text:
Develop 100 - 2010 Edition
Published every year, the Develop 100 is a definitive ranking of the world's most successful games studios, listing them based on the sales of their games in the UK, the third-largest software market in the world. This is the 2010 edition of the book. www.develop100.com. The book is published by Develop. www.develop-online.net
2010 DEVELOP 100 in association with The World's Most Successful Game Studios 2010 Edition www.imaginationstudios.com THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS EDITORIAL ABOUT THE DEVELOP 100 CONTENTS 7 Introduction Develop editor-in-chief Michael French talks you through this year's book. T Owain Bennallack Executive Editor, Develop Michael French Editor-in-Chief, Develop EDITORIAL SUPPORT Will Freeman Deputy Editor, Develop Rob Crossley Online Editor, Develop Stuart Richardson Staff Writer, Develop he 2010 Develop 100 ranks the world's game developers according to the revenue their products generated through UK retail. The figures come directly from GfK Chart-Track data. Retailers contributing to Chart-Track's data represent 90 to 95 per cent of all UK retail sales for games and the figures have been weighted up to accurately represent the market as a whole. Figures are based on sales of all games available on the market at all price points and on all formats (PS3, PS2, PSP, PC, Wii, DS, 360, Xbox � even GameCube and Mac) during the year 28/12/08 to 02/01/10. For each studio, up to five of its biggest selling titles during that period have been highlighted for individual analysis. The Develop team has also provided further analysis and background detail � including contact information and headcounts where available. `Highest UK Chart' refers to the highest position reached by that title in Chart-Track's weekly All Formats list. 9 - 10 Words from our sponsor Koch Media CEO Klemens Kundratitz and Deep Silver head of publishing Stuart Chiplin discuss the challenges facing games developers. 15 Behind the numbers GfK Chart-Track's Dorian Bloch singles out trends in the UK market. 16 - 99 The 1 to 100 The Develop 100, with key details for each studio and profiles for the top 50. 101 - 106 1 to 100 & A to Z indexes Two handy lists. $5.9); : : : $ 5 . 9 ) ; 1 ( 7 & 2 1 7 $ & 7 # $ 5 . 9 ) ; 1 ( 7 3 + 2 1 ( ' H V L J Q 0 R G H O O L Q J $ Q L P D W L R Q 5 H Q G H U L Q J INTRODUCTION CENTURY OF GREATS Develop's editor-in-chief Michael French provides an overview of the Develop 100 and why retail revenues are still all-important for the world's leading studios... his is the sixth edition of the Develop 100. We have again used GfK ChartTrack's authoritative data on the UK games market to form this year's list of the world's most successful game studios. Beloved as much by studio heads as it is contract workers, this yearly book has achieved truly invaluable status. That's not just thanks to its acknowledging of success via a key metric � sales data � but also because it offers a fairly reliable barometer on the state of play in games development today. So Nintendo is top dog at No.1. Argue all you want that Wii is on the wane, but it's clear that accessible, innovatively designed games will sell whatever the weather. Meanwhile second-placed Infinity Ward proves that 2009 was the year where the traditional `core gamer' wants truly high quality, cinematic, artistic, explosive, action-packed gaming experiences. It's called `triple-A' for a reason, after all. Elsewhere giants like EA Canada, Ubisoft Montreal and Sega also feature in the Top Ten, as does one independent � perfectly symbolic of the increasingly consolidated nature of games development. And all of that is proved with cold, hard facts � we've listed a total revenue made by each studio on the list at UK retail in 2009. What about digital sales? After last year's attempt to create a more inclusive but ultimately too broad a guide � using Metacritic data, publicly released sales data and industry standing � we've used hard sales data for one reason: It's concrete, and trustworthy. That's what the Develop 100 is about. It's not an exercise in creating controversial ranking, but a league table of commercial clout. Fact is, the industry still isn't sophisticated enough to share download data or online revenues publicly or globally � so, yes, studios like Blizzard factor lower than you might think, and break out online successes like Trials HD or Battlefield 1943 are entirely absent. But as our sponsor Deep Silver points out on pages 9 and 10, retail is still incredibly important to the games industry, and developers' royalty cheques. Much more often than not, games sold in boxes are still the primary point of contact with interactive entertainment. And anyway, the vagaries of digital will change in time. Publishers and developers will eventually share digital data with the likes of GfK and the rest of us because they want to be counted. Which in itself that proves why the Develop 100 is so invaluable � this is the only ranking of its type, and it's the only way to give developers credit where its due right now. Michael French, Editor-in-Chief, Develop T 7 6LWHO�WKHOHDGLQJFRQWDFWFHQWUH RXWVRXUFLQJSURYLGHULQWKHZRUOG "Sitel's Game Masters ensure that consistent high quality service is always provided to the EVE community." -yQ+|UGDO-yQDVVRQ�&KLHI2SHUDWLQJ2I�FHU&&3*DPHV 6LWHOKDVEHHQUDQNHGDVWKHOHDGLQJFRQWDFWFHQWUHSURYLGHU LQWKHZRUOGIRUWKHVHFRQG\HDULQDURZLQWKH%ODFN%RRNRI 2XWVRXUFLQJ$QQXDO6XUYH\IRURXUIRFXVRQGHOLYHULQJD 5HWXUQRQ&XVWRPHU,QYHVWPHQWWRRXUFOLHQWV6LWHOSURYLGHV ZRUOGFODVVVROXWLRQVIURPRQVKRUHQHDUVKRUHDQGRIIVKRUH ORFDWLRQVDFURVVIDFLOLWLHVWKURXJKRXWWKHZRUOG:HPHHW FOLHQWV�FXVWRPHUFDUHDQGWUDQVDFWLRQSURFHVVLQJQHHGVWKURXJK RXUHPSOR\HHVORFDWHGLQFRXQWULHV 6LWHOFDQKHOS\RXUFRPSDQ\LQFUHDVHJDPHUVDWLVIDFWLRQWKURXJKQDWLYHODQJXDJH VXSSRUW:HKDYHSLRQHHUHGDUHDVVXFKDVFRPPXQLW\PDQDJHPHQWFKDWDQG IRUXPPRGHUDWLRQWKURXJKRXUVHFWRUOHDGLQJSRVLWLRQLQRQOLQHJDPLQJ 6LWHOLVDOHDGHULQSURYLGLQJ &KDW7LFNHW(PDLO0DQDJHPHQW )RUXP0RGHUDWLRQ&RPPXQLW\0DQDJHPHQW %LOOLQJ(QTXLULHV7HFKQLFDO6XSSRUW 7R�QGRXWKRZ6LWHOFDQKHOS\RXUFRPSDQ\FRQWDFWXVRQ VDOHVHPHD#VLWHOFRP ZZZVLWHOFRP )UHHSKRQH SPONSOR'S FOREWORD A CHANGING MARKET Koch Media CEO Klemens Kundratitz looks at why it matters to make it into the Develop 100 and what challenges lie ahead for the whole industry or us as a publisher the relationships with developers are one of our biggest assets. As a leading independent video games publisher, Deep Silver therefore is very proud to present the Develop 100 book this year. The gaming market is an area of constant change. The overall economic situation causes customers to concentrate on a few hyped titles, leaving not so prominent but nonetheless quality titles aside of the road. In this ever growing and changing market we as market participants have to face these shifting challenges. Besides this, it is our belief that the borders between different media types will soften more and more in the not so distant future. The convergence of interactive, online and home entertainment will grow over time and create whole new forms of entertainment. Market participants have to be prepared for these changes. And while a market player today is faced with a lot of challenges, there are also a lot of opportunities out there... for those who want to take them. Gaming is growing ever bigger as a leisure activity for whole new target groups. While this new market cannot be compared with our traditional view of gamers, they still all have one desire that we can fulfill � to play games! There is room for niches besides the greatly hyped titles and big marketing budgets that can be explored and still bring profit. It's this ability to change and adapt to the challenges that truly marks out a competitive and outstanding participant in the games industry. Through their creativity, excellence and focus on quality, the development studios forming the Develop 100 this year have shown that they are up to this task. Our objective at Deep Silver is to create great games that sell internationally. And with an international structure with branch offices in Europe and the USA we're well prepared for this task. As a multimedia company we have already gathered a lot of experience in the areas of gaming, home entertainment and online games and are ready for the future. And because of this we're always interested in working with talented developers that share our vision and that can expand our portfolio for the next years. We are looking forward to work with you! Klemens Kundratitz, CEO, Deep Silver F 9 SPONSOR'S FOREWORD PUBLISHER POWER Many wouldn't have made it in Develop 100 without support from their publisher. Deep Silver's Stuart Chiplin looks at why these partnerships, and retail, still matter ith the dawn of the digital download age I commonly hear developers say `Why do we need a publisher?' This top 100 proves, at least in the boxed product stakes, a publisher is essential for the success of a title, be that new IP or a continuing franchise. The developers in this list are at the pinnacle of their profession, producing games that are often pioneering and frankly awesome. However we must also look into the machine that drives these exceptional titles into the hands of the consumer, and in most cases this is the publisher. We all know the digital cloud is hovering, with many developers having already stepped into the publishing arena. However the boxed product is far from dead and the role of the traditional publisher offers a lot more than just moving boxes and bytes. Behind the scenes you will find that local intelligence and market research is key to understanding the demographics to target, combined with skilled marketing, PR and sales teams to ensure that the consumers know about a title and where to buy it. Only with this combination of assets will a title be truly successful. Thus, in the future when we are all sucking games down a pipe, the role of a publisher will remain to provide stability for the developer and identity for the consumer in a highly competitive environment. As an independent publisher, we at Deep Silver pride ourselves on being a little different from the rest. Yes we commission projects and take them to market, and have a variety of IP that we manage. However we also offer a range of services for developers that many larger publishers do not. With our privately owned parent, Koch Media, we can offer direct distribution to retail, with offices across most of Europe. This association allows us to offer unique opportunities for developers. Be that through the traditional publisher/developer relationship or through more exotic collaborations such as co-publishing, joint ventures and distribution guarantee. This latter option has even allowed us to help developers become publishers on traditional platforms. Looking forward into 2010 and beyond, we see exciting new hardware releases and the rapidly growing diversity of non-traditional platforms. It is of course the developers who are embracing this future, filling it with innovation, and we hope that Deep Silver will be first on your list of partners that will help you reach your true potential. Stuart Chiplin, Head of Publishing, Deep Silver firstname.lastname@example.com W 10 SAFETY IN NUMBERS Data is the lifeblood of the Develop 100, and thanks GfK Chart-Track, it keeps on pumping... e took up the challenge of listing the developer of every game that sells in the UK back in 2004 and by the launch of the first Develop 100 coproduced with Chart-Track (covering sales in 2005) we had coded up around 10,000 individual products. Roll on to the end of 2009 for the latest edition and this had risen to 17,500 products, all with developer credit to an independent or publisher owned studio and a country of coding origin. This means that we have probably the most accurate database of titles anywhere in the world. Sure, this is applied to sales in the UK � the third largest gaming market in the world � and therefore cannot account for the cultural differences that would apply if we included USA and Japan. Nevertheless, this makes for a fascinating account of what actually sells in the UK, coupled to developer share rather than the more traditional publisher share of the market which is reported the world over. We recognise the importance of giving credit where credit is due which is why every week we list the developer against each title in our standard weekly report, as seen on our website and as subscribed to by just about every publisher active in this market. The international profile of the `charts' is higher than ever. Some publishers and developers are now reaping the benefits with the monthly syndicated W reports that rank developers according to their ongoing performance in the UK charts. Feel free to get in touch if you might enjoy more regular updates � you'll even receive a full monthly report for free to give you an idea of what's on offer (the monthly ranking of publisher-owned and independent studios, the top titles by format and even a sales breakdown by territory). Ad-hoc reports are available at any time on a developer's own titles � or its competitors'. CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE Depending on the type of developer you are there is either rationalisation, merger, expansion, rude good health or just plain survival on the cards for your studio. Having a hit product in what might be `only' the third biggest territory in the world means that people will tend to sit up and take notice of your spectrum of talents. Ultimately a studio is judged on the sales success of its games, so why shouldn't it also be recognised for the commercial achievements of all the products it creates? This is a fascinating report and the analysis within these pages has, I'm sure, been a great read for all of you publishers and developers. Dorian Bloch, Business Group Director, GfK Chart-Track Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Tel: +44 (0)20 8741 7585 15 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 01 STATISTICS Founded: 1947 Owned by: Nintendo NINTENDO �203.63m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 Wii FIT NINTENDO 1 Wii APR 08 �47.34m 2 Wii SPORTS RESORT NINTENDO 1 Wii JUL 09 �29.60m COUNTRY: Japan 3 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. Wii NINTENDO 3 Wii NOV 09 �23.90m 4 CONTACTS Address: 11-1, Kamitoba hokotate-cho, Minami-ku, Kyoto 601-8501, Japan www.nintendo.co.jp MARIO KART Wii NINTENDO 1 Wii APR 08 �23.78m 5 Wii FIT PLUS NINTENDO 1 Wii NOV 09 �18.08m 16 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS STUDIO PROFILE t's hard to believe Nintendo EAD was placed down All that said, from the vantage point of 2010, at 28th in the Develop 100 in 2005. What changed to Nintendo's internally-developed output looks less see it bag the top spot in 2010? inspiring. Take Wii Fit � even its cheerleaders would More success, obviously � but not from its game admit it's more a `Eureka!' moment followed by a designers. Even in the dark days of the marketing and manufacturing triumph, GameCube, Nintendo produced some rather than a truly great game. of the best entertainment software of Some say that Nintendo's place at "No other the era, with the system's Zelda the top of this list proves once again outings a particular highlight. that only Nintendo can survive on format holder But the fact is even if Super Mario Nintendo hardware � but that's the or publisher Sunshine had been a genre-definer like point. Nintendo is able to adapt to a Mario 64, Nintendo would have market that many others have failed in. could have had struggled to achieve Develop 100All of this points to an interesting any real topping sales. Fanboys don't like to be period for Nintendo. The DS' touch confidence that reminded, but GameCube didn't interface is nothing special in the achieve a chart-topping installed base. iPhone era, and the Wii is already long their in-house This changed with the Nintendo DS, in the tooth. The novelty has worn off; developers and later with the Wii. There's now 125 Move and Natal pose a real challenge. million of the dual-screened Regarding the DS, after some initial could take on handhelds out in the wild, while the fantastic software such as Legend of the new and Wii is in over 68 million living rooms � Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass and revolutionary triple the final count of GameCubes Nintendogs, Nintendo EAD rested on sold to gamers. At last, Nintendo EAD its laurels a little. However the recently challenges of has the mass audience again that its announced 3D DS is doubtless already two console games deserve. inspiring Shigeru Miyamoto's To focus on the hardware shocktroopers of innovation to create launches in as turnaround is not to decry the new kinds of gameplay � the opposite many years." software innovation that the touch to so many developers, who would interface of the DS and the motion focus on graphical fireworks. control of the Wii teased from The Wii may prove a trickier console Nintendo's internal teams, however. No other to reinvigorate, though if anyone can, Nintendo can. format holder � or publisher, for that matter � could Time will tell. For now Nintendo Entertainment Analysis have had any real confidence that their in-house and Development � to give the 500-strong division its developers could rise to the challenges of two full name � is known to be working on Super Mario revolutionary console launches in two years. Nintendo's Galaxy 2 for Wii, due very soon, and a new Legend of revelled in them. Zelda title for