These Are the Most Prolific Mobile Game Publishers in App Store History

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
Big Fish Games is the most prolific publisher in App Store history, having released 1,471 mobile games as of July 2018.
02
Approximately 41 percent of all iOS developers have launched more than one app on the platform.
03
Electronic Arts ranks fourth among the most prolific publishers with 502 titles, while Tencent ranks sixth with 361 and Ubisoft ranks tenth with 315.
04
The analysis of prolific publishers focused specifically on apps that have achieved at least 10,000 lifetime installs.
05
Electronic Arts maintains a high volume of top-performing content, with 84 games reaching the top of the iPhone free charts, 72 on paid charts, and 78 on top-grossing charts.
06
Despite its massive catalog size, Big Fish Games continues to maintain a presence on top-grossing charts, exemplified by Big Fish Casino, which ranked as the 72nd highest-earning iOS game in the second quarter of 2018.

Summary

This analysis identifies the most prolific mobile game publishers on Apple’s App Store during its first decade of operation. The primary objective is to rank developers based on the total volume of game titles released, specifically filtering for applications that have achieved at least 10,000 lifetime installs. The data highlights a significant disparity in output, with a small group of major industry players maintaining extensive catalogs compared to the broader developer ecosystem, where approximately 41 percent of publishers have launched more than one app.

Big Fish Games stands as the most prolific publisher in App Store history, having released 1,471 games. This volume significantly outpaces other major industry entities. Other notable publishers in the top 10 include Electronic Arts, which holds 502 titles, Tencent with 361, and Ubisoft with 315. While volume is a key metric, the analysis also notes that some of these high-output publishers, such as Electronic Arts, successfully balance quantity with quality, maintaining a strong presence on top-performing charts for free, paid, and grossing applications.

The scope of this study covers the first ten years of the Apple App Store, concluding in July 2018. The findings are derived from proprietary platform intelligence, focusing on global iOS game releases that met the minimum threshold of 10,000 lifetime installs. By examining these trends, the analysis provides insight into the production strategies of major mobile gaming firms and their long-term commitment to maintaining large, active portfolios on the iOS platform.