UK DEVELOPMENT IN £250M RUDE HEALTH AS ‘DEVELOP 100’ RANKS COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF STUDIOS

Thursday 5 May 2005/... A study which, for the first time ever, ranks individual computer and video game development studios according to the revenue they generated at UK retail will be published by Develop magazine tomorrow.

Analysing Chart-Track data from 1st January 2004 to 31st December 2004, Develop 100 - a lavish Develop magazine supplement, sponsored exclusively by UK games label Deep Silver - is free with tomorrow's MCV (6th May 2005) and this month's Develop (9th May 2005). Alternatively, it is available separately to non-subscribers for £20.00.

From first-placed EA Canada down to 100th-placed Hothouse Creations, the value of each studio's on-sale portfolio - regardless of publisher - has been calculated and compiled, offering the definitive guide to the success of every studio, in-house and independent. The result is a guide which is as fascinating as it is informative.

Whilst US Developers pulled around £350million through UK tills, native developers managed a hugely creditable £250million, demolishing totals from Asian teams (£100million) and embarrassing our continental cousins (£30million).

EA's Canada studio (FIFA Soccer, Need For Speed Underground 2, Total Club Manager 2005) topped the chart by some margin, pulling in £93.5million during 12 months and beating its nearest rival Rockstar North (GTA: San Andreas, GTA Vice City, Manhunt) by over £22million.

Further down the chart, things get really interesting. Who would have thought Reflections (Driv3r) would have beaten Pandemic (Full Spectrum Warrior, Star Wars: Battlefront) by six clear places? Or that Eurocom (Sphinx and The Cursed Mummy, Athens 2004) would sit two places above Nintendo (Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords and Pokemon Colosseum)?

"Develop 100 is a first attempt to rank development outfits according to their performance where it ultimately counts - in the shops," says Owain Bennallack, editor, Develop. "Here we see which developers brought home the bacon - and who might have been exaggerating their prowess, if not telling porkies."

"Aside from bragging rights, Develop 100 is important to all areas of the business - particularly publishers to investors. Just consider at how wedded Take Two is to the output of Rockstar North, or how Eidos has fallen as Tomb Raider's star has dimmed. The closest publisher to bucking the trend is, as ever, EA, but even it's based its success on steadily improving overall quality from the likes of EA Canada, not to mention a breakthrough critical and commercial success in the form of The Sims from Maxis.

For the full chart, with expert analysis from the industry's leading journalists and statisticians, pick up a copy of Develop 100 - either free with sister publication MCV tomorrow (May 6th) or by emailing Hannah Short (hannah.short@intentmedia.co.uk).

Develop Magazine is Europe's only monthly developer magazine, regularly reaching over 8,000 members of the development community. MCV is the world's leading weekly trade publication focussing on the computer and video games industry. Both are published by Intent Media.

Ends

For further information, please contact:

Owain Bennallack (owain.bennallack@developmag.com)

Dave Roberts (dave.roberts@intentmedia.co.uk)