Wii, due by the end of the year. I 17 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 02 STATISTICS Founded: 2002 Owned by: Activision INFINITY WARD �125.58m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 ACTIVISION 1 XB360, PS3, PC NOV 09 �111.79m 2 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE ACTIVISION 1 XB360, PS3, PC NOV 07 �13.73m COUNTRY: USA 3 CALL OF DUTY 2: GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION ACTIVISION 149 PC, XB360 JUN 06 �0.06m CONTACTS Address: 15821 Ventura Boulevard Suite 590 Encino, CA 91436, USA www.infinityward.com 18 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS STUDIO PROFILE M an fighting man on a confusing battlefield Where this leaves Infinity Ward and its 100 or so fogged by uncertainty and subject to explosions employees will depend on whose story they believe. and landmines... not necessarily the plot from Respawn's first press release included an email address Modern Warfare, but a summary of the fallout between for job seekers, and it's hard to imagine Activision can Activision and the former bosses of stop every one of Infinity Ward's Infinity Ward following the game's employees jumping ship. record-breaking success. The sales of Modern Warfare 2 � 14 "The question is At the time of writing, much is million worldwide and counting � could how much unclear and more unsettled. We do underwrite a lot of persuasion, but the Activision know that Infinity Ward president Jason question is how much Activision West and CEO and co-founder Vince believes Infinity Ward's success was believes Infinity Zampella were escorted out of Infinity down to West and Zampella's Ward's success Ward's offices by owner Activision in leadership? Paying less-than-crucial staff early March, with the duo fired on too-high salaries could look foolish after was down to grounds of `breaches of contract' and the dust settles. West and the more military-sounding charge of The next Call of Duty game is due `insubordination'. West and Zampella from Treyarch � less favoured among Zampella's retorted days later with a lawsuit suing CoD connoisseurs. Activision has tried to leadership? Activision for unpaid royalty bonuses shore up concerns by confirming Paying lesssaid to amount to tens of millions of a brand new CoD game is in dollars. They expressed shock and development for 2011, which will than-crucial bewilderment at their dismissal. see the shooter morph into an staff too-high Activision counter-sued, claiming action adventure for at least one outing amongst much else that the pair had � but that's being developed by newlysalaries could transformed from valuable employees minted Sledgehammer Games. look foolish into "insubordinate and self-serving A leaked Activision memo states Infinity after the dust schemers who attempted to hijack Ward is "central to Call of Duty's future". Activision's assets for their own personal But for how long? For now the studio is settles." gain." It claimed they'd mounted a being run by Activision's CTO Steve whispering campaign against Activision Pearce and its head of production Steve among employees, and that they'd secretly contacted the Ackric. DLC packs for Modern Warfare 2 are the priority. CEO of Activision's largest competitor � unnamed, but Whatever happens, Infinity Ward will be high in the presumed to be EA. Develop 100 again in 2011. And that's something staff of Finally, in early April West and Zampella emerged with IW both past and present should be proud of � whether a new studio cheekily called Respawn Entertainment � the studio lives to fight on, its legacy is still the one to beat and a deal with EA Partners, brokered through CAA. for studios in the West. 19 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 03 STATISTICS Founded: 1983 Owned by: Electronic Arts EA CANADA �100.99m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 FIFA 10 ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 XB360, PS3, Wii OCT 09 �58.76m 2 FIFA 09 ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 XB360, PS3, PSP Wii, PS2, PC OCT 08 �14.85m COUNTRY: Canada 3 FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4 ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 XB360, PS3 JUN 09 �10.21m 4 CONTACTS Address: 4330 Sanderson Way, Burnaby, British Columbia V5G 4XI, Canada www.ea.com EA SPORTS ACTIVE ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 Wii MAY 09 �8.23m 5 GRAND SLAM TENNIS ELECTRONIC ARTS 10 Wii JUN 09 �3.48m 20 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS STUDIO PROFILE s The Emperor might have said to Luke in Return the developer down � but even that scored a stillof the Jedi if only the Develop 100 had been respectable 78 on Metacritic. around back then: "Now witness the awesome It all proves that EA Canada is a quality outfit as well power of the world's greatest sports franchise at the as the most dependable commercial engine for EA, height of a console cycle". (Presuming alongside Madden shop EA Tiburon. LucasArts would have let the Sith Lord Yet not even great reviews and big up a rival, of course.) stellar sales kept EA's Vancouver offices "FIFA 10 isn't Fact is, old battles about EA Sports safe from EA's bloodletting of the past just second only sequels representing the dark side of 18 months. to Modern gaming have been shouted down by The first clue came when EA the masses. cancelled a planned office in Warfare 2 in the Don't be fooled into thinking FIFA 10 downtown Vancouver in late 2008, UK � the title plays second fiddle to Modern Warfare which would have run independently 2 in the UK. the game sold 4.5m copies of EA Black Box and the main EA sold 4.5 worldwide between its October 1st Canada offices, based in the suburb of million copies release date and the end of 2009, after Burnaby. shifting 1.7 million across Europe in its Sister studio Black Box (responsible worldwide first week. Sales have now passed the for Skate and Need For Speed) got the between its 10 million mark, and even that doesn't chop next, with surviving staff October 1st emphasise the full force of FIFA 10. relocated to Burnaby. Finally, job cuts Like any good blockbuster these days, reportedly running to `hundreds' hit release date and it's supported by DLC, in this case the Burnaby in November 2009. the end of 2009, FIFA 10 Ultimate Team card-trading In all, we estimate EA Canada's management mode that costs around workforce fell from over 1,800 in 2008 after shifting 1.7 �4 to download. to less than 1,500 by the end of last million across What's likely to be even more year. Europe in its gratifying than commercial success for Doubtless alerted to this decline, EA Canada's FIFA developers (headed British Columbia's provincial first week." by a Brit, Dave Rutter, incidentally), is government proposed new labour tax that FIFA is now outplaying its breaks to game developers like erstwhile Konami rival, as well as outselling it. Electronic Arts in February 2010. We presume these EA Canada developed the lead Xbox 360 and incentives, plus the massive success of FIFA and Fight PlayStation 3 versions, and both have scored into the Night 4, will finally stem the job losses at EA Canada, 90s everywhere, as opposed to Pro Evolution Soccer's which is currently readying 2010 FIFA World Cup ahead high 70s. Fight Night Round 4 and EA Sports Active also of the kick off in South Africa in June, among many scored in the 80s, with only Grand Slam Tennis letting other projects. A 21 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 04 STATISTICS Founded: 1997 Owned by: Ubisoft Montreal UBISOFT MONTREAL �59.71m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 ASSASSIN'S CREED II UBISOFT 2 XB360, PS3 NOV 09 �35.64m 2 JAMES CAMERON'S AVATAR: THE GAME UBISOFT 8 XB360, PS3, Wii DS, PSP, PC DEC 09 �5.62m COUNTRY: Canada 3 SHAUN WHITE SNOWBOARDING UBISOFT 16 WII, XB360, PS3 PSP, PS2, PC, DS NOV 08 �3.98m 4 CONTACTS Address: 5505 boul SaintLaurent, Suite 5000, Montreal H2T 1S6, Quebec, Canada www.ubisoftgroup.com FAR CRY 2 UBISOFT 2 XB360, PS3, PC NOV 08 �3.55m 5 ASSASSIN'S CREED UBISOFT 1 PS3, XB360, PC NOV 07 �2.44m 22 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS STUDIO PROFILE hether measured by headcount, IP value, or long tail of Montreal-developed games, which further industry profile, Ubisoft Montreal is one of the bolsters its chart placing. world's largest developers. Whether such super-sized developers represent With staff numbers approaching 2,000 (and Ubisoft the future or the past of the industry remains moot. having stated it aspires to employ 3,000 Certainly, Ubisoft Montreal points to the in Montreal), this is a behemoth to give usual benefits, such as crossthe CEOs of smaller studios a size collaboration, flexible team sizing, and "It will be complex � a true monster of the digital the economies of scale that enable it to intriguing to see age. Appropriately, it's housed in develop its own game engine, Anvil. The how Ubisoft a converted textiles warehouse, Montreal subsidiary also boasts an echoing the industrial past � albeit by animation division, Ubisoft Digital Arts, Montreal spinning compelling yarns rather than an area of expertise that was bolstered responds to the weaving loom. with the acquisition of CGI house Just consider the vast resources Hybride in June 2008. changing dedicated to Assassin's Creed II. When Ubisoft Montreal recently finished market, once the Develop visited last autumn, we were Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction and told 250 employees were working on Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, economic clouds the game � but some insiders while work continues on the new Shaun have cleared. whispered the number was closer to White Skateboarding for later this year. Arch-rival EA double that. Other companies around It's also working on Assassin's Creed the world may have looked enviously at Episodes, which will introduce an online has been the tax breaks Canadian companies multiplayer mode (and will buck the bshedding staff. have enjoyed that has enabled them to annual trend by hitting this winter), and balloon to such numbers, but surely also developing Far Cry 3 Will Ubisoft Ubisoft Montreal's CEO Yannis Mallat � although no details have been Montreal regret just occasionally reads about a half-areleased about that yet. holding dozen strong developer of It will be intriguing to see how downloadable games and turns slightly Ubisoft Montreal responds to the the line?" envious himself? changing market, once the economic If so, he surely quickly takes solace in clouds have cleared and we get a better the stellar roster of games his army of developers work sense of how much of the downturn in game sales was on. The Montreal-originated Assassin's Creed contrasts structural. Arch-rival Electronic Arts has been shedding neatly with the studio's other big hit of 2009, James studios and staff. Will Ubisoft Montreal regret holding the Cameron's Avatar: The Game; the juxtaposition between line, or will it emerge as one of the few operations in the Ubisoft's own blue chip IP and the Hollywood licence world capable of creating the volume of content required typifying the mix at Montreal. It's worth noting too the for any eighth generation of hardware? W 23 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 05 STATISTICS Founded: 2007 (Sumo Digital formed in 2003) Independent (Organisation consists of six studios: Sumo Digital, Backbone Entertainment, Double Helix Games, Griptonite Games Pipeworks Software, and ImaginEngine) FOUNDATION 9 �36.83m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 F1 2009 CODEMASTERS 10 Wii, PSP NOV 09 �5.53m 2 SEGA MEGA DRIVE ULTIMATE COLLECTION SEGA 6 PS3, XB360 FEB 09 �5.41m COUNTRY: Various 3 VIRTUA TENNIS 2009 SEGA 7 PS3, XB360, Wii, PC MAY 09 �5.22m 4 CONTACTS Address: 17600 Gillette Ave, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92614, USA www.f9e.com SEGA SUPERSTARS TENNIS SEGA 5 XB360, Wii, DS PS3, PS2 MAR 08 �3.40m 5 SILENT HILL: HOMECOMING KONAMI 11 XB360, PS3, PC FEB 09 �1.92m 24 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS STUDIO PROFILE multi-site work-for-hire developer, Foundation summer 2009 saw Foundation 9 merge its two 9 was formed from multiple acquisitions � and, Washington-based studios Amaze and subsidiary more recently, mergers and closures � and studio Griptonite, with the studio head of Griptonite, J.C. Connors, taking charge of the combined operation. consisted at the last count of six distinct studios. As part of the same restructuring, While Foundation 9 is often thought Foundation 9 closed Amaze's specialist of as a largely American developer handheld developer Fizz Factor, and it (and a rather mystifying developer, "Foundation 9 is also reduced the headcount at Double too, without many big name games to Helix Games, the Californian outfit that its name, or those of its studios for that often thought of it formed in 2007 by merging two matter) as its success at retail in 2009 as a largely veteran names, Shiny Entertainment suggests, the UK's Sumo Digital is a key and The Collective. cog within the organisation. American The Foundation 9 group today Founded in 2003 by veterans of developer consists of six developers � Sumo Gremlin Interactive (later Infogrames, (and a rather Digital, Backbone Entertainment, following Gremlin's acquisition) Sumo Double Helix Games, Griptonite shot to prominence with a superb mystifying one Games, Pipeworks Software, and version of Outrun, and was snapped up at that). But as ImaginEngine � with Sumo also having by Foundation 9 Entertainment in an Indian division. The company states 2007, a year after the latter received its success at it currently employs nearly 700 people, multi-year VC-backing of reportedly retail in 2009 and stresses the benefits of a structure up to $150 million. suggests, its UK that combines the independent spirit Foundation 9 didn't just buy a great of its component studios along with developer when it bought the studio Sumo the financial controls and best Sheffield studio � it also acquired Digital is a key practices of a larger company. Sumo's CEO James North-Hearn, who Foundation 9 has produced a immediately became MD of cog within the bewildering array of games (or SKUs Foundation 9 Europe. Then in March organisation." for particular formats) for pretty much 2008 North-Hearn became CEO of the every publisher in the business. One entire Foundation 9 operation, key title it is currently known to be meaning this `American' developer has working on is Dr Who: The Adventure Games � a quartet a well-known Brit at its helm. It's not been the easiest time to manage a massive of free downloadable games for PC and Mac. These are work-for-hire games developer, and North-Hearn and being developed for the BBC by Sumo Digital, in his team have had to make some tough decisions over conjunction with development legend Charles Cecil. Another high-profile project is Front Mission Evolved, the past 18 months. Citing `market conditions', and the need to align its production capacity accordingly, which Double Helix is developing for Square Enix. A 25 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 06 STATISTICS Founded: 1960 Owned by: Sega SEGA STUDIOS JAPAN �35.93m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 MARIO AND SONIC AT OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES SEGA 3 Wii, DS OCT 09 �22.79m 2 MARIO AND SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES SEGA 1 Wii, DS NOV 07 �10.52m COUNTRY: Japan 3 GHOST SQUAD SEGA 17 Wii JAN 08 �0.77m 4 CONTACTS Address: 1-2-12 Haneda, Otaku, Tokyo 144-8531, Japan www.sega.jp THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2 & 3 RETURN SEGA 17 Wii MAR 08 �0.70m 5 SUPER MONKEY BALL: BANANA BLITZ SEGA 40 Wii DEC 06 �0.41m 26 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS STUDIO PROFILE he Develop 100 has always split out the revenues when Sega exited the home console hardware generated by Sega subsidiary Sonic Team from business. Then, game pundits and insiders spoke about its parent. Sega becoming a `multiformat Nintendo', as its famed But that's definitely not the same thing as splitting designers broke free of the shackles of any one out the income generated by the spiky platform. Yet going on 2009's hedgehog and his friends � as a glance performance, Sega's internal at Sega's best-selling games of 2009 developers are still leaning on a "When it comes starkly shows. hardware format (and a mascot) � to internal For Sonic those `friends' are as crucial except one it doesn't even control. development, as Ringo Starr's were. As a publisher Sega is enjoying When Nintendo and Sega teamed more success. Platinum Games' debut Sega's up for 2007's Mario & Sonic at the title Bayonetta, for instance, has sold restructuring Olympic Games, it first seemed a joke, well over a million copies, and the then a novelty act � and finally, as veteran-stuffed studio is making more efforts tells its Sonic's solo adventures continued to games for Sega (though the second, own story. It disappoint, almost an act of pity by the Noir-ish Wii shooter MadWorld, Nintendo. But similar to how Bill Gates' disappointed at retail). We've already closed its UK backing of Apple and Steve Jobs in the seen the success of Football Manager Racing Studio in late 1990s looked bizarre and 2010 in the Develop 100, and Sega also 2008, for unthinkable and yet has proved canny, has Gearbox's Aliens: Colonial Marines so Sonic and Mario in partnership and Obsidian's Alpha Protocol in the instance � and turned out to be