stuff.
They used to make amazing games back in the day but when they stopped making their own consoles and started only being a 3rd party developer they became complete shit.
They got ride of the "Seeeeeeegggggaaaaaaaa" voice at the start.
They murdered Sonic the Hedgehog and didn't fight hard enough for the Dreamcast.

Sonic Team are the swindlers of the video game industry.  Unlike Nintendo, which could be accused of simply pandering to nostalgic audiences, ST are guilty of exploiting their fanbase again and again. 
 
@President_Barackbar: I totally respect that opinion, but I've always wondered:  What Nintendo franchises need online play?  Zelda?  Mario?  Nintendogs?  Pokemon, Mario Kart, and Smash Bros. already have (albeit gimped) online support.
And is the illusion of a new intellectual property really that valuable?  If not, can't we beat up BioWare for making Dragon Age, or Square Enix for making Final Fantasy XIII, or Blizzard for making StarCraft II/Diablo III, or Bungie for Halo: Reach, or Firaxis for yet another Civilization game?   

I'd say Zynga if they actually developed games and not just micro-transaction activity centers.
 
For me it's a toss up between Gearbox and Bungie. Both make titles that are competent but incredibly overrated (and I say this as someone who likes Borderlands). Bungie can't write a coherent story or do decent sound design to save their lives.

Square.  They've fallen from such great heights since Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger.