How do you define 2nd party?

I think it can mean a lot of things like

the dev being partially owned by a company like Sucker Punch used to be owned by Sony until fully bought out

or a dev who only works on a company's IP, like insomniac was before Sunset Overdrive or Quantic Dream now

and then there are 2nd party games from 3rd party devs, which I think ranges from exclusive deals (Titanfall), owned IP (Quantum Break), co-developed games (Bloodborne) etc.

Second-party developer is a colloquial term used by gaming enthusiasts and media often used to describe two different types of game development studios:

Independently owned studios who take development contracts from the platform holders and what they produce will usually be exclusive to that platform.

Studios who are partially or wholly owned by the platform holder (also known as a subsidiary) and what they produce will usually be exclusive to that platform.

In reality, the resulting game is first party (since it is funded by the platform holder who usually owns the resulting IP), but the term helps to distinguish independent studios from those directly owned by the platform holder. These studios may have exclusive publishing agreements (or other business relationships) with the platform holder, while maintaining independence. Examples are Insomniac Games (which previously developed games solely for Sony's PlayStation platforms as an independent studio) and Game Freak (which primarily develops the Nintendo-exclusive Pokémon game series).

I don't use the term anymore , especially for games.

There are just 3rd party independents working under various types contract agreements.

• Bloodborne is a first party game. Shu Yoshida would tell that. They funded the game , assisted development , paid for marketing , and own the IP. From Software is still a 3rd party dev.

Some devs just haven't went multiplatform , switched publishers , or have been purchased yet. If you really want to call those 2nd party devs for now , go ahead ....... but things can obviously change. I'd just call them close partners to one of the publishers for now instead of 2nd party devs , but that's just me.

2nd party is a dying breed. Look at the likes such Insomniac or Bungie

Third party developer+First party publishing = second party game

@Vatusus: Platinum Games is thriving on this front though.

I would say the quintisential Second Party Developer though is Game Freak and (formerly) Rare.

Second party developers are those like Game Freak, Nintendo-era Rare, and Next Level Games.

Games like Bayonetta 2, Tekken (PS1/PS2 era) and LEGO City are third party games STILL owned by their respective owners (SEGA, Namco, Warner Bros) exclusively published by first parties (Nintendo for LEGO City and Bayonetta 2, while Sony did Tekken 1-5 at least in Europe)

My thoughts on 2nd party development would be a sub contracted developer. Something like C.I.G. employing Moon Collider to create the a.i. for Star Citizen.

Ratchet and Clank, Demon's Souls, Bloodborne are all 2nd party exclusives to PlayStation. Basically if the console manufacturer don't own the developer but own the IP, it's 2nd party. Something like Sunset Overdrive is 3rd party where Insomniac both own the IP and developed the game. And first party is ofcourse the manufacturer owned studios. I think that's how this all works...

Something like Eternal Darkness and The Last Story as well as Demon's Souls.