vastly more lucrative works, among others. the company than anyone expected. But when it comes to internal By the time Mario & Sonic at the development, Sega's restructuring has just shut Winter Olympics was announced in efforts (which saw it close its UK Racing down Sega February 2009, the first game had sold Studio in 2008, for instance) tells its Studios San 10 million copies. Thanks to the greater own story. penetration of the Wii and DS since The company has just shut down Francisco." then, the Winter Olympics title should Sega Studios San Francisco with the do almost as well, despite winter comment: "Moving forward, Sega will pursuits leaving most of us cold. According to Sega continue to pursue external development parent Sega Sammy Holdings' most recent financial opportunities all over the world and will continue to statement, the game had sold 5.6 million units by the grow the renowned Sega brand." end of 2009. If and when Mario and Sonic's Olympic outings come Yet while number six in the Develop 100 is obviously to an end, the writing is on the wall for Sega's place in a cracking result, it wasn't supposed to play out like this the Develop 100. T 27 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 07 STATISTICS Founded: 1979 Owned by: Capcom CAPCOM �31.87m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 RESIDENT EVIL 5 CAPCOM 1 XB360, PS3, PC MAR 09 �18.54m 2 STREET FIGHTER IV CAPCOM 1 PS3, XB360, PC FEB 09 �10.42m COUNTRY: Japan 3 MONSTER HUNTER: FREEDOM UNITE CAPCOM 25 PSP JUN 09 �0.93m 4 CONTACTS Address: 3-1-3 Uchihirano-machi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 540-0037, Japan www.capcom.co.jp DEAD RISING: CHOP TILL YOU DROP CAPCOM 75 Wii FEB 09 �0.44m 5 RESIDENT EVIL ARCHIVES CAPCOM 74 Wii JUN 09 �0.32m 30 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS STUDIO PROFILE C apcom has steadily climbed the Develop 100 over Hunter suffers from the disenchantment of the UK's the past few years, with this year's showing a new hardcore gaming community with PSP? It will be high for the 27-year old Japanese giant. It's ironic interesting to see if its Wii incarnation, Monster Hunter perhaps that it has done so on the back of two of the Tri, does better when it launches here this year. oldest and most enduring franchises In general, Capcom prefers still fit-for-purpose in gaming. franchises that straddle platforms � Resident Evil 5 was widely-praised for and indeed media. Its self-proclaimed "The company its incredible graphics and enjoyed `Single Content Multiple Usage' puts its recent solid reviews, although it didn't score strategy aims to migrate its intellectual success down to quite as highly as its predecessor. Less properties far and wide. Thus while welcome were accusations of racism home video games is by far the biggest a restructuring that dogged the survival horror title; of Capcom's five operating units with that has made UK ratings board the BBFC looked at nearly 70 per cent of total sales, its certain aspects of the gameplay and growing mobile business, its arcade Capcom more rejected the claims. Regardless, within game development and operation outwardthree months it had sold five million businesses, and even its relatively tiny copies worldwide, becoming the moves (in financial terms) to migrate its looking than fastest-selling Resident Evil game in the brands to everything from music CDs many of the series' 14-year old history. to comics to a theatrical production of Japanese old Street Fighter IV marked perhaps a Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney � yes really more surprising return of an old � are seen as equally important spokes guard. It was the slugger, with the title garnering in the wheel. first Japanese spectacular acclaim. The company also puts its recent Within a couple of months of success down to a restructuring that company to Capcom's financial results to March has made Capcom more outwardrelease titles on 2009, the game had shifted looking than many of the Japanese old Valve's Steam, 2.5 million copies; having been guard. For instance, it was the first released much earlier in the year Japanese company to release titles on for instance." than most retail blockbusters, it had Valve's Steam, and its last financial plenty of time to run up impressive UK report trumpeted how overseas sales sales, too. had edged ahead of domestic revenues. It's also keenly, Not all Capcom's big domestic success are universal if carefully, turned to external non-Japanese studios for blockbusters, however. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite sequels to the likes of Dead Rising and Final Fight. didn't contribute much to Capcom's UK tally. In Japan, At the last count Capcom had nearly 2,000 staff, taking the series is a phenomenon, having sold well over 3.5 in all its operating divisions and subsidiaries; there's no million copies by the middle of 2009. Perhaps Monster breakdown as to how many work in game development. 31 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 08 STATISTICS Founded: 1996 Owned by: Activision TREYARCH �30.99m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR ACTIVISION 1 XB360, PS3, Wii PC NOV 08 �24.02m 2 QUANTUM OF SOLACE ACTIVISION 7 XB360, PS3 NOV 08 �3.53m COUNTRY: USA 3 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE REFLEX EDITION ACTIVISION 1 Wii NOV 09 �2.41m 4 CONTACTS Address: 100 N. Sepulveda Blvd, Suite 1100, El Segundo, CA. 90245, USA www.treyarch.com CALL OF DUTY 3 ACTIVISION 3 Wii, XB360, PS3 PS2, XB NOV 06 �0.89m 5 SPIDER-MAN 3 ACTIVISION 1 XB360, PS3 MAY 07 �0.09m 32 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS STUDIO PROFILE he Californian powerhouse developer Treyarch year's Develop 100. Debuting with the lamentable Die only released one new title onto the UK High by the Sword for Interplay, the company didn't get off Street in 2009 � the Wii version of 2007's to an auspicious start, and indeed unlike many great blockbuster Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Despite game developers Treyarch didn't hit its stride in terms tagging the word `Reflex Edition' onto of critically well-received software until the already lengthy game name, after its 2001 acquisition by the U.S. Treyarch's Wiimote and Nunchuck take publishing giant. "The recent on Infinity Ward's acclaimed shooter According to a posting on LinkedIn upsets at Infinity was more faithful than gamers had any by a senior animator last May, Treyarch Ward will right to expect a Wii game to be. The has been at work on Call of Duty 7 for title earned strong reviews, and it has at least a year, though Activision has presumably sold well to older brothers and dads not officially confirmed the studio is further who couldn't stand to bowl another behind the inevitable update. ball on Wii. Call of Duty 7 (most likely a working strengthen Reflex Edition is another Call of Duty title) is expected to arrive this Treyarch's title in the bank for Treyarch, whose UK Christmas, and there's been intriguing sales performance last year shows how gossip that it could make use of some position in the far we've come from the old era of sixform of subscription-based revenue Activision stable week shelf-lives in videogaming. model, after Activision Blizzard in the months 2008's Call of Duty: World at War was executives pointed analysts during a still selling a year later in volumes conference call towards the money the ahead. The sufficient to bankroll an entire small company earns from monthly studio already publisher. It was helped of course by payments with World of Warcraft. the immense publicity for sister studio In 2005 Treyarch merged with escaped the axe Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern another Activision acquisition, Gray when its parent Warfare 2, which wasn't released until Matter Interactive of Los Angeles, and cut studios November 2009. But further assistance while official details are scant, we came from the game's sheer quality � estimate the studio currently employs across its ranks." demonstrated by the strong initial at least 200 people. The recent upsets reviews � as well as the steady release at Infinity Ward will presumably further throughout 2009 of extra World at War downloadable strengthen Treyarch's position in the Activision stable content, which even added zombies to the more in the months ahead. The studio already escaped the familiar World War II mix. The undead subsequently axe when its parent cut workers and indeed entire made it into an iPhone version of the title, too. companies across its ranks of developers in early 2010, Treyarch was founded in 1996, and is one of a including shutting down Treyarch's Santa Monicaplethora of Activision owned studios to feature in this based peer, Luxoflux. T 33 Z ZZ ZZW^ Z ZZZZ Z Z Z Z Z Z www.rabcat.com Z ZZZ Z Congratulations to the 100 most successful Z ZZZ LEADING PROVIDER OF ,/', E'ZW,/^&KZ s/K'D^ dZZZZZZZ ZZ Z ZZ ^Z Z Z Z Z Z ZZ Z ZZ Z ZZ Z ZZZ Z Z Z Z E X C E E D I N G E X P E C T A T I O N S professional art outsourcing solutions for the international gaming industry game studios feature in the Z In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 09 STATISTICS Founded: 1993 Independent YUKE'S �30.06m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 UFC 2009: UNDISPUTED THQ 1 XB360, PS3 MAY 09 �13.47m 2 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2010 THQ 5 XB360, PS3, Wii PSP, PS2 OCT 09 �8.59m COUNTRY: Japan 3 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2009 THQ 5 XB360, PS3, Wii PS2, PSP NOV 08 �3.64m 4 CONTACTS Address: 4-45-1 Ebisujima, Sakai, Osaka 590-0985, Japan www.yukes.co.jp WWE LEGENDS OF WRESTLEMANIA THQ 4 XB360, PS3 MAR 09 �3.62m 5 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2008 THQ 2 XB360, PS3, PS2, Wii, DS, PSP NOV 07 �0.47m 36 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS STUDIO PROFILE hen we published the third Develop 100 in On the licensing level, as you'd expect with a series 2007, no lesser publication than The Guardian that has sold around 50 million copies and generated singled out one particular entry with the $1.4 billion worldwide, the WWE franchise has thrown following comment: "Number 8 is a bit of a mystery; up occasional spats � okay, full-blown legal disputes � does anyone know Japanese between THQ and toy company developers Yuke's?" Jakks Pacific, who were long the We knew exactly where it was joint licensors of the WWE rights, "THQ holds a coming from � when we first saw the as well as with the World name `Yuke's' spewned out by our Wrestling Entertainment, Inc, the minority stake data-crunchers back during the first franchise's owner. in Yuke's and Develop 100's production in 2005, we The latest of these ended in late weren't wildly better informed, either. 2009 with an announcement from both publisher Unless you're both a fan of wrestling THQ that the lawsuit had been settled, and developer games and the kind of fan who looks with THQ agreeing to pay the WWE enjoy a long beyond the publisher's label to work $13.2 million and Jakks $20 million out who made the game, Yuke's is over the next four years. In addition, term `strategic probably an unknown quantity to you, THQ's joint venture with Jakks Pacific relationship' too. At Develop we're certainly also came to an end. developer spotters, but while we're There were clearly no hard feelings that makes happy to pretend to be men in tights with the WWE, however, since THQ it less in a wide variety of genres, wrestling announced at the same time that it straightforward has never really done it for us, making had signed a new deal to be the sole Yuke's a perennial enigma. WWE game publisher for the next for either And Yuke's is certainly an oddity. The eight years � three years further than company to hop company, which reportedly numbers the previous run. less than 100 staff, is independent of This news alone bodes well for into bed with its long-time partner THQ, despite Yuke's future performance in the another." creating wrestling games for the Develop 100, but besides the publisher since the late 1990s. With blockbuster WWE games, Yuke's has that relationship spanning an era also developed a new line in Ultimate where developers were gobbled up like whitebait, Fighting Championship games for THQ. The first game that's unusual. THQ does hold a minority stake in Yuke's was very well-received by reviewers and public alike, though, and the publisher and developer enjoy a long selling over 3.5 million worldwide by February this year. term `strategic relationship' that makes it less Yuke's has just finished work on a sequel, UFC straightforward for either company to hop into bed Undisputed 2010, released in May 2010. All of which with another. means that Yuke's future is secure. W 37 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 10 STATISTICS Founded: 1998 Independent LEVEL-5 �29.14m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 PROFESSOR LAYTON AND THE CURIOUS VILLAGE NINTENDO 3 DS SEPT 08 �15.75m 2 PROFESSOR LAYTON AND PANDORA'S BOX NINTENDO 2 DS SEPT 09 �13.38m COUNTRY: Japan 3 ROGUE GALAXY SONY 70 PS2 SEPT 07 �0.01m CONTACTS Address: 1-20-3 Kamiyo Yakuin Building, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka-ken, 810-0012, Japan www.level5.co.jp 38 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS STUDIO PROFILE hile Japanese consumers are enjoying the but there's more to Level-5 than its topsecond trilogy of the Professor Layton games, hatted supersleuth. here in the Europe we're precisely two titles in. Founded in 1998 and kicking off with the highThe latest, Professor Layton and Pandora's Box, was profile PlayStation 2 RPG Dark Cloud, Level-5 has gone first released in Japan in 2007, but it on to make a variety of RPGs for Sony didn't hit UK retailers until September and Square Enix (plus an infamous 2009. At this rate, we'll be cradling canned MMO for Microsoft), as well as "There's more to antique DSes in our hands while its own self-published games. The Level-5 than its taking heli-cabs to the space port at company recently teased that it's top-hatted Canary Wharf before we Brits get to working on unnamed Wii and PS3 finish the series. games, too. supersleuth. Such frustrated riffing is common Many of Level-5's completed games Since its first among UK Layton fans, which revelas have yet to make it out of its domestic the kind of strange loyalty this territory, however. game, the outwardly simplistic puzzle-based There's been no sniff of a Western high-profile adventure game inspires. Layton's release for its DS soccer RPG Inazuma characters are so gently drawn � the Eleven, for instance, bar a trademark PlayStation 2 cartoon graphics so charming, and the application uncovered by eagle-eyed RPG Dark Cloud, stories so unassumingly compelling � bloggers � and that is just one among the studio has that most players scarcely notice several Level-5 franchises virtually they're wandering around in what's unknown here. Indeed, we're still been very essentially a non-linear puzzle book. waiting for its DS smash hit Dragon prolific. But few Accordingly, the Layton series has Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies � sold millions at home and abroad, and Square Enix has sold four million of the of its games has thus underwritten the expansion blighters in Japan, but has done little have made of its Japanese developer Level-5, more than vaguely nod towards a it outside which also made its publishing debut western release. with the franchise. Perhaps the Layton-inspired shine of Japan." The company now numbers 210 that Level-5 enjoys among the staff, with offices in Fukuoka and � as European and North American DS of January � Tokyo. cognoscenti would dim if we played too many of its CEO Akihiro Hino also spoke in February about Japanese games. One title that did get a release here opening a US office to expedite up the rollout of Level- recently was Sony's White Knight Chronicles. While some 5 software there. sites were prepared to overlook its multiplayer flaws and That may seem quite some operation for the creator award it scores like 8/10, most were less impressed and of a DS puzzle game � even one of Layton's potency � the game has a sub-70 rating on Metacritic. W 39 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 11 STATISTICS Founded: 1989 Owned by: Warner Bros. TRAVELLER'S TALES �28.52m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 LEGO BATMAN: THE VIDEOGAME WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 2 XB360, Wii, DS, PSP, PS3, PS2, PC OCT 08 �9.28m 2 COUNTRY: UK LEGO INDIANA JONES: ORIGINAL ADVENTURES LUCASARTS 1 XB360, DS, Wii PSP, PS3, PS2, PC JUN 08 �5.81m 3 4 LEGO INDIANA JONES 2: ADVENTURE CONTINUES LUCASARTS 8 Wii, XB360, DS, PS3, PSP, PC NOV 09 �5.42m LEGO STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA LUCASARTS 11 Wii, DS, PS3, XB360 NOV 07 �5.08m CONTACTS Address: Canute Court, Toft Road, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 0NL, UK www.ttgames.com 5 GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS: THE VIDEOGAME WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE 23 Wii, DS NOV 08 �1.21m WHILE THEY'VE GOT all the Lego blocks a four-year old could eat, they've not got programmers' block yet in Knutsford. 