Video Game Companies Based In OC

In this day and age, when video games are conceptualized by a game aficionado in a bedroom, it's a misconception that all those ideas come to fruition under the watchful eye of the head cheeses of some company in Silicon Valley. While the Central California coast gets a fair amount of action in this forum, a growing number of companies have are calling Orange County home.

Blizzard Entertainment

Irvine, CA
us.blizzard.com

The games Blizzard puts out are some of the most played and obsessed over in the history of the business. This company out of Irvine was founded in 1991 as a company that concentrated on game port creation for other studios. In 1993, the company began developing their own titles and, as of February 2013, their "World of Warcraft" title alone has a subscriber base of 9.6 million. The "Starcraft" and "World of Warcraft" franchises dominate the online landscape and their upcoming title "Hearthstone" may prove to be the trifecta.

Carbine Studios

Aliso Viejo, CA
www.carbinestudios.com

Carbine started as an independent development company out of Aliso Viejo. Their talented studio came up on the radar of South Korea-based NC Soft. Shortly thereafter NC Soft acquired Carbine Studios and the rest is history. The NC Soft umbrella features games with a distinctive Neo-Anime style that jumps out grabs you and doesn't let go. With games like "Blade + Soul" and both "Guild Wars" games more people outside the industry will begin to recognize the talent behind the titles.

Double Helix

Irvine, CA
www.doublehelixgames.com

The product of a merger between two smaller video game companies, this Irvine-based developer has its hands busy in every conceivable platform. Relatively new, and comparatively small, it's quite impressive that since its inception in 2007, Double Helix has pumped out at least one title every year since 2008 and has one slated for release this year, in 2014 and one that is soon to be announced. Pound for pound, the impact that Double Helix has made has been nothing if not monumental.

Oculus

Irvine, CA
www.oculusvr.com

Sometimes the video game companies don't create video games at all. Such is the case with Oculus VR. They are helping change the way that people enjoy gaming. Their Kickstarter campaign garnered a whopping $2.4 million and the result was the development of the Rift. This virtual reality eyewear enables a gamer to become fully immersed in the action of the game through virtual reality technology. The best part about this gaming concept is that the technology is planned to be built into the game itself, therefore, this V.R. setup bolsters your playing experience.

Coresoft

Lake Forest, CA
www.coresoft.com

With the age of smart devices upon us, some video game companies have transitioned into the forum of app creation. Such is the case with Coresoft. This Lake Forest-based company has a wide variety of traditional video games but their focus has shifted. Some of their most popular games have moved from a simple app to a full-fledged video game as is the case with their smash hit iPhone app "Blood Beach."

Follow Josh Calvert on Twitter @JoshCalvert10.