Develop 100 returns Studios large and small featured
DEVELOP’S RANKING of the world’s most successful games developers is back. Now live in the App Store, the 2012 edition
of the Develop 100 features a list of the top 100 developers in the world based on UK retail revenues generated by their games in 2011. It is available only for iPad, and costs just
£4.99. That includes profiles on each of the 100 studios, sales statistics, plus background facts and analysis. GfK Chart-Track data has been used to
formulate the list. Chart-Track has the most accurate chart reporting tools on the planet, monitoring the sale of almost every game and peripheral sold in the UK. This year EA Canada comes out on top, beating the likes of Nintendo and Infinity Ward. Some of the most famous studios in the
world have also secured a place in the listing – including giants like Epic Games, Bethesda, Valve, and Naughty Dog. But also featured are independents otherwise left out of the limelight, such as Black Lantern and Land Ho.
Is your team amongst them? Download the
book to find out. The Develop 100 is available within the Develop magazine app for iPad. The Develop 100 is sponsored by gamecity:Hamburg.
Profile: Frontier Developments WHERE DID UBISOFT RANK?
SEVERAL UBISOFT studio’s starred in this year’s Develop 100. Ubisoft’s 2,000-strong mega- studio in Montreal was the publisher’s most profitable branch, generating £49.63m in UK retail revenue thanks to its Assassin’s Creed series, earning it a number six position. This was followed closely behind by Ubisoft’s
French studios, which earned much of their money from the hit Just Dance series. Ubisoft Casablanca and Reflections rounded up the publisher’s presence in the Develop 100. Much of the glory, however, can be shared with other studios in the Ubisoft empire, although we don’t split the revenue here given the way these teams are treated like outsourcing partners. In fact, that global scale has become a point
of pride. Montreal was revelaed as leading development on 2012’s Assassin’s Creed III, but Ubisoft has given credit to six other of its teams.
HOW EA CANADA TRIUMPHED
EA’S CANADIAN superstudio took the top spot in our 2012 developer ranking. Founded in 1983 as Distinctive Software, the outfit was acquired by EA in 1991. EA Canada has been No.1 in the Develop 100 a total of three times. This year it beat Sledgehammer Games and Infinity Ward to the top spot, as their co-development of Modern Warfare 3 meant revenues were split between the two for our listing – despite the fact that MW3 out- grossed FIFA 12. EA Canada is a worthy No.1. As well as still being a creator of best-selling boxed games, it has made massive strides in shifting digital content. FIFA add-on Ultimate Team, on console, adds a collectible card game element to the disc-based game. This year, the studio opted to put out its seasonal UEFA 2012 as DLC for FIFA 12, and not as a standalone disc.
Develop 100 Position: 67 | Founded: 1994 | Location: Cambridge, UK UK retail revenue in 2011: £4.71 million | www.frontier.co.uk
THOSE ALLERGIC to cutesy critters should look away now. In 2011, Frontier racked up sales of over £4.7 million for their Kinect-powered family games. Kinect Disneyland Adventures offered
mini-games inspired by theme park rides, while Kinectimals provided a flock of docile virtual pets. Founded by industry luminary and Raspberry Pi co-creator David Braben,
Frontier’s headcount now stands at over 200. For years the studio has been working away on two of its most ambitious titles; namely The Outsider and the eagerly awaited Elite 4. The former has been put on hold, but
Braben says it is still due to see release. Perhaps it will arrive when we least expect – or not at all. The latter? That is anybody’s guess.
WHO WAS NUMBER 100?
FOUNDED IN 1996 Monster Games made £2 million in UK retail revenue during 2011 from its Nintendo-published 3DS title Pilotwings Resort, securing it the Develop 100’s final spot. The lesson to learn? Never underestimate the
strength of revivals. Pilotwings is a lesser-known Nintendo IP, but you wouldn’t have thought so given the excitement surrounding its 3DS return. Monster is an experienced racing developer with a rostrum of NASCAR titles to its name.
Want to know more? The Develop 100 is now available for £4.99 within the Develop Magazine app for iPad. Download the Develop Magazine app now through the iTunes store.