2009 saw Traveller's Tales revisit Lego Indiana Jones across the formats, and it also rocked out with Lego Rock Band, although this didn't make the top five by sales. Add in the staying power of earlier games and it's no surprise there's plenty more where these hits came from (which may disappoint reviewers who are starting to mark down the games for repetition). If Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 doesn't sell millions we'll eat a sorting hat, and Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars is in development, too. In fact, fellow wholly-owned Warner Bros' subsidiary TT Games recently extended its deal with Lego to 2016, after achieving sales of nearly 50 million Lego games. 40 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS NEVERSOFT �22.01m HIGHEST UK CHART STATISTICS Founded: 1994 Owned by: Activision TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS 12 UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE NOV 08 �7.61m SEP 09 �6.65m MAY 09 �3.17m NOV 07 �2.57m NOV 09 �1.50m 1 GUITAR HERO: WORLD TOUR ACTIVISION 4 XB360, PS3 2 COUNTRY: USA GUITAR HERO 5 ACTIVISION 1 XB360, PS3 3 4 GUITAR HERO: METALLICA ACTIVISION 4 XB360, PS3 GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK ACTIVISION 4 Wii, XB360, PS3 CONTACTS Address: 20335 Ventura Blvd, Suite 320, Woodland Hills, California, 91364, USA www.neversoft.com 5 BAND HERO ACTIVISION 42 XB360, PS3 IT'S THE BEST of times, and the worst of times, or Neversoft. Massive ongoing success with the Guitar Hero franchise in 2009 clearly qualifies for the `best of' badge. But news of layoffs in February followed by a statement from Activision saying it will cut down the number of music-based games it releases in a year � and talk that development of the Guitar Hero titles has been moved to Activision stablemate Vicarious Visions � is hardly a positive. Surviving staff may someday admit that losing Guitar Hero was the best thing that ever happened to them � it's been being beaten in the review stakes by Rock Band, and it's clear Activision was stretching the brand. On the other hand, there's been no word on what the Tony Hawk and GUN originator will do next... 41 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT �21.48m HIGHEST UK CHART STATISTICS Founded: 2006 (from a merger of Konami studio teams) Owned by: Konami TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS 13 UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE OCT 09 �12.37m OCT 08 �5.52m JUN 08 �0.95m OCT 07 �0.67m MAR 08 �0.62m 1 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2010 KONAMI 1 PS3, XB360, PS2 PSP, Wii, PC 2 COUNTRY: Japan PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2009 KONAMI 1 XB360, PS3, Wii PSP, PS2, PC 3 4 METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS KONAMI 1 PS3 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2008 KONAMI 1 Wii, XB360, PS3, PS2, PSP, DS, PC CONTACTS Address: 9-7-2 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-8323, Japan www.konami-digitalentertainment.com 5 DANCING STAGE HOTTEST PARTY KONAMI 110 Wii IT'S SURPRISING TO see Konami's latest Develop 100 placing come down to a football franchise, albeit one with an illustrious past. Sadly, `past' could be the crucial world. Back in 2008, Konami ranked at number four in our chart, largely on the strength of the �26.7 million that Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 achieved at UK retail. Released at the same point in 2009, the latest PES sold less than half as much. Even worse, PES is no critically lauded underdog. According to Metacritic, EA's FIFA 10 scores over 90, while PES only makes it to the high 70s. Of course Konami is a massive operation, and this chart relates only to internally developed games. Konami fans must hope Kojima's Metal Gear Solid: Rising and MGS: Peace Walker will do the business before next year's listing. 43 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 14 STATISTICS Founded: 2001 Owned by: Microsoft TURN 10 STUDIOS �20.79m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 FORZA MOTORSPORT 3 MICROSOFT 2 XB360 OCT 09 �20.38m 2 COUNTRY: USA FORZA MOTORSPORT 2 MICROSOFT 1 XB360 JUN 07 �0.04m CONTACTS Address: 1 Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington, 98052, USA www.forzamotorsport.net ROARING UP THE charts thanks to Xbox 360 smash Forza Motorsport 3, Turn 10 Studios proves familiarity need not breed contempt for game developers. The second Forza title from this wholly-owned Microsoft Games Studio in just two years � and the third since 2005 � Forza Motorsport 3 was greeted with rapturous applause by the Xbox press, who rate it the best driving game on the platform (gun-toting GTA IV aside). Clearly a labour of love, the studio deployed an incredible ten times as many polygons into each car model compared with the almost as well-received Forza Motorsport 2, which was released only 12 months previously for the same hardware. Founded in 2001, Turn 10 enters its second decade creating DLC for Forza 3 and, we're sure, developing Forza 4, which is rumoured to include Natal support. 44 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 15 STATISTICS Founded:1986 Owned by: Codemasters CODEMASTERS STUDIOS �19.20m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 OPERATION FLASHPOINT: DRAGON RISING CODEMASTERS 2 XB360, PS3, PC OCT 09 �8.79m 2 COUNTRY: UK COLIN MCRAE: DIRT 2 CODEMASTERS 2 XB360, PS3, PC DEC 09 �6.28m 3 4 RACE DRIVER: GRID CODEMASTERS 2 PS3, XB360, PC MAY 08 �3.03m COLIN MCRAE: DIRT CODEMASTERS 3 PS3, XB360, PC JUN 07 �0.88m CONTACTS Address: Stoneythorpe, Southam, Warwickshire, CV47 2DL, UK www.codemasters.com 5 BELLA SARA CODEMASTERS 330 DS MAR 09 � 0.13m 2009 SAW CODEMASTERS roll back the years, with two best-sellers very near the top of the UK charts and last year's Race Driver: Grid continuing to do the business. Dirt 2 was well-received; interestingly, despite their very different genres, both it and Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising made use of Codemasters' EGO Engine. The future could hold some very different opportunities for the Warwickshire firm, however, following news that the massive Indian conglomerate Reliance has bought 50 per cent of the company, alongside existing VCs Balderton Capital. Codemasters will work with Reliance's game division, Zapak Digital Entertainment, with the latter likely to take Codemasters' franchises to new platforms, including mobile. Codemasters already employs 300 staff in the UK, and has annual global revenues in excess of $150 million. 46 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 16 STATISTICS Founded: 1991 Independent BUNGIE �19.04m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 HALO 3: ODST MICROSOFT 1 XB360 SEP 09 �15.99m 2 COUNTRY: USA HALO 3 MICROSOFT 1 XB360 SEP 07 �3.01m 3 HALO 2 MICROSOFT 1 PC, XB Xxxxxx �0.04m CONTACTS Address: 434 Kirkland Way, Kirkland WA, 98033, USA www.bungie.net JUDGING FROM Halo: ODST, Bungie is doing just fine now it's out in the realms of the independents again after splitting from Microsoft in 2007. Its first title developed since the split was lauded by nearly all reviewers � a few said it wasn't quite a full-sized retail release � and sold three million copies in less than two months. It's expected that Bungie's next game, Halo: Reach, will be the last Halo title the studio will develop for Microsoft, which retained a minority stake in Bungie following the demerger. Reach is due this autumn; future iterations will be handled by new Microsoft division 343 Industries. There's no official word on what Bungie's 160-plus employees will be developing in its new 80,000 sq.ft. offices, but it recently trademarked `Bungie Aerospace'. Employees in interviews have confirmed an unnamed new franchise is in development. 47 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 17 STATISTICS Founded: 2009 Independent SLIGHTLY MAD STUDIOS �17.65m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT ELECRONIC ARTS 1 PS3, XB360, PC SEP 09 �17.65m 2 - COUNTRY: UK 3 - 4 - CONTACTS Address: 5th Floor, Mill House, 8 Mill Street, London, SE1 2BA www.slightlymadstudios.com 5 - WHEN GERMAN CONGLOMERATE 10tacle got into difficulties, they eventually put its UK developer Blimey! Games into administration, threatening jobs at one of London's last sizeable codeshops. However swift footwork by Blimey!'s directors saw a new outfit, Slightly Mad Studios, swoop in to secure the stricken company's assets from the administrator in early January 2009, securing all the jobs. Headed up by Blimey! Games' founder Ian Bell, Slightly Mad was soon revealed as the developer for EA's Need for Speed Shift, working in conjunction with executive producer Michael Mann at EA Black Box and Patrick Soderlund of EA Games Europe. Shift received great reviews across the board, and the remarkable sales that followed have landed 95-strong Slightly Mad near the top of the Develop 100. Bonkers � in a good way. 48 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS VICARIOUS VISIONS �17.46m HIGHEST UK CHART STATISTICS Founded: 1992 Owned by: Activision TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS 18 UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE NOV 08 �4.95m SEP 09 �3.90m NOV 06 �1.68m NOV 09 �1.42m NOV 08 �1.38m 1 GUITAR HERO: WORLD TOUR ACTIVISION 4 Wii, PS2 2 COUNTRY: USA GUITAR HERO 5 ACTIVISION 1 Wii 3 4 MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 2 ACTIVISION 7 XB360, PS3 BAND HERO ACTIVISION 42 Wii, DS CONTACTS Address: 150 Broadway, Suite 205, Menands, New York 12204, USA www.vvisions.com 5 GUITAR HERO: ON TOUR DECADES ACTIVISION 36 DS IF THE RUMOURS are to be believed, Vicarious Visions' Wii versions of Guitar Hero 5, Guitar Hero: World Tour, and Band Hero have won it future lead format development duties for the Guitar Hero franchise, to commence following the release of the sixth title that's currently in development at recently-shrunk Neversoft. If true, it will be some coup for a studio once bestknown for its handheld games. Wholly-owned by Activision since January 2005, but founded way back in 1990 by brothers Karthik and Guha Bala, Vicarious Visions is a rare New York area game developer. A bit of a quiet stalking horse, as of 2008 it already had more than 150 employees, and had shipped 100 titles amount to $1 billion at retail worldwide. All those numbers will have increased since then. 49 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 19 STATISTICS Founded: 1982 as EA Redwood Shores, Visceral rebrand in 2009 Owned by: Electronic Arts VISCERAL GAMES �16.48m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 THE GODFATHER II ELECTRONIC ARTS 2 XB360, PS3, PC APR 09 �5.68m 2 COUNTRY: USA MYSIMS AGENTS ELECTRONIC ARTS 7 DS, Wii SEP 09 �2.56m 3 4 DEAD SPACE ELECTRONIC ARTS 6 XB360, PS3, PC OCT 08 �2.49m MYSIMS KINGDOM ELECTRONIC ARTS 22 Wii, DS OCT 08 �2.26m CONTACTS Address: 209 Redwood Shores, Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065, USA www.visceralgames.com 5 MYSIMS ELECTRONIC ARTS 2 DS, Wii, PC SEP 07 �1.20m VISCA-WHO? DON'T worry, you're not wildly out of touch. Visceral Games is the name slapped for no obvious reason last April onto what we used to call EA Redwood Shores. If forced to guess, we'd look through the PR message to wager that the renaming reflects EA trying to telegraph to investors that some of its output is in the same bloody ballpark as Take-Two and Activision's. Visceral is after all the source of EA's gorier Godfather, Dead Space, and Dante's Inferno franchises, and there's also apparently a downloadable Jack the Ripper game in development there, too. (Many of the Sims titles previously handled by `Redwood Shores' will now be made by the co-located The Sims Studio.) Visceral's two hundred employees are also working on Dead Space 2, which is due next year. 50 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS ROCKSTAR NORTH �16.30m HIGHEST UK CHART STATISTICS Founded: 1988 Owned by: Rockstar Games/Take-Two TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS 20 UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE APR 08 �8.48m APR 10 �7.25m OCT 04 �0.47m OCT 01 �0.04m NOV 05 �0.03m 1 GRAND THEFT AUTO IV TAKE-TWO 1 XB360, PS3 2 COUNTRY: UK GRAND THEFT AUTO EPISODES: LIBERTY CITY TAKE-TWO 6 XB360 3 4 GRAND THEFT AUTO: SAN ANDREAS TAKE-TWO 1 PS2, PC, XB GRAND THEFT AUTO 3 TAKE-TWO 1 PC, PS2 CONTACTS Address: Carlton Square, 1 Greenside Row, Edinburgh, EH1 3AP, UK www.rockstarnorth.com 5 GRAND THEFT AUTO: THE TRILOGY TAKE-TWO 464 PS2, XB GRAND THEFT AUTO IV not only kept selling like hot drugs in 2009 � its fabulous DLC bundle for retail outsold most of the competition, too. Forget the long tail: As a character from Liberty City might say, it's all about being Mr Big these days. Located in Edinburgh and still wholly-owned by TakeTwo Interactive (despite recurrent speculation of acquisition bids), Rockstar North is an enigma even in its home country. While Rockstar San Diego and other locations were rocked by allegations over working conditions, Rockstar North staff are either blissfully happy or in solitary confinement. The studio is working on Agent, an original PS3 game being overseen by Rockstar's founding Houser brothers, who agreed a deal in late 2008 locking them in until 2012. A new GTA release is undoubtedly underway, too. 51 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS THE SIMS STUDIO �16.22m HIGHEST UK CHART STATISTICS Founded: 2008 Owned by: Electronic Arts TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS 21 UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE JUN 09 �14.64m NOV 09 �1.34m OCT 09 �0.24m 1 THE SIMS 3 ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 PC 2 COUNTRY: USA THE SIMS 3: WORLD ADVENTURES ELECTRONIC ARTS 36 PC 3 SIMANIMALS: AFRICA ELECTRONIC ARTS 228 DS, Wii CONTACTS Address: 209 Redwood Shores Parkway, Redwood City, CA 94065, USA thesims.ea.com HALF THE GAMING world still thinks Maxis makes the The Sims, but that hasn't been true for years. Maxis is all about Spore; instead, EA created The Sims Studio to handle the proliferation of The Sims IP across sequels, the next set of MySims console spin-offs, and countless expansion packs. Some of the latter � such as World Adventures � are even considered bestsellers in their own right. However even that's not the whole story, because The Sims Studio isn't a studio, but a division of EA Play that includes several production teams, working out of EA's Redwood offices. Complicating matters further, a team from The Sims Studio has moved to EA Salt Lake City. A console release for The Sims 3 is rumoured this year, as well as more MySims games. EA has also pencilled in a new PC Sims product for early 2011. 53 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 22 STATISTICS Founded: 1992 Independent VALVE �16.15m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 LEFT 4 DEAD 2 ELECTRONIC ARTS 7 XB360, PC NOV 09 �9.98m 2 COUNTRY: USA LEFT 4 DEAD ELECTRONIC ARTS 11 XB360, PC NOV 08 �5.19m 3 4 THE ORANGE BOX ELECTRONIC ARTS 3 XB360, PC OCT 07 �0.75m COUNTER-STRIKE: SOURCE ELECTRONIC ARTS 196 PC OCT 05 �0.11m CONTACTS Address: 10500 NE 8th Street, Suite 1000, Bellevue, MA 98009, USA www.valvesoftware.com 5 TEAM FORTRESS 2 ELECTRONIC ARTS 637 PC APR 08 �0.05m NOW A SOLID three-franchise company � with HalfLife, Left 4 Dead, and Portal � not to mention a digital distribution pioneer with Steam, it's a wonder Valve took so long to outgrow its old Bellevue, Washington offices. But with its headcount hitting 225, the superdeveloper finally transplanted to custom-built offices this year. The new place is about three times bigger, with around 100,000 sq. ft. of prime game development floor space � the perfect environment to make Portal 2 (due late 2010) and Half-life 3 (due someday over the rainbow). Another big change at Valve is its support for the Mac OS platform via native code and Steam. Left 4 Dead 2 and its forerunner as well as other Valve games will be released for Apple Macs, albeit it through Steam rather than retail. 54 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 23 STATISTICS Founded: 1955 Owned by: Namco Bandai NAMCO �15.63m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 TEKKEN 6 ATARI 8 PS3, XB360, PSP OCT 09 �6.51m 2 COUNTRY: Japan FAMILY SKI & SNOWBOARD ATARI 42 Wii FEB 09 �1.32m 3 4 FAMILY TRAINER: EXTREME CHALLENGE ATARI 76 Wii SEP 09 �1.27m FAMILY TRAINER ATARI 9 Wii SEP 08 �1.26m CONTACTS Address: 9F Taiyo Seimei Shinagawa Building, 2-16-2 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 1080075, Japan www.bandainamco.co.jp 5 FAMILY SKI NINTENDO 28 Wii JUN 08 �1.03m THERE IS AN interesting juxtaposition in Namco Bandai's top five sellers for 2009. The above list makes up 73 per cent of its UK sales � for other studios, its top five games tend to be its only five sellers. Namco instead has a diverse slate of games. In its Wii Balance Board titles � branded `Family' in Europe � we see the newer and more casual-friendly Namco Bandai. The Wii is the single biggest platform for the its publisher parent, according to its most recent earnings report. Yet the Japanese giant's best-seller in the UK, Tekken 6, is very much somethin the more hardcore, pre-Bandai merger Namco of old is known for. As with all entries in the Develop 100, we're counting Namco Bandai-developed games, which means several fanboy-friendly `Namco games' like Klonoa made by thirdparty studios don't count towards this tally. 