PocketGamer.biz's top 50 developers of 2012 kicks off

The list has been compiled and the independent adjudicator has checked it twice.

Yes, it's time for the unveiling of PocketGamer.biz's top 50 mobile developers of 2012 in association with leading mobile application analytics and data-powered advertising platform Flurry.

Kicking off with numbers 50 to 41 on Friday, we'll be running the countdown across consecutive days and into next week.

Each day will see another set of companies highlighted, with our special sauce ranking system taking into account the quality of their games, cross-platform ability, flexibility of business models, monetary success, and that certain je ne sais quoi that only the best studios exude.

Give us a clue

Of course, we can't give too much away at this stage, but we can say that - once again - the vibrancy of the industry continues to surprise even the most cynical journalists.

There are 23 new entries in this year's list; an incredible number and one that includes everything from one-man teams to some of the best known names from console development.

Yet, at the sharp end, there are only two companies in the top 10 who didn't feature in the 2011 list, demonstrating the first mover advantage that's proving to be so important in terms of building a longterm business.

See it revealed here.