Data & Research

HeroCraft doubles up in PocketGamer.biz Quality Index for Q1 2009

Best ranked publisher AND best ranked game

HeroCraft doubles up in PocketGamer.biz Quality Index for Q1 2009
Russian mobile games publisher HeroCraft has stormed to the top of the PocketGamer.biz Quality Index for Q1 2009, taking top spot in both the publisher and individual game rankings.

The company scored an average of 8.23 out of 10 in reviews of its games on the sites covered by the Index, while its High Speed 3D was the top game with an average score of 9.40.

In the publisher rankings, HeroCraft was run close by RealArcade, with its average rating of 8.21, followed by I-play (8.13), Gameloft (7.83) and Namco Bandai (7.69).

Meanwhile, behind High Speed 3D in the game chart came Gameloft's Zombie Infection (9.30), Fishlabs's Galaxy on Fire 2 (9.23), RealArcade's Tropical Towers (9.20) and Glu's LocoRoco Hi (9.00).

The index covers Java games reviewed on a selection of the most popular mobile game review sites, between January and March this year. Tables and analysis follow below:

PUBLISHER RANKINGS

To qualify for inclusion in the publisher chart, companies needed to have at least eight reviews across the sites, from two or more games. For the first time, we're able to include publishers' year-on-year changes from the Q1 Index last year.

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Pos Publisher Revs Avg Score YoY Change
1 HeroCraft 16 8.23 -
2 RealArcade 10 8.21 + 1.16
3 I-play 16 8.13 + 0.52
4 Gameloft 46 7.83 - 0.11
5 Namco Bandai 14 7.69 + 0.60
6 Digital Chocolate 37 7.63 + 0.03
7 HandyGames 24 7.49 - 0.05
8 THQ Wireless 8 7.46 + 0.54
9 EA Mobile 22 7.31 + 0.01
10 Player One 9 7.21 -
11 Connect2Media / Hands-On 11 7.11 - 0.29
12 Disney Mobile 8 7.11 + 0.16
13 Glu Mobile 43 7.06 - 0.38
14 In-Fusio 11 6.71 - 0.27

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The results may be controversial, since the Quality Index has expanded this quarter to include several sites in Russia and Eastern Europe - who tend to give higher marks across the board, thus bumping up the average rating of publishers who have lots of titles reviewed on those sites.

GAME RANKINGS

To qualify for inclusion in the games chart, titles had to be reviewed by at least three separate websites during the quarter.

This chart will rollover in future quarters, to ensure games released at the end of March aren't penalised if some of their reviews are published in April.

The 20 top-ranked games are:

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Pos Game Publisher Revs Avg Score
1 High Speed 3D HeroCraft 3 9.40
2 Zombie Infection Gameloft 5 9.30
3 Galaxy on Fire 2 Fishlabs 4 9.23
4 Tropical Towers RealArcade 4 9.20
5 LocoRoco Hi Glu Mobile 3 9.00
6 Mystery Mania EA Mobile 3 8.80
7 Diamond Tumble Digital Chocolate 3 8.77
8 Luxor Quest I-play 4 8.53
9 Metal Slug Mobile 4 I-play 3 8.53
10 R.U.S.H. Qplaze/NOMOC 3 8.40
11 Devils and Demons HandyGames 7 8.37
12 Magnetic Joe 2 In-Fusio 3 8.30
13 Mafia Wars: New York Digital Chocolate 3 8.20
14 Lemmings Tribes Glu Mobile 3 8.17
15 Platinum Solitaire 2 Gameloft 4 8.13
16 Rolling with Katamari Namco Bandai 3 8.13
17 Chuck Norris: BotP Gameloft 5 8.12
18 More Brain Exercise Namco Bandai 3 8.03
19= Fast & Furious I-play 5 7.96
19= Paris Nights Gameloft 5 7.96

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The four top spots were taken by own-IP games this time round, showing that critics continue to rate original titles highly (or, depending on your view, subconsciously penalise branded games).

METHODOLOGY

Sites canvassed for the Q1 2009 Quality Index were: Pocket Gamer, IGN Wireless, AirGamer, PocketGamer.fr, Mobile Game FAQs, Games-Review, JeuxPo, PiratesXXL and ProjectNext.

New sites will be added throughout the year, and their reviews back-dated to ensure that the index remains constant.

For our separate iPhone Quality Index for Q1 2009, click here.

Get more expert analysis from the PocketGamer.Biz Mobile Game Trends ReportPut together by the expert analysts and journalists at PocketGamer.Biz the report includes analysis of key financial data and publisher performance in Q1, special reports on social media and Android, a guide to iPhone game marketing and a look ahead key trends, events and launches in 2009.

For more information and details on how to reserve your copy click here.


Contributing Editor

Stuart is a freelance journalist and blogger who's been getting paid to write stuff since 1998. In that time, he's focused on topics ranging from Sega's Dreamcast console to robots. That's what you call versatility. (Or a short attention span.)