56 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS ROCKSTEADY STUDIOS �15.26m HIGHEST UK CHART STATISTICS Founded: 2004 Owned by: Warner Bros (majority stakeholder; Square Enix/Eidos retains a minority share) TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS 24 UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE AUG 09 �15.26m 1 BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM EIDOS 1 XB360, PS3, PC COUNTRY: UK CONTACTS Address: 1 Ballards Lane, Finchley, London N3 ILQ, UK www.rocksteadyltd.com IT'S IMPOSSIBLE NOT to see Rocksteady as a phoenix that arose from the wildfire that swept through UK game development in the Noughties. Following the collapse of Argonaut in 2004, the team behind game-in-progress Roll Call set-up Rocksteady Studios to finish it. Rocksteady was kept afloat by a cash infusion from SCi in 2005 in exchange for a 25.1% stake; this later became Eidos' and then Square Enix Europe's as UK development continued. Along the way Roll Call became 2006's Urban Chaos: Riot Response, and Rocksteady secured the gig to develop Batman: Arkham Asylum, which was released to praisefilled reviews. Finally, Warner Bros bought Rocksteady in early 2010 � Square Enix retains its 25.1 per cent share. Rocksteady employs around 70 staff in North London, and is hard at work on an Arkham follow up. 57 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 25 STATISTICS Founded: 1998 Owned by: Electronic Arts EA TIBURON �14.41m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 10 ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 Wii, PS3, XB360 JUL 09 �9.36m 2 COUNTRY: USA MADDEN NFL 10 ELECTRONIC ARTS 8 PS3, XB360, Wii AUG 09 �1.71m 3 4 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 09 ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 PS3, XB360 AUG 08 �1.64m MADDEN NFL 09 ELECTRONIC ARTS 17 XB360, PS3, PSP, PS2 AUG 08 �0.84m CONTACTS Address: 1950 Summit Park Drive, Orlando, FL 32810, USA www.ea.com 5 HENRY HATSWORTH: THE PUZZLING ADVENTURE ELECTRONIC ARTS 70 DS MAR 09 �0.46m IF IT AIN'T broke, don't fix it � we can only guess this is the motto used by EA to describe its erstwhile Tiburon, Florida offices. With the jury out on EA's shift to original IP and its recent closing of studios and projects across the board � let alone its middling push into the casual, online, and social spaces, or the slightly desperate-seeming $400 million purchase of Facebook startup PlayFish � you'd think the banker behind Tiger Woods and Madden was otherwise untouchable. Not so. Jobs went at Tiburon in January 2009 and more in November last year, as EA took out 2,500 positions from across its development resources in barely two years. Despite the losses, the studio added a new IP to its roster � fighting game EA Sports MMA � for release later this year. 58 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS EA BRIGHT LIGHT �13.61m HIGHEST UK CHART STATISTICS Founded: 1986 Owned by: Electronic Arts TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS 26 UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE JUL 09 �5.78m OCT 08 �3.08m NOV 09 �1.92m NOV 08 �1.73m SEP 09 �0.58m 1 HARRY POTTER & THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 Wii, DS, XB360, PS3, PSP, PS2, PC 2 COUNTRY: UK MONOPOLY ELECTRONIC ARTS 33 Wii, XB360, PS3 PS2 3 4 HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT: VOL 2 ELECTRONIC ARTS 32 Wii HASBRO FAMILY GAME NIGHT ELECTRONIC ARTS 52 Wii, DS, XB360 PS2 CONTACTS Address: Onslow House, Onslow Street, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4TN, UK www.ea.com 5 NEED FOR SPEED: SHIFT ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 PSP DEPLOYING THE PENULTIMATE Harry Potter title across every major format magicked EA's `other' UK developer up the rankings in 2009. Reviews were only fair, but the sales were great and the original score was good enough to secure composer James Hannigan a BAFTA. While the Guildford team developed all EA's Potter titles, it would be hard to pin a `Bright Light' sensibility onto the series, and the label is yet to live up to some of the more ambitious talk at the time of its rebranding. But in delivering not particularly ambitious takes on Potter in time for the movies' release dates, or competent digital incarnations of Hasbro's IP, the studio seems a very safe pair of hands. Indeed, EA Bright Light recently picked up development of the Spielbergoriginated Boom Blox franchise from EA Los Angeles. 59 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 27 STATISTICS Founded: 1986 Owned by: Ubisoft UBISOFT FRANCE �13.35m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 JUST DANCE UBISOFT 1 Wii NOV 09 �4.95m 2 COUNTRY: France RAYMAN RAVING RABBIDS TV PARTY UBISOFT 15 Wii NOV 08 �3.73m 3 4 RABBIDS GO HOME UBISOFTS 19 Wii, DS NOV 09 �3.30m RAYMAN RAVING RABBIDS 2 UBISOFT 12 Wii NOV 07 �0.60m CONTACTS Address: 28 rue Armand Carrel, 93 108 Montreuil Cedex, France www.ubisoftgroup.com 5 TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON: WARFIGHTER 2 UBISOFT 1 PS3, XB360, PS AUG 07 �0.40m DEVELOPED BY THE mega-publisher's Parisian office, Just Dance had sold two million units by March, which Ubisoft says makes it `the fastest selling new intellectual property from a third-party publisher on Wii'. Not one of the more obvious scalps, that one, but we take the point � Just Dance will be with us for roughly ever from here onwards. After all, Ubisoft's ancient mega-IP � Rayman � is still going strong, thanks to the Rabbids brand extension, with Ubisoft Montepelier's title getting a good reception from the casual congregation on Wii, though less so on DS. That studio is apparently still working on Beyond Good & Evil 2 under the direction of Michel Ancel, as well as a Tintin movie tie-in for 2011. Ubisoft Paris just delivered the Wiimote-toting gunslinger, Red Steel 2. 60 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS EA BLACK BOX �13.29m HIGHEST UK CHART STATISTICS Founded: 2002 Owned by: Electronic Arts TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS 28 UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE NOV 08 �6.14m JAN 09 �4.80m NOV 07 �1.17m NOV 06 �0.58m NOV 08 �0.37m 1 NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERCOVER ELECTRONIC ARTS 2 XB360, PS3, PC 2 COUNTRY: Canada SKATE 2 ELECTRONIC ARTS 3 XB360, PS3 3 4 NEED FOR SPEED: PROSTREET ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 XB360, PS3, PSP PS2, Wii, PC NEED FOR SPEED: CARBON ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 PSP, Wii, XB360 PS3, PS2, PC, AC XB, GC CONTACTS Address: One Bentall Centre, Box 77, 505 Burrard Street Vancouver, Canada www.eablackbox.com 5 SKATE IT ELECTRONIC ARTS 187 Wii EA CLOSED Black Box's gorgeous offices in downtown Vancouver in early 2009, fired more than half the staff, and relocated the remainder to nearby Burnaby. All of which raises several questions. Firstly, was EA right to shut the studio in a seemingly near-random pursuit of headcount cuts, given the subsequent good reviews and sales of Skate 2? (Perhaps � Black Box's NFS: Undercover sold well in 2009, too, and nobody thought that was a great game.) Secondly, why hasn't EA closed the old EA Black Box website? Did they fire the chap responsible? It seems a cruel memorial, or a warning, like a head on a stake. Talking of which: there were more layoffs in late 2009, and we presume the Black Box identity will disappear in time. Perhaps soon � Skate 3 just shipped. 61 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS HIGHEST UK CHART 29 STATISTICS Founded: 1989 Owned by: Sony Computer Entertainment NAUGHTY DOG �13.12m TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE 1 UNCHARTED 2: AMONG THIEVES SONY 2 PS3 OCT 09 �12.43m 2 COUNTRY: USA UNCHARTED: DRAKE'S FORTUNE SONY 22 PS3 DEC 07 �0.69m CONTACTS Address: 1601 Cloverfield Blvd., Suite 6000 North, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA www.naughtydog.com IT MAY BE an obvious choice (like Warren Buffett buying safe Coca-Cola shares and IT managers always choosing IBM) but if Develop was forced to invest into just one studio we'd plump for Naughty Dog. Whether it's in the culture, the water, or a Faustian pact with the game gods, its most recent Uncharted games prove that Naughty Dog just keeps getting better. Uncharted 2 is second only to GTA IV in the PS3 quality rankings according to Metacritic, and with 3.5 million sales worldwide as of February 2010, it's Sony's fastest-ever selling PlayStation title, too. What's most remarkable, given the lifecycle of similar studios, is how the Californian company survived both its acquisition in 2001 by Sony, and the departure of charismatic founder Jason Rubin in 2005. 62 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS SPORTS INTERACTIVE �12.81m HIGHEST UK CHART STATISTICS Founded: 1994 Owned by: Sega TOP TITLES PUBLISHER FORMATS 30 UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE OCT 09 �8.05m NOV 08 �4.37m JAN 09 �0.29m OCT 07 �0.07m OCT 06 �0.03m 1 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2010 SEGA 1 PC, PSP 2 COUNTRY: UK FOOTBALL MANAGER 2009 SEGA 3 PC, PSP 3 4 FOOTBALL MANAGER LIVE SEGA 129 PC FOOTBALL MANAGER 2008 SEGA 1 PC, XB360, PSP CONTACTS Address: PO Box 60255, London, EC1P 1GG, UK www.sigames.com 5 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2007 SEGA 1 PC, XB360, PSP THE PREMIER FOOTBALL management studio continues to do the business for Sega. Football Manager 2009 sold steadily for much of the year, before the 2010 update hit shelves in October. "Newcomers will pick it up and never want to put it down," was how The Telegraph put the traditional warning. With an office in London's Old Street, Sports Interactive now has 60 full-time staff and also calls upon over 1,000 researchers and translators around the world. It continues to work on the Football Manager series, as well as Football Manager Handheld for PSP as well as its multiplayer online game, Football Manager Live, which was recently rebooted. Its R&D department is also busy working on new ideas, of which Football Manager on iPhone is the most recent to come to fruition. 63 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 31 Founded: 1993 SCE LONDON STUDIO # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE SINGSTAR TAKE THAT EYEPET SINGSTAR ABBA SINGSTAR QUEEN SINGSTAR MOTOWN PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART SONY SONY SONY SONY SONY 15 18 25 22 34 �12.25m FORMATS PS3, PS2 PS3 PS2, PS3 PS3, PS2 PS3, PS2 UK RELEASE DATE NOV 09 OCT 09 NOV 08 MAR 09 SEP 09 REVENUE �2.45m �1.90m �1.73m �1.37m �0.69m STATISTICS Owned by: Sony Computer Entertainment www.scee.com WITH PS3 TITLES Eight Days and The Getaway put `on hold' in 2008 and numerous key staff having departed, SCE's firstparty London outfit is a very different proposition in 2010 compared to 2000, when it was the games equivalent of the CGI houses and movie companies that infest Soho. Yet it's not the first time the focus of Sony's London development resource has changed since it began with the PlayStation project in 1993. And with its current emphasis on mass-market social games like EyePet and SingStar Take That, London Studio is fighting on crucial fronts for Sony's platform. Besides, art director Nicolas Doucet told a French website in late 2009 that those more hardcore games really are suspended � as opposed to abandoned � so who knows what 2011 could see? CONTACTS Address: 15 Great Marlborough Street, London, W1F 7HR, UK 32 Founded: 2000 GUERRILLA GAMES # 1 2 TITLE KILLZONE 2 KILLZONE: LIBERATION PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART SONY SONY 1 79 �11.27m FORMATS PS3 PSP UK RELEASE DATE FEB 09 NOV 06 REVENUE �10.95m �0.33m STATISTICS Owned by: Sony Computer Entertainment www.guerilla-games.com ALMOST 100 PER CENT OF Guerrilla Games' sales at UK retail in 2009 can be chalked down to just one superb title: its latest shooter, Killzone 2. Of course, it's a long-time since the 130 staff in Guerrilla's historic Amsterdam offices did anything else but Killzone � 2004, to be precise, when the studio developed the lacklustre Shellshock: Nam '67 in the same year that it unleashed Killzone onto the world. Guerrilla was acquired by Sony in 2005, and since then it has released just two further titles � Killzone 2, of course, and Killzone: Liberation for PSP. With Killzone 2 having secured excellent reviews and sales, Sony shocked nobody in March when it announced that Guerrilla was working on Killzone 3. There's no official release date, so don't hold your breath until 2011. CONTACTS Address: Herengracht 410, Amsterdam, 1017BX, The Netherlands 66 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 33 Founded: 1986 Owned by: Bethesda BETHESDA # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE FALLOUT 3 FALLOUT 3: GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION THE ELDER SCROLLS IV: OBLIVION GOTY FALLOUT 3: GAME ADD-ON PACK THE ELDER SCROLLS IV: OBLIVION PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART BETHESDA BETHESDA TAKE2/UBISOFT BETHESDA TAKE2/UBISOFT 1 10 63 22 1 �10.83m FORMATS XB360, PS3, PC XB360, PS3, PC XB360, PS3 XB360, PS3 XB360, PS3, PC UK RELEASE DATE OCT 08 OCT 09 SEP 07 AUG 09 MAR 06 REVENUE �5.01m �2.85m �1.38m �0.55m �0.40m STATISTICS www.bethesda.com IT IS OFTEN the case that the rich get richer in the Develop 100 these days, with great games frequently contributing to studio's ranking one or even two years after its debut. Bethesda's performance in 2009 takes this to the extreme. None of the contributors to its 2009 performance were a fully novel release, with Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition packaging up the classic 2008 title with its five subsequent DLC releases, and Bethesda's third best-seller doing the same with 2006's Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. With the Rockville, Maryland company's publishing arm farming out Fallout New Vegas development to Obsidian , it will be interesting to see where this studio places next year. Rumours (based on court filings) suggest an online Elder Scrolls MMO has been in development since 2006. CONTACTS Address: 1370 Piccard Drive, Suite 120, Rockville, MD 20850, USA 34 Founded: 1991 Owned by: Activision RADICAL ENTERTAINMENT # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE [PROTOTYPE] CSI: DARK MOTIVES CRASH: MIND OVER MUTANT CRASH TAG TEAM RACING CRASH OF THE TITANS PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ACTIVISION BLIZZARD UBISOFT ACTIVISION BLIZZARD ACTIVISION BLIZZARD ACTIVISION BLIZZARD 1 23 79 19 10 �9.92m FORMATS XB360, PS3, PC DS, PC Wii, XB360, PS2 PSP, PS2, XB, GC Wii, PS2, XB360 UK RELEASE DATE JUN 09 OCT 05 OCT 08 NOV 05 OCT 07 REVENUE �8.21m �0.92m �0.47m �0.14m �0.08m STATISTICS www.radical.ca WE'VE GUSHED BEFORE about Radical's Vancouver base, with highlights of the lofty space including an in-office log cabin, cosy fireplace, fitness centre, and a kitchen straight out of central casting. In its open world gore-fest Prototype, the studio finally gave us a game worth getting excited over, too. Radical is approaching its 20th birthday, but Prototype was its first attempt at an original title � the studio's development slate has more usually been filled with licensed properties from across the game and TV spectrum, and the results have not always been pretty. Prototype saw great reviews and very decent sales, but this didn't stop some 90 Radical staff reportedly being cut loose by Activision Blizzard in early 2010. Nor has it yet led to official news of a Prototype 2. CONTACTS Address: 8th Floor, 369 Terminal Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6A 4C4, Canada 67 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 35 Founded: 1996 Owned by: THQ VOLITION # 1 2 3 TITLE RED FACTION: GUERRILLA SAINTS ROW 2 SAINTS ROW PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART THQ THQ THQ 2 3 1 �9.76m FORMATS XB360, PS3 XB360, PS3, PC XB360 UK RELEASE DATE JUN 09 OCT 08 AUG 06 REVENUE �5.60m �3.99m �0.17m STATISTICS www.volition-inc.com ILLINOIS' VOLITION HAS performed well since being acquired by THQ in 2000, but with Red Faction: Guerrilla it delivered above expectations. THQ's CEO Brian Farrell revealed in a conference call last July that it had shipped a million copies in less than two months, but awarded his publishing arm just a `B' grade, saying THQ might have done more to build initial demand. Farrell added that he hoped what turned out to be a trio of DLC releases would extend the game's life. The ongoing success of 2008's Saint's Row 2 is testament to such a strategy, which sees DLC as a marketing and engagement tool as much as an additional source of income. Word of a new Red Faction trickled out in February, with Volition's 200-plus staff now working towards an E3 reveal. CONTACTS Address: One Main Plaza, Suite 300,, Champaign IL, 61820, USA 36 Founded: 1987 Owned by: Electronic Arts MAXIS # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE SIMANIMALS THE SIMS 2: DOUBLE DELUXE SPORE THE SIMS 2: PETS THE SIMS 2: CASTAWAY PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS 22 78 3 �9.54m FORMATS Wii, DS PC PC UK RELEASE DATE JAN 09 APR 08 SEP 08 OCT 06 OCT 07 REVENUE �1.67m �1.20m �1.18m �0.66m �0.57m STATISTICS 3 PC,PSP,DS,PS2,GBA,GC 7 DS, Wii, PSP, PS2 www.maxis.com WITH SIMS AND SimCity creator and all-round genius Will Wright having finally done a runner in April 2009 from the studio he founded two decades previously, the future of Maxis has to be uncertain. Let's be honest � having survived for over a decade as a recognisable label after EA's acquisition in 1997 (even if not an entirely independent studio since the mid-Noughties), Maxis was already on borrowed time. The first fruits of the post-Wright era aren't promising; SimAnimals for Wii and DS betrays many of the recessive characteristics of the `bad strand' of Sim games. The next Sims it was not, and with that brand now operating under The Sims Studio label, this