Update #1 Nov 24 2010 @ 9:45pm: Based on feedback I've added Capcom to the list & moved Digital Chocolate up in the rankings, while moving Namco down a bit. I've elected to remove Artificial Life because only about 50% of their revenue can be attributed to mobile games. Please... I encourage more feedback in the interest of making this the definitive list.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Note that I've added Chinese mobile powerhouse KongZhong to the list... in recent quarters mobile games have become a much more significant portion of the their overall revenue, which is about $145mil over the past 4 quarters.
- Purely from a mobile games perspective, it could be argued that both Artificial Life & Digital Chocolate don't belong on this list, but I'm keeping them here for the time being, while their primary businesses are still mobile games. If current trends persist, Digital Chocolate will quickly evolve into a company that primarily derives revenue from social online gaming (Facebook games).
- Per a previous suggestion from Jon Jordan over at PocketGamer.biz, I'm considering adding Disney/Tapulous to the Top 10... but I'd need some independent confirmation that their combined worldwide mobile games business yields at least 20 something million dollars.
- Overall I'd suggest that the Top 10 are becoming less significant in terms of their contribution to mobile gaming revenue and even in terms of real dollars I've dropped their aggregate revenue to $715mil from $720mil just 3mos ago.
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You are definitely missing Capcom. Still one of the few publishers with a significant direct carrier business (like EA, GL, GLU) and performing great on iTunes - #2 top grossing game Smurfs Village, other perennial top sellers like Street Fighter, etc.
ReplyDeleteAs well, like Namco they are one of the few people on your list who have a massive business in Japan - on Japan iTunes they have 5 titles in Top 100 Grossing.
Just my biased two cents :)
Jeremy,
ReplyDeleteIf you are including KongZhong as a games company, I think you need to consider the Japanese triumvirate of social networking, too (DeNA, GREE, Mixi). I think all of them make most of their (stacks of) money on mobile and a lot of it supposedly comes from games.
The definitions are blurring, it seems... ;-)
Hey Volker -- Great points! I need to look at GREE & Mixi... but with regard to DeNA I still look at them as primarily a mobile social games infrastructure company. As ngmoco & the studios they've purchased become a bigger part of their revenue mix I will definitely include them. But what you say is true... the definitions are blurring. What do you think of my contention that the the biggest players are contributing less to the overall revenue of mobile gaming?
ReplyDeletei'd love to see year over year- to see how the industry has changed in the last 3-5 years with the top 10 list.. .its been a ride!
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