9 Prolific Video Game Developers That Released Absolute Trash

7. NetherRealm Studios (As Midway Games)

Telltale Jurassic Park
Midway Games

As is inevitable for any successful franchise, sequels, merchandise and, most importantly, spin-offs follow.

Prior to hiatus as a result of its restructuring into NetherRealm, Midway was content to capitalize on Mortal Kombat's gore-laden streak of success by churning out 'gems' like Sub-Zero Mythologies and Special Forces, the former a wobbly side-scrolling beat 'em up with spectacularly awful platforming and the latter... well, it starred Jax as a one-man army in a generic shooter setting against Kano's nefarious Black Dragon clan.

Both were serviceable, but it didn't take Midway long to suss out that sales had tanked, not just because of the departure from Mortal Kombat's fighting game core, but because its soul was missing as if Shang Tsung himself had stolen it away. The absence of a full cast, Fatalities and the visceral mana-a-mano fisticuffs that cemented the franchise's popularity weren't present in these pale imitations and fans were having none of it.

Midway found its way back to Earthrealm with the release of MK 9, and the series has never been better since.

Now, about that Mortal Kombat X sequel. When's the big day, NetherRealm?

Contributor
Contributor

Joe is a freelance games journalist who, while not spending every waking minute selling himself to websites around the world, spends his free time writing. Most of it makes no sense, but when it does, he treats each article as if it were his Magnum Opus - with varying results.