is could be Maxis' last top 50 appearance � unless a surprise future Spore, hinted at and apparently worked on by Wright, can revive Maxis' fortunes. CONTACTS Address: 2 Theatre Square, Orinda, California, 94563-3346, USA 68 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 37 Founded: 1999 Independent GEARBOX SOFTWARE # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE BORDERLANDS BROTHERS IN ARMS: HELL'S HIGHWAY SAMBA DE AMIGO HALO: COMBAT EVOLVED BROTHERS IN ARMS: DOUBLE TIME PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART TAKE 2 UBISOFT SEGA MICROSOFT UBISOFT 7 3 18 2 260 �9.45m FORMATS XB360, PS3, PC XB360, PS3, PC Wii PC Wii UK RELEASE DATE OCT 09 SEP 08 SEP 08 MAR 02 SEP 08 REVENUE �7.10m �1.38m �0.83m �0.06m �0.05m STATISTICS www.gearboxsoftware.com FOUNDED IN 1999 by veterans of the Texas first-person shooter scene, Gearbox quickly moved from legendary addons for Valve's HalfLlife, through high-quality ports � including the PC version of Halo for Microsoft � to creating its original and successful Brothers in Arms franchise. All this experience culminated in Borderlands, released towards the end of 2009 to excellent reviews. An original IP that also indulges in some RPG/FPS splicing, president Randy Pitchford revealed at DICE in February that Borderlands had by then sold three million copies worldwide. As well as Sega's Aliens: Colonial Marines, Gearbox teases that its staff are working on three other triple-A titles, one of which 2009 court filings from Take-Two suggested is � or, at least, was � Duke Begins. CONTACTS Address: 101 East Park Blvd, Suite 1069, Planto, TX, 75074, USA 38 Founded: 1995 Owned by: MTV Games HARMONIX # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND ROCK BAND 2 ROCK BAND AC/DC LIVE: ROCK BAND ROCK BAND: SONG PACK 2 PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS 4 70 6 332 404 �9.20m FORMATS XB360, Wii, PS3 XB360, PS3, Wii, PS2 XB360, Wii, PS3, PS2 XB360, PS3, Wii, PS2 XB360, PS3, Wii, PS2 UK RELEASE DATE SEP 09 NOV 08 MAY 08 DEC 08 APR 09 REVENUE �5.12m �1.84m �1.67m �0.37m �0.10m STATISTICS www.harmonixmusic.com HARMONIX HAS BEEN the nearest thing we've had to the Fab Four in their prime � from the world-conquering success of Guitar Hero and later Rock Band, to the staggering hundreds of millions doled out to the studio's founders after Harmonix's acquisition by MTV in 2006. Seen through such a lens, number 38 doesn't seem sufficiently top of the pops. Perhaps The Beatles just don't do it for the kids, even if their high-profile Rock Band incarnation ticked reviewers' boxes. Green Day: Rock Band will make an interesting comparison this summer. Located in the rocket science country of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harmonix isn't sitting still, having just launched the UGC-powered Rock Band Network that enables users to create, upload, and profit from new songs. CONTACTS Address: 625 Massachusetts Avenue, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA 69 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 39 Founded: 2005 Independent 1ST PLAYABLE # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE CLUB PENGUIN: ELITE PENGUIN FORCE BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE BEN 10: PROTECTOR OF EARTH WORLD OF ZOO DISNEY PRINCESS: MAGICAL JEWELS PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART DISNEY D3P D3P THQ DISNEY 16 4 17 92 96 �8.88m FORMATS DS DS DS DS DS UK RELEASE DATE MAR 09 FEB 09 NOV 07 NOV 09 NOV 07 REVENUE �4.80m �2.10m �1.15m �0.34m �0.31m STATISTICS www.1stplayable.com 2009 WAS A breakthrough year for New York state's 1st Playable, a children's game and DS specialist, which was founded in 2005 by Vicarious Visions' former production guru Tobi Saulnier. Nothing has resisted the march of Club Penguin for long, and Nintendo's dual-screen format has proved predictably partial; Disney had sold 1.5 million copies of Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force worldwide by late February 2010, when it announced a follow-up, Herbert's Revenge. As well as working on that sequel, 1st Playable has been kept busy creating DLC for the original game, which can be downloaded along with newsletters and other community features straight to the DS. More Cartoon Network related games are also in development. CONTACTS Address: 225 River Street, Troy, NY 12180, USA 40 Owned by: Electronic Arts PANDEMIC STUDIOS # 1 TITLE THE LORD OF THE RINGS: CONQUEST THE SABOTEUR MERCENARIES 2: WORLD IN FLAMES STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS LUCASARTS LUCASARTS 3 23 1 1 1 �8.81m FORMATS XB360, PS3, PC XB360, PS3, PC XB360, PS3, PC PC, XB, PS2 PS2, PC, XB UK RELEASE DATE JAN 09 SEP 09 SEP 08 SEP 04 OCT 05 REVENUE �5.01m �2.88m �0.87m �0.02m �0.01m STATISTICS Founded: 1998 (Closed in 2009) 2 3 4 5 2009 WAS A return to strength � of sorts � for the once highflying Pandemic Studios, with The Lord of the Rings: Conquest reviewing badly but selling well, and The Saboteur reviewing better but not doing half the business at retail. Pandemic's reward was to be shut down in late 2009 by parent Electronic Arts as part of that company's cutting of roughly 1,500 development positions across its development operations. 200 jobs were lost with the closure of Pandemic Los Angeles, although 30 staff were reportedly relocated to EA LA to continue work on Mercs Inc. Pandemic's Brisbane studio was closed back in 2008. With the quality of Pandemic's output having deteriorated following its acquisition by EA in 2007, the studio will be best remembered for early titles, particularly Full Spectrum Warrior. 70 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 41 Founded: 1989 Independent GAME FREAK # 1 2 3 TITLE POKEMON PLATINUM POKEMON DIAMOND POKEMON PEARL PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART NINTENDO NINTENDO NINTENDO 2 1 3 �8.70m FORMATS DS DS DS UK RELEASE DATE MAY 09 JUL 07 JUL 07 REVENUE �7.36m �0.72m �0.63m STATISTICS www.gamefreak.co.jp SOMEWHERE OUT THERE, the first writer to call Pok�mon a fad is weeping into his granola. Satoshi Tajiri's first Pok�mon release for Game Boy reportedly took half a decade to finish, but the founder of Game Freak could scarcely have spent his time better � we estimate cumulative sales of the games now weigh in around the 200 million mark. The franchise spans comics, TV, toys � and every new Nintendo console. Pok�mon Platinum reconstituted 2008's Diamond and Pearl titles, but expect to see Game Freak back in the Develop 100 next year thanks to the recent UK release of the all-new RPG-flavoured Pok�mon HeartGold and SoulSilver. These DS games sold over three million copies in Japan in barely three months. Quite an achievement for a studio numbering just 70 employees. CONTACTS Address: 22F, Carrot Tower, Taishidou, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 154-0004, Japan 42 Founded: 1995 Owned by: Electronic Arts BIOWARE # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ELECTRONIC ARTS SEGA MICROSOFT LUCASARTS ATARI 5 31 12 1 199 �8.63m FORMATS XB360, PS3, PC DS XB360 PC, MAC, XB PC UK RELEASE DATE NOV 09 SEP 08 JUN 08 SEP 03 OCT 04 REVENUE �7.01m �0.87m �0.58m �0.08m �0.05m STATISTICS SONIC CHRONICLES: THE DARK BROTHERHOOD MASS EFFECT STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC NEVERWINTER NIGHTS: DELUXE EDITION www.bioware.com 15 YEARS OLD in 2010, the developer founded by three medics still makes creating great games look more like bed rest than brain surgery, with 2009's Dragon Age: Origins just another symptom of its winning ways. But the team are some of the smartest cookies in the business, having relied on community building and compiling audience metrics years before most other studios. Bought by EA in 2007 (yet retaining an identity unthinkable a decade ago), Bioware is now divided across four studios � Edmonton and Austin in the US, Montreal in Canada, plus Bioware Mythic in Virginia after subsuming the latter in summer 2009. The developer recently released Mass Effect 2, and is working on follow-ups to it and Dragon Age, plus new MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. CONTACTS Address: 200, 4445 Calgary Trail, Edmonton, Alberta, T6H 5R7, Canada 71 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 43 Owned by: Microsoft ENSEMBLE STUDIOS # 1 TITLE HALO WARS AGE OF EMPIRES III PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART MICROSOFT MICROSOFT/DESTINEER 2 12 142 82 302 �8.54m FORMATS XB360 PC, MAC PC, MAC PC, MAC PC UK RELEASE DATE FEB 09 NOV 05 NOV 07 OCT 06 NOV 07 REVENUE �7.58m �0.42m �0.18m �0.12m �0.10m STATISTICS Founded: 1995 (Closed in 2009) 2 3 4 5 AGE OF EMPIRES III: THE ASIAN DYNASTIES MICROSOFT/DESTINEER AGE OF EMPIRES III: WAR CHIEFS AGE OF EMPIRES III GOLD MICROSOFT/DESTINEER MICROSOFT SO. FAREWELL THEN, Ensemble. You may have given us Age of Empires, but Halo Wars wasn't really all that. The demise of this erstwhile jewel in Microsoft's game development crown made headlines in 2008, with Redmond confirming it was closing down Ensemble after the completion of its real-time strategy swansong in 2009. With the demise of the studio went several projects-in-progress as well as many jobs, though several new Texan studios were formed out of the ashes � notably Robot Entertainment, which won the gig to maintaining online functionality for Halo Wars and Age of Empires. The studio's closure has been raked over in several public spats between former key personnel, with a crunch culture and forays into unrelated genres the chief culprits. 44 Founded: 1992 Independent A2M # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE WET MYSIMS RACING INDIANA JONES AND THE STAFF OF KINGS ICE AGE 3: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS IRON MAN: THE OFFICIAL VIDEOGAME PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART BETHESDA SOFTWORKS ELECTRONIC ARTS LUCASARTS 6 28 13 31 �8.43m FORMATS XB360, PS3 DS, Wii Wii, DS, PS2 DS UK RELEASE DATE SEP 09 JUN 09 JUN 09 JUN 09 MAY 08 REVENUE �2.11m �1.78m �1.40m �0.65m �0.44m STATISTICS ACTIVISION BLIZZARD SEGA 5 Wii, DS, PSP, PS2, PC www.a2m.com WE'VE SCOFFED BEFORE in the Develop 100 about the quality of A2M's games catalogue, so let's be fair � Prince of Persia meets Max Payne-esque Wet wasn't just a huge change in direction for the developer of Kung Fu Panda and Iron Man � with a Metacritic score of 70, it also received more than quadruple the percentage points awarded to the latter by reviewers. MySims Racing on Wii was in the same ballpark, quality-wise, but `clunky' and `sub-par' Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings brought up the rear. A2M remains a very sizeable outfit, employing around 450 people between its offices in Montreal, Canada and a studio in Santiago, Chile. But clearly it is learning from previous mistakes. One key upcoming project is Naughty Bear � an unlikely, cuddly take on Manhunt due out this summer. CONTACTS Address: 416 Maisonneuve West, Suite 600, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1L2, Canada 72 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 45 Founded: 1988 Owned by: Sega SONIC TEAM # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE SONIC UNLEASHED SONIC AND THE BLACK KNIGHT SONIC RUSH SONIC AND THE SECRET RINGS SONIC THE HEDGEHOG PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART SEGA SEGA SEGA SEGA SEGA �8.30m FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE NOV 08 MAR 09 NOV 05 MAR 07 MAR 07 REVENUE �4.50m �2.00m �0.60m �0.52m �0.31m 10 Wii, XB360, PS3, PS2 21 26 4 24 Wii DS Wii PS3, XB360 STATISTICS www.sonicteam.com FOR YEARS Sonic Team has disappointed fans who accuse it of indulging in flights of fancy instead of focusing on the platforming that made Sonic a household name. Unfortunately, 2009's Sonic and the Black Knight did little to allay their concerns. While visually impressive, the control mechanism was clumsy and frustrating and the game received a Metacritic rating of 54, with some notable reviews plumbing lower depths. UK sales of just �2 million and tells its own story � great for some, but terrible for a Sonic game. Why Nintendo can move Mario effortlessly through different milieu while Sega struggles with Sonic remains a bit of a mystery. For episodic game Sonic 4 the publisher has hooked Sonic Team up with the well-regarded Dimps, and early leaked screenshots suggest a back-to-basics approach. CONTACTS Address: 1-2-12 Haneda, Ota-ku, Tokyo, 144-8531, Japan 46 Founded: 1998 KUJU ENTERTAINMENT # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD: OVERKILL DISNEY SING IT: HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 3 DISNEY SING IT: POP HITS DISNEY SING IT YOU'RE IN THE MOVIES PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART SEGA DISNEY DISNEY DISNEY CODEMASTERS 15 61 82 �8.29m FORMATS Wii Wii, PS2, PS3 Wii, PS2, PS3 UK RELEASE DATE FEB 09 DEC 08 OCT 09 NOV 08 NOV 08 REVENUE �2.70m �1.47m �1.27m �1.01m �0.94m STATISTICS Owned by: Catalis Group/Independent 50 Wii, PS3, PS2, XB360 60 XB360 www.kuju.com THERE WAS QUITE a contrast between Kuju Entertainment's two big successes in 2009, but then that's presumably the rationale behind a multi-site company. Hailing from Kuju's London-based Headstrong Games, House of the Dead: Overkill got reviewers' blood pumping. Zoe Mode's High School Musical outing didn't exactly stir the press, but that's not really the point; the recently released Chime on Xbox Live Arcade for the One Big Game charity is perhaps a better example of what Zoe Mode can achieve. Closures and consolidation has left Kuju Entertainment with four studios, with downloadable game specialist doublesix and Vatra of the Czech Republic making up the quartet. Their parent has been wholly-owned by Germany's Catalis since 2007. CONTACTS Address: Crossweys, 28-30 High Street, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 3EL, UK 73 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 47 Founded: 1999 Owned by: Take-Two CAT DADDY # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE CARNIVAL: FUNFAIR GAMES CARNIVAL GAMES: MINI GOLF IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! SCHOOL TYCOON MALL TYCOON 3 PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART TAKE 2 TAKE 2 TAKE 2 TAKE 2 TAKE 2 4 41 65 191 339 �7.88m FORMATS Wii, DS Wii Wii PC PC UK RELEASE DATE OCT 07 OCT 08 JUN 09 MAY 07 OCT 08 REVENUE �5.96m �1.39m �0.44m �0.06m �0.03m STATISTICS www.catdaddygames.com CAT DADDY CONTINUES to grow a portfolio of titles that few Develop readers would envy � and fewer have played. The latest, 2009's barely-reviewed It's My Birthday, again. sees the US studio reworking the party game formula that took Carnival Games on Wii and DS to �6 million worth of business in the UK last year. The game boasts a Metacritic score of 52, lest we forget, while the spin-off, Carnival Games: Mini Golf, scored just 38. Who'd be a games reviewer? Based in Washington State and owned by Take-Two, the company is still apparently working on the much-delayed sequel to Carnival Games. It's certainly not working on its four-page website, which is even less informative that last year. Such resolute defiance of almost every trinket boasted by other highly-ranked studios is almost heroic. CONTACTS Address: 14715 Bel-Red Road, Suite 100, Bellevue, WA 98007, USA 48 Founded: 2000 Independent HB STUDIOS # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE FIFA 10 BIG BEACH SPORTS RUGBY 08 NBA LIVE 09 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 10 PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ELECTRONIC ARTS THQ ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 4 22 106 1 �7.79m FORMATS PSP, PS2, PC Wii PS2, PC Wii PSP, PS2 UK RELEASE DATE OCT 09 JUN 08 JUL 07 OCT 08 JUL 09 REVENUE �5.07m �2.57m �0.03m �0.03m �0.03m STATISTICS www.hb-studios.com `FISH WHERE THE fish are' the old-timers say, and in porting EA's FIFA 10 to PSP, PS2 and PC, Canada's HB Studios is arguably shooting fish in a barrel. The studio might reply that you don't just dial in for a gig with EA. Founded in 2000 by CEO Jeremy Wellard (a Brit) the studio paid its dues with EA Sports' Cricket and Rugby titles before finally getting a sniff of Madden in 2007. Work on NBA Live and NHL soon followed, and HB Studio's team has since grown to 130, split between the tiny town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, and the larger city of Halifax. Following the release of its co-developed FIFA 10 Ultimate Team DLC in March, HB says it has shipped 24 titles across 159 SKUs and sold more than 13.5 million units. CONTACTS Address: The Hive, Box 725, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, B0J 2C0, Canada 74 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 49 Founded: 1992 Owned by: Ubisoft UBISOFT ROMANIA # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE TOM CLANCY'S H.A.W.X BLAZING ANGELS: SQUADRONS OF WWII SILENT HUNTER 4: WOLVES OF THE PACIFIC BLAZING ANGELS 2: SECRET MISSIONS WWII CHESSMASTER 11 PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART UBISOFT UBISOFT UBISOFT UBISOFT UBISOFT 3 �7.05m FORMATS PS3, XB360, PC UK RELEASE DATE MAR 09 MAR 06 JUN 09 SEP 07 NOV 07 REVENUE �6.53m �0.31m �0.11m �0.05m �0.02m STATISTICS 12 Wii,PC,XB360,PS3,XB 58 98 282 PC XB360, PC, PS3 PC www.ubisoft.com FOR H.A.W.X, Ubisoft Romania employed US company GeoEye's commercial satellite imagery to recreate the real world via textures of the landscape beneath players' aircraft. The experiment wasn't a complete success � we've become so used to true 3D that it's a shock to see pixellated textures again � but there