Develop 100: The top ten US studios

Yesterday we revealed that Traveller’s Tales was the top ranking UK studio in the recently released Develop 100, whilst EA Canada reigned supreme as the number one developer.

Over the coming weeks Develop will be publishing extracts and highlight data from the book, which uses GfK Chart-Track research on retail sales to formulate a ranking based on UK revenues.

The Develop 100 is an iPad-exclusive book, available for just £4.99 via the Develop iPad app. Click here to download it.

Today we look at the top ten US studios, and how the country has swept aside worldwide competition and accounts for just under half of the top 20 studios.

Out on top, unsurprisingly, are Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, with the barmstorming success of Activision’s blockbuster franchise, and in particular Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, shooting these developers up the list as the country’s elite.

They were followed by Bethesda Game Studios, which garnered £40.15m from its fantasy RPG Skyrim in UK sales, making up the bulk of its earnings.

Pipeworks, Epic Games, Volition, Treyarch, Turn 10 Studios and Naughty Dog rounded off the US domination of the top 20.

The Sims Studio just missed out on creating a perfect ten for the country, bringing in a still impressive £13.71m from 2009 release The Sims 3 and its numerous expansions.

Altogether, US developers brought in an astounding £327.62 million in UK retail revenue during 2011.

Want to know more? The US entries include a wealth of extra information on these developers – and there are dedicated profiles for each of the studios in the top 100. Get the Develop 100 now.