is always something neat about what was once military technology turning up in a game. The idea of a cutting-edge Romanian games developer may be even more novel to those who base their knowledge of Eastern European economies on Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat, but Ubisoft's Romanian operation isn't actually that new; founded in the early 1990s, it's one of the publisher's longest-standing foreign ventures. Based in Bucharest, the studio also makes the Silent Hunter and Chessmaster games. CONTACTS Address: 2 Expozitiei Blvd, Sector 1, 012103 Bucharest, Romania 50 Founded: 1996 Owned by: Activision RAVEN SOFTWARE # 1 2 3 TITLE X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE WOLFENSTEIN MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ACTIVISION BLIZZARD ACTIVISION BLIZZARD ACTIVISION BLIZZARD 2 2 �7.03m FORMATS XB360, PS3, PC XB360, PS3, PC UK RELEASE DATE MAY 09 AUG 09 NOV 06 REVENUE �3.67m �3.34m �0.01m STATISTICS 24 PS3, XB360, PS2, XB www.ravensoft.com TWO DECENT titles, Wolfenstein and Wolverine, put Raven back in the spotlight in 2009. The games are typical of the Activision subsidiary's output in recent years � the first is fruit of a perennial collaboration with id Software stretching back 15 years, the second a comic book licence. This year we'll see something different. Raven's longawaited Singularity is an original IP, focused around manipulating time, which looks set for a June release. Like Raven's recent X-Men Origins title, Singularity uses Unreal Engine 3, which � given Raven's alternative work with id's engines � makes the developer nothing if not an equal opportunity middleware employer. As for a flesh-and-blood employer, Raven had a tricky 2009, firing several dozen staff of an estimated 180-strong team. CONTACTS Address: 8496 Greenway Boulevard, Middleton, WI, 53562-3538, USA 75 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 51 Founded: 1991 Independent EPIC GAMES # TITLE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART �7.02m FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE STATISTICS 1 2 3 4 GEARS OF WAR 2 GEARS OF WAR UNREAL TOURNAMENT III UNREAL ANTHOLOGY MICROSOFT MICROSOFT MIDWAY MIDWAY 1 1 9 497 XB360 XB360, PC PS3, XB360, PC PC NOV 08 NOV 06 NOV 07 NOV 06 �5.98m �0.74m �0.27m �0.03m www.epicgames.com CONTACTS Address: 620 Crossroads Blvd, Cary, NC 27518, USA 52 Founded: 1999 Independent KROME STUDIOS # TITLE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART �7.00m FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE REVENUE STATISTICS 1 2 3 4 5 STAR WARS: CLONE WARS - REPUBLIC HEROES LUCASARTS 13 Wii,XB360,PS3,PSP,PC 2 72 1 71 Wii, PS2 Wii Wii, PSP, PS2 XB360 OCT 09 JUN 09 NOV 08 SEP 08 NOV 08 �2.25m �1.59m �1.01m �0.99m �0.77m TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN ACTIVISION BLIZZARD STAR WARS CLONE WARS: LIGHTSABER DUELS STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED SCENE IT? BOX OFFICE SMASH LUCASARTS LUCASARTS MICROSOFT www.kromestudios.com CONTACTS Address: PO Box 1639, Fortitude Valley, QLD 4006, Australia 76 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 53 Founded: 2002 Independent INSOMNIAC # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE RESISTANCE 2 RATCHET & CLANK: A CRACK IN TIME RATCHET & CLANK: TOOLS OF DESTRUCTION RATCHET & CLANK: QUEST FOR BOOTY RESISTANCE: FALL OF MAN PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART SONY SONY SONY SONY SONY 10 22 19 119 1 �6.74m FORMATS PS3 PS3 PS3 PS3 PS3 UK RELEASE DATE NOV 08 NOV 09 NOV 07 AUG 08 MAR 07 REVENUE �3.14m �2.12m �0.66m �0.43m �0.39m STATISTICS www.insomniacgames.com CONTACT ADDRESS: 2255 North Ontario Street, Suite 550, Burbank, California 91504, USA 54 Founded: 2006 Owned by: Sony MEDIA MOLECULE # 1 2 TITLE LITTLEBIGPLANET LITTLEBIGPLANET PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART SONY SONY 4 31 �6.43m FORMATS PS3 PSP UK RELEASE DATE NOV 08 NOV 09 REVENUE �5.69m �0.74m STATISTICS www.mediamolecule.com CONTACT ADDRESS: Media Molecule, PO BOX 1127, Guildford, GU1 9LW, UK 55 Founded: 1997 ROCKSTAR LEEDS # 1 2 3 TITLE GRAND THEFT AUTO: CHINATOWN WARS GRAND THEFT AUTO: LIBERTY CITY STORIES GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY STORIES MIDNIGHT CLUB 3: DUB EDITION MANHUNT 2 PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART TAKE-TWO TAKE-TWO TAKE-TWO TAKE-TWO TAKE-TWO 6 1 1 7 55 �6.15m FORMATS DS, PSP PS2, PSP PS2, PSP PSP PSP UK RELEASE DATE NOV 09 NOV 05 NOV 06 AUG 05 OCT 08 REVENUE �3.83m �0.80m �0.74m �0.42m �0.17m STATISTICS Owned by: Rockstar Games www.rockstarleeds.co.uk 4 5 CONTACT ADDRESS: 2 The Boulevard, City West One Office Park, Gelderd Road, Leeds, LS12 6NU, UK 77 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 56 57 Founded: 1973 LUXOFLUX # 1 2 TITLE TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN KUNG FU PANDA PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ACTIVISION ACTIVISION 2 9 �5.87m FORMATS XB360, PS3 XB360, PS3 UK RELEASE DATE JUN 09 JUN 08 REVENUE �3.95m �1.92m STATISTICS Founded: 1997 (Studio closed by parent Activision in 2010) HUDSON # 1 2 3 TITLE SPORTS ISLAND MARIO PARTY 8 MARIO PARTY DS SPORTS ISLAND 2 JOB ISLAND: HARD WORKING PEOPLE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART KONAMI NINTENDO NINTENDO KONAMI KONAMI 8 5 33 83 93 �5.78m FORMATS Wii Wii DS Wii Wii UK RELEASE DATE JUN 08 JUL 07 NOV 07 MAY 09 MAR 09 REVENUE �1.91m �1.04m �0.75m �0.74m �0.60m STATISTICS Owned by: Konami www.hudsonsoft.net 4 5 CONTACT ADDRESS: 1810 Gateway Drive, Suite 100, San Mateo, CA 94404, USA 58 Founded: 1991 Independent TECHLAND # 1 2 TITLE CALL OF JUAREZ: BOUND IN BLOOD CALL OF JUAREZ PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART UBISOFT UBISOFT, ASCARON 4 24 �5.56m FORMATS PS3, XB360, PC XB360, PC UK RELEASE DATE JUL 09 SEP 06 REVENUE �5.56m �0.03m STATISTICS www.techland.pl CONTACT ADDRESS: ul. Jana Szczyrki 12, 54-426 Wroclaw, Poland 79 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 59 Founded: 1987 Owned by: Sega CREATIVE ASSEMBLY # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE EMPIRE: TOTAL WAR STORMRISE MEDIEVAL II: TOTAL WAR - GOLD EDITION ROME: TOTAL WAR ANTHOLOGY VIKING: BATTLE FOR ASGARD PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART SEGA SEGA SEGA SEGA SEGA 1 111 182 176 7 �5.53m FORMATS PC XB360, PS3, PC PC PC XB306, PC UK RELEASE DATE MAR 09 MAR 09 MAR 06 SEP 04 MAR 08 REVENUE �4.09m �0.33m �0.26m �0.22m �0.18m STATISTICS www.creative-assembly.co.uk CONTACT ADDRESS: Spire Court, Albion Way, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1JW, UK 60 Independent www.ofcr.co.jp COOKING MAMA LTD # 1 2 3 4 TITLE COOKING MAMA 3 GARDENING MAMA COOKING MAMA 2 COOKING MAMA 2: WORLD KITCHEN PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART 505 GAMES 505 GAMES 505 GAMES 505 GAMES 33 54 9 84 �5.52m FORMATS DS DS DS Wii UK RELEASE DATE NOV 09 JUN 09 MAY 07 FEB 09 REVENUE �2.25m �1.35m �1.22m �0.70m STATISTICS 61 Founded: 2002 FREESTYLEGAMES # 1 2 TITLE DJ HERO BUZZ! JUNIOR: MONSTER RUMBLE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ACTIVISION SONY 20 78 �5.23m FORMATS PS2 UK RELEASE DATE OCT 09 NOV 07 REVENUE �5.20m �0.03m XB360, PS3, Wii, PS2 STATISTICS Owned by: Activision www.freestylegames.com CONTACT ADDRESS: Imperial House, Holly Walk, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 4JG, UK 80 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 62 Founded: 1997 Independent SUCKER PUNCH # 1 TITLE INFAMOUS PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART SONY 5 �5.20m FORMATS PS3 UK RELEASE DATE MAY 09 REVENUE �5.20m STATISTICS www.suckerpunch.com CONTACT ADDRESS: Bellevue, Washington, USA 63 Founded: 1988 MIDWAY # 1 2 3 TITLE MORTAL KOMBAT VS DC UNIVERSE TOUCHMASTER MORE GAME PARTY TNA IMPACT! JOHN WOO PRESENTS STRANGLEHOLD PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART MIDWAY MIDWAY MIDWAY MIDWAY MIDWAY 43 26 34 9 2 �5.12m FORMATS PS3, XB360 DS Wii XB360, PS3, PS2, Wii XB360, PS3, PC UK RELEASE DATE NOV 08 JUN 07 OCT 08 SEP 08 SEP 07 REVENUE �1.41m �1.31m �1.17m �.055m �0.21m STATISTICS Owned by: Firm went bankrupt in 2009, assets brought by Warner Bros, THQ and Tradewest 4 5 64 Founded: 1995 Owned by: EA www.ea.com EA LA # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE COMMAND & CONQUER: RED ALERT 3 BOOM BLOX BOOM BLOX BASH PARTY MEDAL OF HONOR: AIRBORNE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS 15 21 82 1 5 �5.06m FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE OCT 08 MAY 08 MAY 09 SEP 07 MAR 06 REVENUE �2.88m �0.53m �0.32m �0.31m �0.28m PS3, PC, XB360, MAC Wii Wii PS3, XB360, PC PC, XB360 STATISTICS LOTR: THE BATTLE FOR MIDDLE-EARTH II ELECTRONIC ARTS CONTACT ADDRESS: EALA, 5510 Lincoln Blvd, Playa Vista, CA 90094, USA 81 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 65 66 67 Founded: 2001 Independent TRANSMISSION GAMES # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE ASHES CRICKET 2009 HEROES OVER EUROPE BRIAN LARA 2007 PRESSURE PLAY HEROES OF THE PACIFIC HEATSEEKER PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART CODEMASTERS UBISOFT CODEMASTERS CODEMASTERS CODEMASTERS 1 131 53 13 56 �5.05m FORMATS PS3, XB360, PC PS3, XB360, PC PSP PC, PS2, XB Wii, PS2, PSP UK RELEASE DATE AUG 09 SEP 09 AUG 07 SEP 05 APR 07 REVENUE �4.69m �0.42m �0.05m �0.02m �0.02m STATISTICS Founded: 1996 (Closed in 2009) GRIN # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE TERMINATOR SALVATION WANTED: WEAPONS OF FATE BIONIC COMMANDO PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE CAPCOM 10 15 14 2 1 �5.03m FORMATS XB360, PS3, PC XB360, PS3, PC XB360, PS3, PC PC PC UK RELEASE DATE MAY 09 MAR 09 MAY 09 MAR 06 JUL 07 REVENUE �2.35m �1.46m �1.17m �0.03m �0.02m STATISTICS Founded: 1997 (Closed in 2009) TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON: ADV WARFIGHTER UBISOFT TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON: WARFIGHTER 2 UBISOFT EXIENT # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE NEED FOR SPEED: UNDERCOVER FIFA 10 FIFA 09 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 09 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 08 PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS 2 1 1 1 1 �4.81m FORMATS Wii, PS2 DS DS PSP, PS2 DS UK RELEASE DATE NOV 08 OCT 09 OCT 08 AUG 08 OCT 07 REVENUE �1.56m �1.45m �1.11m �0.34m �0.05m STATISTICS www.exient.com CONTACT ADDRESS: 2/3 Cambridge Terrace, Oxford, OX1 1RR, UK 82 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 68 Founded: 1988 Owned by: EA www.dice.se EA DICE # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE MIRROR'S EDGE BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS 16 2 256 399 7 BATTLEFIELD 2:THE COMPLETE COLLECTION ELECTRONIC ARTS BATTLEFIELD 2142: DELUXE EDITION BATTLEFIELD 2142 ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS �4.61m FORMATS XB360, PS3, PC XB360, PS3 PC PC PC, MAC UK RELEASE DATE NOV 08 JUN 08 MAR 07 JAN 08 OCT 06 REVENUE �3.02m �1.22m �0.14m �0.10m �0.05m STATISTICS CONTACT ADDRESS: P.O. Box 20068, 10460 Stockholm, Sweden 69 Founded: 1997 Independent www.inis.jp INIS # 1 2 3 TITLE LIPS: NUMBER ONE HITS LIPS ELITE BEAT AGENTS PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART MICROSOFT MICROSOFT NINTENDO 39 38 109 �4.54m FORMATS XB360 XB360 DS UK RELEASE DATE OCT 09 NOV 08 NOV 06 REVENUE �2.53m �1.99m �0.01m STATISTICS CONTACT ADDRESS: 3F Yamate K Building, 2-10-15 Naka Meguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan 70 Founded: 1995 Independent ASYLUM # 1 2 3 TITLE PEPPA PIG: THE GAME HORRID HENRY: MISSIONS OF MISCHIEF TRACY BEAKER: THE GAME PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART UBISOFT ASYLUM ENT. UBISOFT, P2 GAMES 18 1 1 � 4.43m FORMATS DS, Wii DS, Wii, PC DS, PC UK RELEASE DATE NOV 09 OCT 09 OCT 09 REVENUE �3.00m �1.11m �0.31m STATISTICS asylum-entertainment.com CONTACT ADDRESS: 132 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 1QP, UK 84 GUERRILLA IS NOW RECRUITING FOR ITS UPCOMING PROJECTS `TEAM UP' Senior Tech Programmers Senior Tools Programmers Senior Online Programmers VFX Lead Artists Senior Game Designers Senior Level Designers Senior Multiplayer Designers Senior Environment Artists email@example.com | www.guerrilla-games.com In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 71 Founded: 2003 Independent RESPONDESIGN # 1 TITLE MY FITNESS COACH: GET IN SHAPE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART UBISOFT 7 �4.33m FORMATS Wii UK RELEASE DATE OCT 04 REVENUE �4.33m STATISTICS www.respondesign.com CONTACT ADDRESS: 1750 sw Skyline Blvd, Suite 224, Portland, 97221, USA 72 Founded: 1992 Independent REBELLION # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR SHELLSHOCK 2: BLOOD TRAILS THE SIMPSONS GAME PDC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DARTS 09 STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT: ELITE SQUADRON PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ACTIVISION EIDOS ELECTRONIC ARTS OXYGEN LUCASARTS 1 57 3 74 102 �4.23m FORMATS PS2 XB360, PS3, PC PSP, PS2, Wii Wii PSP UK RELEASE DATE NOV 08 FEB 09 NOV 07 MAY 09 NOV 09 REVENUE �1.21m �0.66m �0.59m �0.49m �0.47m STATISTICS www.rebellion.co.uk CONTACT ADDRESS: Riverside House, Osney, Mead, Oxford, OX2 0ES, UK 73 Founded: 1992 Owned by: EA www.ea.com EA SALT LAKE # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 09 NERF N-STRIKE LITTLEST PETSHOP: WINTER LITTLEST PETSHOP LITTLEST PETSHOP: GARDEN PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS 1 93 87 216 237 �4.16m FORMATS Wii Wii DS Wii, PC DS UK RELEASE DATE AUG 08 OCT 08 OCT 08 OCT 08 OCT 08 REVENUE �2.00m �0.44m �0.41m �0.22m �0.21m STATISTICS CONTACT ADDRESS: 1551 S. Renaissance Towne Drive, Suite 500, Bountiful, Utah 84010, USA 86 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 74 75 Founded: 1999 Independent BLACK ROCK STUDIOS # 1 TITLE PURE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART DISNEY INTERACTIVE 8 �4.03m FORMATS XB360, PS3, PC UK RELEASE DATE SEP 08 REVENUE �4.03m STATISTICS Founded: 1998 (as Pixel Planet) Owned by: Disney www.blackrockstudio.com CONTACT ADDRESS: 15 West Street, Brighton, BN1 2RE, UK HEAVY IRON STUDIOS # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE UP WALL-E SPONGEBOB'S TRUTH OR SQUARE RATATOUILLE THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART THQ THQ THQ THQ THQ 20 2 95 3 1 �4.00m FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE MAY 09 JUN 08 OCT 09 JUN 07 OCT 04 REVENUE �2.03m �1.10m �0.78m �0.05m �0.01m DS, Wii, XB360, PS3 Wii, PS3, XB360 DS, Wii, PSP, XB360 XB360, PS3 PC, PS2, GC, XB STATISTICS www.heavy-iron.com CONTACT ADDRESS: 6601 Center Drive West, Suite 400, LA, CA 90045, USA 76 Founded: 2005 MONKEY BAR GAMES # 1 TITLE BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART D3P 4 �3.92m FORMATS Wii, PS2, PSP UK RELEASE DATE OCT 08 REVENUE �3.91m STATISTICS Owned by: Vicious Cycle Software/D3P/Namco Bandai www.monkeybargames.com CONTACT ADDRESS: Building 3005, Carrington Mill Blvd, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA 87 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 77 Founded: 1994 Independent TERMINAL REALITY # 1 TITLE GHOSTBUSTERS: THE VIDEO GAME PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART SONY, ATARI 4 �3.90m FORMATS PS3, XB360, PC UK RELEASE DATE JUN 09 REVENUE �3.89m STATISTICS www.terminalreality.com CONTACT ADDRESS: Xxxx 78 Founded: 1992 CRYSTAL DYNAMICS # 1 2 3 TITLE TOMB RAIDER: UNDERWORLD TOMB RAIDER: ANNIVERSARY TOMB RAIDER DOUBLE (LEGEND/ANNIVERSARY) TOMB RAIDER: LEGEND PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART EIDOS EIDOS EIDOS EIDOS 6 �3.88m FORMATS XB360, PS3, PC UK RELEASE DATE NOV 08 JUN 07 APR 09 APR 06 REVENUE �3.22m �0.45m �0.13m �0.08m 2 Wii, PSP, PS2, PC, XB360 285 PSP STATISTICS Owned by: Square Enix www.crystald.com 4 1 PC, PSP, XB360, PS2, XB, GC CONTACT ADDRESS: 1300 Seaport Blvd, Suite 100, Redwood City, CA 94063, USA 79 Founded: 2009 Independent SORA # 1 TITLE SUPER SMASH BROS: BRAWL PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART NINTENDO 1 �3.86m FORMATS Wii UK RELEASE DATE JUN 08 REVENUE �3.86m STATISTICS www.project-sora.co.jp CONTACT ADDRESS: No. 2 Building, 15th Floor Nichme stage Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 88 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 80 Founded: 1991 us.blizzard.com BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT �3.85m # 1 2 3 TITLE WORLD OF WARCRAFT: WRATH OF LICH KING WORLD OF WARCRAFT: BATTLE CHEST WORLD OF WARCRAFT PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ACTIVISION ACTIVISION ACTIVISION 2 115 2 1 4 FORMATS PC PC PC PC PC UK RELEASE DATE NOV 08 OCT 07 FEB 05 JAN 07 JUL 02 REVENUE �2.00m �0.85m �0.46m �0.34m �0.07m STATISTICS Owned by: Activision Blizzard 4 5 WORLD OF WARCRAFT: THE BURNING CRUSADE ACTIVISION WARCRAFT III: REIGN OF CHAOS ACTIVISION CONTACT ADDRESS: P.O. Box 18979, Irvine, CA 92623, USA 81 Founded: 1993 Owned by: EA CRITERION GAMES # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART 36 1 32 3 1 BURNOUT PARADISE: THE ULTIMATE BOX ELECTRONIC ARTS BURNOUT PARADISE BURNOUT DOMINATOR THE ORANGE BOX BURNOUT REVENGE ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS ELECTRONIC ARTS �3.80m FORMATS PS3, XB360, PC XB360, PS3 PSP, PS2 PS3 XB360, PS2, XB UK RELEASE DATE FEB 09 JAN 08 MAR 07 OCT 07 SEP 05 REVENUE �1.69m �1.40m �0.47m �0.22m �0.02m STATISTICS www.criteriongames.com CONTACT ADDRESS: Onslow House, Onslow Street, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4TN, UK 82 Founded: 2002 Independent BIG FISH GAMES # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE MYSTERY CASE FILES: MILLIONHEIR MYSTERY IN LONDON: JACK THE RIPPER MYSTERY CASE FILES: RAVENHEARST HIDDEN EXPEDITION: AMAZON MYSTERY CASE FILES: MADAME FATE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART BIG FISH GAMES BIG FISH GAMES BIG FISH GAMES BIG FISH GAMES BIG FISH GAMES 3 185 156 167 166 �3.80m FORMATS PC PC PC PC PC UK RELEASE DATE SEP 08 DEC 07 DEC 06 JUN 08 NOV 07 REVENUE �2.81m �0.19m �0.18m �0.11m �0.08m STATISTICS www.bigfishgames.com CONTACT ADDRESS: 333 Elliott Avenue West, Suite 200, Seattle, WA 98119, USA 89 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 83 Founded: 1998 Owned by: Sony POLYPHONY DIGITAL # 1 2 TITLE GRAN TURISMO GRAN TURISMO 5: PROLOGUE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART SONY SONY 7 1 �3.79m FORMATS PSP PS3 UK RELEASE DATE OCT 09 MAR 08 REVENUE �2.14m �1.64m STATISTICS www.polyphony.co.jp CONTACT ADDRESS: Tobu Toyosu Bldg 2F, 1-10-19 Edagawa, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0051, Japan 84 Founded: 2002 Independent GENIUS SONORITY # 1 2 3 TITLE 100 CLASSIC BOOK COLLECTION DISNEY FAIRIES: TINKERBELL POK�MON BATTLE REVOLUTION PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART NINTENDO DISNEY INTERACTIVE NINTENDO 17 71 40 �3.77m FORMATS DS DS Wii UK RELEASE DATE DEC 08 NOV 08 DEC 07 REVENUE �2.39m �1.02m �0.36m STATISTICS www.geniussonority.co.jp CONTACT ADDRESS: Suda Kanda-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 85 Founded: 1994 Independent N-SPACE # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE HANNAH MONTANA: THE MOVIE CALL OF DUTY: WORLD AT WAR CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 2 STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED MARVEL ULTIMATE ALLIANCE 2 PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART DISNEY INTERACTIVE ACTIVISION ACTIVISION LUCASARTS ACTIVISION 18 1 1 1 7 �3.74m FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE MAY 09 NOV 08 NOV 09 SEP 08 SEP 09 REVENUE �2.31m �0.42m �0.33m �0.29m �0.21m DS, Wii, XB360, PS3 DS DS DS Wii, PS2, DS STATISTICS www.n-space.com CONTACT ADDRESS: 6751 Forum Drive, Suite 210, Orlando, FL, 32821, USA 90 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 86 Founded: 1994 Independent MAGIC POCKETS # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE IMAGINE: TEACHER IMAGINE: TEACHER - SCHOOL TRIP MINI NINJAS DOLPHIN ISLAND PLANET RESCUE: OCEAN PATROL PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART UBISOFT UBISOFT EIDOS UBISOFT UBISOFT 21 121 15 54 239 �3.72m FORMATS DS DS DS DS DS UK RELEASE DATE AUG 08 AUG 09 SEP 09 OCT 07 NOV 08 REVENUE �1.58m �0.51m �0.44m �0.40m �0.20m STATISTICS www.magicpockets.com CONTACT ADDRESS: 1 Promenade du Belv�d�re, 77200 Torcy, France 87 Founded: 2000 Independent BEENOX # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE GUITAR HERO: GREATEST HITS MONSTERS VS ALIENS QUANTUM OF SOLACE TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN BEE MOVIE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART ACTIVISION ACTIVISION ACTIVISION ACTIVISION ACTIVISION 18 7 2 30 �3.62m FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE JUN 09 MAR 09 OCT 08 JUN 09 OCT 07 REVENUE �1.75m �1.02m �0.78m �0.03m �0.02m XB360, ii, PS3, PS2 20 Wii, PS2, XB360, PS3, PC Wii, PC PC XB360, PS2, PC STATISTICS www.beenox.com CONTACT ADDRESS: 305, Charest Est, Bureau 700, Qu�bec (Qu�bec), G1K 3H3, Canada 88 Founded: 1994 www.lith.com MONOLITH # 1 2 3 TITLE F.E.A.R 2: PROJECT ORIGIN CONDEMNED 2 CONDEMNED: CRIMINAL ORIGINS PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE SEGA SEGA 2 5 18 �3.59m FORMATS XB360, PS3, PC XB360, PS3 XB360, PC UK RELEASE DATE FEB 09 APR 08 DEC 05 REVENUE �3.21m �0.35m �0.03m STATISTICS Owned by: Warner Bros. CONTACT ADDRESS: Kirkland, Washington, USA 91 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 89 Founded: 1988 Independent EUROCOM ENTERTAINMENT �3.53m # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE G-FORCE ICE AGE 3: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS BEIJING 2008 QUANTUM OF SOLACE DEAD SPACE: EXTRACTION PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART DISNEY INTERACTIVE ACTIVISION SEGA ACTIVISION ELECTRONIC ARTS 9 FORMATS UK RELEASE DATE JUL 09 JUN 09 JUN 08 OCT 08 OCT 09 REVENUE �1.13m �0.84m �0.56m �0.42m �0.29m Wii, XB360, PS3, PS2 31 Wii, XB360, PS3, PS2, PC 3 7 122 XB360, PS3, PC PS2 Wii STATISTICS www.eurocom.co.uk CONTACT ADDRESS: Eurocom House, Ashbourne Road, Mackworth, Derby, DE22 4NB, UK 90 91 Founded: 2007 Independent MIDWAY STUDIOS NEWCASTLE �3.48m # 1 TITLE WHEELMAN PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART UBISOFT 4 FORMATS XB360, PS3, PC UK RELEASE DATE MAR 09 REVENUE �3.47m STATISTICS Founded: 1996 (Closed in 2009 as part of parent Midway's bankruptcy and sell-off ) ROUTE 1 GAMES # 1 2 3 TITLE PUZZLER COLLECTION TAKE A BREAK'S PUZZLE MASTER HOW TO PASS YOUR DRIVING TEST PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART UBISOFT UBISOFT UBISOFT 12 55 338 �3.39m FORMATS DS, Wii, PSP, PC DS DS UK RELEASE DATE xxx xxx xxx REVENUE �2.79m �0.47m �0.13m STATISTICS www.route1games.com CONTACT ADDRESS: Technology Park, Arundel Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 2NS, UK 92 Some Say They Deliver Quality... We Also Enhance Your Worldwide Gamer Satisfaction Professionals Dedicated to The Science of Game Testing Large Scale Video Game Multilingual Project Specialists � Testing and Balancing in Over 16 Languages � Optimized Integrated Testing & Planning � Support for New Console Technologies � Expert Game Balancing Playtests � Focus Group and Product Evaluation � Consoles, Handheld, PC and Mac � Pre-Certification � Load Testing - MMOG ED B Y EN ZYM E ORM PERF Montreal � Tokyo � Madrid Head Office +1 (450) 229-9999 Europe +33 1 70 61 57 20 Asia +81-44-852-4411 Fax +1 (450) 229- 6660 E-mail email@example.com Website www.enzyme.org THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 92 Founded: 1997 LIONHEAD STUDIOS # 1 2 3 TITLE FABLE II FABLE II: GAME OF THE YEAR EDITION BLACK & WHITE 2 FABLE: THE LOST CHAPTERS THE MOVIES: STUNTS & EFFECTS PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART MICROSOFT MICROSOFT ELECTRONIC ARTS MICROSOFT ACTIVISION 1 127 6 27 50 �3.39m FORMATS XB360 XB360 PC PC, XB PC UK RELEASE DATE OCT 08 SEP 09 DEC 05 MAR 08 JUN 06 REVENUE �2.66m �0.52m �0.11m �0.08m �0.01m STATISTICS Owned by: Microsoft www.lionhead.com 4 5 CONTACT ADDRESS: 1 Occam Court, Surrey Research Park, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7HJ, UK 93 Founded: 1997 Owned by: THQ www.relic.com RELIC # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE WARHAMMER 40,000: DAWN OF WAR II COMPANY OF HEROES: TALES OF VALOR WARHAMMER 40,000: DAWN OF WAR COMPLETE COMPANY OF HEROES: ANTHOLOGY COMPANY OF HEROES PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART THQ THQ THQ THQ THQ 3 55 294 304 7 �3.24m FORMATS PC PC PC PC PC UK RELEASE DATE FEB 09 APR 09 OCT 06 APR 09 SEP 06 REVENUE �2.11m �0.37m �0.22m �0.21m �0.09m STATISTICS CONTACT ADDRESS: 1500 - 550 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2C1, Canada 94 Founded: 1983 Independent ALTRON # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE DISNEY'S BOLT PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART DISNEY INTERACTIVE THQ 12 48 74 24 91 DRAWN TO LIFE: SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS PHINEAS AND FERB ZOO TYCOON DS DISNEY'S ENCHANTED DISNEY INTERACTIVE THQ DISNEY INTERACTIVE �3.22m FORMATS DS DS DS DS DS UK RELEASE DATE FEB 09 SEP 08 MAR 09 NOV 05 NOV 07 REVENUE �1.34m �0.79m �0.45m �0.28m �0.23m STATISTICS www.altron.co.jp CONTACT ADDRESS: 4F TKB Goten-yama Building, 5-9-41 Kita-shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan 95 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 95 Founded: 2003 Independent WIZARBOX # 1 2 3 TITLE SCRABBLE INTERACTIVE: 2009 EDITION IMAGINE: DOCTOR SCRABBLE INTERACTIVE: 2007 EDITION PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART UBISOFT UBISOFT UBISOFT 27 39 26 �3.20m FORMATS DS, Wii, PC DS DS, PC UK RELEASE DATE MAR 09 MAR 09 OCT 07 REVENUE �1.69m �1.05m �0.45m STATISTICS www.wizarbox.com CONTACT ADDRESS: 1 rue de la Cristallerie, 92310 S�vres, Cedex, France 96 Founded: 2007 Independent SLAM PRODUCTIONS # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE GOLDEN BALLS FAMILY FORTUNES WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? 2ND ED MARGOT'S WORD BRAIN TELLY ADDICTS PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART KOCH MEDIA KOCH MEDIA UBISOFT ZUSHI GAMES UBISOFT 89 76 56 233 53 �3.20m FORMATS DS, Wii Wii, DS DS, Wii DS, Wii, PS2, PC Wii, DS, PSP, PS2, PC UK RELEASE DATE DEC 08 OCT 09 NOV 08 NOV 08 NOV 07 REVENUE �1.00m �0.89m �0.84m �0.23m �0.13m STATISTICS www.slam-productions.co.uk CONTACT ADDRESS: 7 Claredon Place, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 5QL, UK 97 Founded: 2003 Independent GUSTO GAMES # 1 2 3 4 TITLE ASHES CRICKET 2009 CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER 2007 ULTIMATE I SPY PROSTROKE GOLF WORLD TOUR 2007 PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART CODEMASTERS EIDOS MAJESCO OXYGEN 1 9 933 43 �3.18m FORMATS Wii XB360, PSP, PS2 Wii PS2, PSP, PC, XB UK RELEASE DATE AUG 09 OCT 06 OCT 09 SEP 06 REVENUE �3.14m �0.01m �0.01m �0.01m STATISTICS www.gustogames.com CONTACT ADDRESS: Gusto Games, Barford Road, Bloxham, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX15 4FF, UK 97 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 98 Founded: 1993 Independent HIGH VOLTAGE # 1 2 3 4 5 TITLE BEN 10: PROTECTOR OF EARTH THE CONDUIT DORA THE EXPLORER: SAVES SNOW PRINCESS GO DIEGO GO! GREAT DINOSAUR RESCUE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART D3P SEGA TAKE-TWO TAKE-TWO 17 29 76 110 4 �2.83m FORMATS Wii, PSP, PS2 Wii Wii, PS2 Wii, PS2 Wii, PC, PS2 UK RELEASE DATE NOV 07 JUL 09 DEC 08 MAR 09 MAR 08 REVENUE �1.40m �0.65m �0.37m �0.23m �0.08m STATISTICS GO DIEGO GO! SAFARI RESCUE TAKE-TWO, GSP/AVANQUEST www.high-voltage.com CONTACT ADDRESS: 2345 Pembroke Ave, Hoffman Estates, IL 60169, USA 99 Founded: 1984 ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO # 1 2 TITLE MIDNIGHT CLUB: LOS ANGELES ROCKSTAR GAMES PRESENTS TABLE TENNIS PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART TAKE-TWO TAKE-TWO 10 4 �2.82m FORMATS XB360, PS3 XB360 UK RELEASE DATE OCT 08 OCT 07 REVENUE �2.78m �0.03m STATISTICS Owned by: Rockstar Games www.rockstarsandiego.com CONTACT ADDRESS: 5966 La Place Court, Suite 170, Carlsbad, California 92008, USA 100 Founded: 2003 Independent www.5thcell.com 5TH CELL # 1 2 3 4 TITLE DRAWN TO LIFE: THE NEXT CHAPTER SCRIBBLENAUTS LOCK'S QUEST DRAWN TO LIFE PUBLISHER HIGHEST UK CHART THQ 50 12 564 31 WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE THQ THQ �2.78m FORMATS DS, Wii DS DS DS UK RELEASE DATE OCT 09 OCT 09 SEP 08 SEP 07 REVENUE �1.36m �1.30m �0.07m �0.05m STATISTICS CONTACT ADDRESS: Bellevue, Washington, USA 99 THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS POS STUDIO `09 UK REVENUES PAGE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 NINTENDO INFINITY WARD EA CANADA UBISOFT MONTREAL FOUNDATION 9 SEGA STUDIOS JAPAN CAPCOM TREYARCH YUKE'S LEVEL-5 TRAVELLER'S TALES NEVERSOFT KONAMI TURN 10 STUDIOS CODEMASTERS BUNGIE SLIGHTLY MAD STUDIOS VICARIOUS VISIONS VISCERAL GAMES ROCKSTAR NORTH THE SIMS STUDIO VALVE NAMCO ROCKSTEADY STUDIOS EA TIBURON Various �203.63m �125.58m �100.99m �59.71m �36.83m �35.93m �31.87m �30.99m �30.06m �29.14m �28.52m �22.01m �21.48m �20.79m �19.20m �19.04m �17.65m �17.46m �16.48m �16.30m �16.22m �16.15m �15.63m �15.26m �14.41m 16 18 20 22 24 26 30 32 36 38 40 41 43 44 46 47 48 49 50 51 53 54 56 57 58 1-100 POS STUDIO `09 UK REVENUES PAGE 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 EA BRIGHT LIGHT UBISOFT FRANCE EA BLACK BOX NAUGHTY DOG �13.61m 59 �13.35m �13.29m �13.12m �12.81m �12.25m �11.27m �10.83m �9.92m �9.76m �9.54m �9.45m �9.20m �8.88m �8.81m �8.70m �8.63m �8.54m �8.43m �8.30m �8.29m �7.88m �7.79m �7.05m �7.03m 60 61 62 63 66 66 67 67 68 68 69 69 70 70 71 71 72 72 73 73 74 74 75 75 SPORTS INTERACTIVE SCE LONDON STUDIO GUERRILLA GAMES BETHESDA RADICAL VOLITION MAXIS GEARBOX SOFTWARE HARMONIX 1ST PLAYABLE PANDEMIC STUDIOS GAME FREAK BIOWARE ENSEMBLE STUDIOS A2M SONIC TEAM KUJU ENTERTAINMENT CAT DADDY HB STUDIOS UBISOFT ROMANIA RAVEN SOFTWARE 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 101 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS 1-100 POS STUDIO `09 UK REVENUES PAGE POS STUDIO `09 UK REVENUES PAGE 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 EPIC GAMES INSOMNIAC �7.02m 76 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 MONKEY BAR GAMES TERMINAL REALITY CRYSTAL DYNAMICS SORA BLIZZARD CRITERION GAMES BIG FISH GAMES POLYPHONY DIGITAL GENIUS SONORITY N-SPACE MAGIC POCKETS BEENOX MONOLITH EUROCOM MIDWAY NEWCASTLE ROUTE 1 GAMES LIONHEAD STUDIOS RELIC ALTRON WIZARBOX SLAM PRODUCTIONS GUSTO GAMES HIGH VOLTAGE ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO 5TH CELL �3.92m �3.90m �3.88m �3.86m �3.85m �3.80m �3.80m �3.79m �3.77m �3.74m �3.72m �3.62m �3.59m �3.53m �3.48m �3.39m �3.39m �3.24m �3.22m �3.20m �3.20m �3.18m �2.83m �2.82m �2.78m 87 88 88 88 89 89 89 90 90 90 91 91 91 92 92 92 95 95 95 97 97 97 99 99 99 KROME STUDIOS MEDIA MOLECULE ROCKSTAR LEEDS LUXOFLUX HUDSON TECHLAND CREATIVE ASSEMBLY COOKING MAMA FREESTYLEGAMES SUCKER PUNCH MIDWAY EA LA TRANSMISSION GAMES GRIN EXIENT EA DICE INIS ASYLUM RESPONDESIGN REBELLION EA SALT LAKE BLACK ROCK STUDIOS HEAVY IRON STUDIOS �7.00m �6.74m �6.43m �6.15m �5.87m �5.78m �5.59m �5.53m �5.52m �5.23m �5.20m �5.12m �5.06m �5.05m �5.03m �4.81m �4.61m �4.54m �4.43m �4.33m �4.23m �4.16m �4.03m �4.00m 76 77 77 77 79 79 79 80 80 80 81 81 81 82 82 82 84 84 84 86 86 86 87 87 102 Customizable Localization Management XLOC delivers Web-based localization management solutions that streamline and simplify the integration of localization into development cycles. XLOC: Allows for simultaneous, international SKU shipments. Supports both single- and double-byte fonts. Incorporates the XLOC API for integration with proprietary programs. Tracks progress, history and completion of assets through detailed reports. Increases efficiency of the translation process � no more manual editing of game data assets. Updates in real-time, allowing developers, producers, translators and QA team members to access the most up-to-date strings concurrently. Visit www.XLOC.com and learn how you can save time and money on your localizations. THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS POS STUDIO `09 UK REVENUES PAGE POS STUDIO 39 100 44 94 70 87 33 82 42 74 80 16 7 47 15 60 59 81 78 28 26 3 68 64 73 1ST PLAYABLE 5TH CELL A2M ALTRON ASYLUM BEENOX BETHESDA BIG FISH GAMES BIOWARE BLACK ROCK STUDIOS BLIZZARD BUNGIE CAPCOM CAT DADDY CODEMASTERS COOKING MAMA CREATIVE ASSEMBLY CRITERION GAMES CRYSTAL DYNAMICS EA BLACK BOX EA BRIGHT LIGHT EA CANADA EA DICE EA LA EA SALT LAKE �8.88m �2.78m �8.43m �3.22m �4.43m �3.62m �10.83m �3.80m �8.63m �4.03m �3.85m �19.04m �31.87m �7.88m �19.20m �5.52m �5.53m �3.80m �3.88m �13.29m �13.61m �100.99m �4.61m �5.06m �4.16m 70 99 72 95 84 91 67 89 71 87 89 47 30 74 46 80 80 89 88 61 59 20 84 81 86 25 43 51 89 67 5 61 41 37 84 66 32 97 38 48 75 98 57 2 69 53 13 52 46 10 EA TIBURON A-Z `09 UK REVENUES PAGE �14.41m �8.54m �7.02m 58 ENSEMBLE STUDIOS EPIC GAMES EUROCOM EXIENT FOUNDATION 9 FREESTYLEGAMES GAME FREAK GEARBOX SOFTWARE GENIUS SONORITY GRIN GUERRILLA GAMES GUSTO GAMES HARMONIX HB STUDIOS HEAVY IRON STUDIOS HIGH VOLTAGE HUDSON INFINITY WARD INIS INSOMNIAC KONAMI KROME STUDIOS KUJU ENTERTAINMENT LEVEL-5 Various 72 76 92 82 24 80 71 69 90 82 66 97 69 74 87 99 79 18 84 77 43 76 73 38 �3.53m �4.81m �36.83m �5.23m �8.70m �9.45m �3.77m �5.03m �11.27m �3.18m �9.20m �7.79m �4.00m �2.83m �5.78m �125.58m �4.54m �6.74m �21.48m �7.00m �8.29m �29.14m 105 In association with THE WORLD'S MOST SUCCESSFUL GAME STUDIOS A-Z POS STUDIO `09 UK REVENUES) PAGE POS STUDIO `09 UK REVENUES PAGE 92 31 56 86 36 54 63 90 76 88 23 29 12 LIONHEAD STUDIOS �3.39m �12.25m �5.87m �3.72m �9.54m �6.43m �5.12m �3.48m �3.92m �3.59m �15.63m �13.12m �22.01m 95 66 79 91 68 77 81 92 87 91 56 62 41 16 90 70 90 67 75 86 95 86 77 51 99 24 91 6 96 17 45 79 30 62 58 77 21 65 11 8 14 27 4 49 22 18 19 35 95 9 ROCKSTEADY STUDIOS ROUTE 1 GAMES SEGA STUDIOS JAPAN SLAM PRODUCTIONS SLIGHTLY MAD STUDIOS SONIC TEAM SORA SPORTS INTERACTIVE SUCKER PUNCH TECHLAND TERMINAL REALITY THE SIMS STUDIO TRANSMISSION GAMES TRAVELLER'S TALES TREYARCH TURN 10 STUDIOS UBISOFT FRANCE UBISOFT MONTREAL UBISOFT ROMANIA VALVE VICARIOUS VISIONS VISCERAL GAMES VOLITION WIZARBOX YUKE'S �15.26m �3.39m �35.93m �3.20m �17.65m �8.30m �3.86m �12.81m �5.20m �5.59m �3.90m �16.22m �5.05m �28.52m �30.99m �20.79m �13.35m �59.71m �7.05m �16.15m �17.46m �16.48m �9.76m �3.20m �30.06m 57 92 26 97 48 73 88 63 81 79 88 53 82 40 32 44 60 22 75 54 49 50 68 97 36 SCE LONDON STUDIO LUXOFLUX MAGIC POCKETS MAXIS MEDIA MOLECULE MIDWAY MIDWAY NEWCASTLE MONKEY BAR GAMES MONOLITH NAMCO NAUGHTY DOG NEVERSOFT NINTENDO N-SPACE PANDEMIC STUDIOS POLYPHONY DIGITAL RADICAL RAVEN SOFTWARE REBELLION RELIC RESPONDESIGN ROCKSTAR LEEDS ROCKSTAR NORTH ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO 1 85 40 83 34 50 72 93 71 55 20 99 �203.63m �3.74m �8.81m �3.79m �9.92m �7.03m �4.23m �3.24m �4.33m �6.15m �16.30m �2.82m 106 a healthy alternative If you would like to work with Deep Silver and find out more about any publishing opportunties we can offer you please contact Stuart Chiplin - Head of Publishing +44(0)8700 276501 firstname.lastname@example.com