Apple has revealed the most popular and highest-earning iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Apps for 2010 thus far, including top-sellers in the highly competitive Games category.
Apple's lists divide apps into three categories -- the most downloaded free apps; the top-selling paid apps and top-grossing apps (which includes both sale price and in-app purchases) -- and also further divides those categories into categories such including games.
Chillingo's Angry Birds was a top performer across devices, cracking the top ten in terms of both gross and paid downloads on both the iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch, with a free Lite version reaching the top ten list for iPhone/iPod Touch downloads. The lite version of the company's Cut the Rope puzzle game was also a top free iPhone/iPod Touch download.
Popcap also had cross-iOS-platform success, with paid versions of Plants vs. Zombies appearing on the top selling and grossing lists for both platforms. Bejeweled 2+ Blitz also appeared on the top ten sellers and grossers lists for the iPhone/iPod Touch
In word games, Newtoy's Words with Friends showed up on all three iPhone/iPod Touch lists, while EA's licensed Scrabble achieved top sales and gross on the iPad.
Game apps dominated overall app downloads on the iPhone and iPod Touch. Nine of the top ten paid iPhone/iPod Touch apps across all categories were games, as were seven of the ten top-grossing apps on the devices and five of the top ten free apps.
On the iPad, however, games represented only two of the ten top-selling apps, one of the top-downloaded free apps and four of the ten top-grossing apps overall.
Unlike Apple's regularly updated daily lists of to-selling and downloaded apps, which are tracked regularly here and on sister site GamerBytes, the 2010 lists are not ranked numerically. However, a look at the titles that reached the Top 10 gives some insight into the state of the iOS game market.
For instance, despite the iPad's reputation for maintaining a higher average price point than the iPhone and iPod Touch, seven of the top ten selling games for the year are currently priced at $0.99. Five of the top-ten-grossing games on the device sell for $9.99, however, with only one $0.99 game cracking that list.
On the iPhone/iPod Touch, Playforge's Zombie Farm managed to make the top-ten-grossing games list despite being offered as a free download.
The full lists of 2010 sales and downloads so far for 2010 (in alphabetical order) are as follows:
Most Downloaded Free iPhone/iPod Touch Games For 2010
Angry Birds Lite
FallDown!
Glow Hockey 2 FREE
Pac-Man Lite
Paper Toss
ROCK BAND FREE
Tap Tap Revenge 3
Unblock Me FREE
Words With Friends Free
Zombie Farm
Top-Selling Paid iPhone/iPod Touch Games For 2010
Angry Birds $0.99
Bejeweled 2+ Blitz $0.99
Cut the Rope $0.99
Doodle Jump $0.99
Fruit Ninja $0.99
Gamebox 1 $0.99
Plants vs. Zombies $2.99
Skee-Ball $0.99
Tetris $2.99
Words With Friends $2.99
Top-Grossing iPhone/iPod Touch Games For 2010
Angry Birds $0.99
Bejeweled 2+ Blitz $0.99
Call of Duty: Zombies $4.99
Doodle Jump $0.99
Monopoly $2.99
Plants vs. Zombies $2.99
Tetris $2.99
The Sims 3 $2.99
Words With Friends $2.99
Zombie Farm FREE
Most Downloaded Free iPad Games For 2010
Bubble Popper FREE
City Story
Farm Story Summer
Hit Tennis 2
Pimple Popper Lite
Pocket Frogs
Restaurant Story
Solitaire
Stair Dismount Universal
Texas Poker
Top-Selling Paid iPad Games For 2010
Angry Birds HD $4.99
Cake Doodle $0.99
Monkey Preschool Lunchbox $0.99
Pinball HD $0.99
Plants vs. Zombies HD $0.99
Predators $0.99
Real Racing HD $9.99
Scrabble for iPad $9.99
Shanghai Mahjong $0.99
Slice It! $0.99
Top-Grossing iPad Games For 2010
Angry Birds HD $4.99
Flight Control HD $4.99
Labyrinth 2 HD $7.99
MADDEN NFL 11 $2.99
Need for Speed Shift iPad $9.99
Pinball HD $0.99
Plants vs. Zombies HD $9.99
Real Racing HD $9.99
Scrabble for iPad $9.99
X-Plane for iPad $9.99
You know, in the end Apple has clearly found its place in "mobile Multi media entertainment". They already realize that don't have compete with Nintendo because they (meaning Apple) are about strong multi media first and "quick hit low priced yet fun" gaming second. While Nintendo has always been the reverse.
But I do agree with you Leon. I would like to see some digital sales myself.
Sorry for that fragmented sentence guys (Mom taught me better than that!). What I meant to say was: They (Meaning Apple)already realize that THEY do not have TO compete with Nintendo (Whether Apple ever releases a 3D version or not!). Apple is about Strong multimedia with low priced fun gaming second. While Nintendo is the reverse. Once again there is room for coexistence.
But like Leon said, SHOW ME THE DIGITAL SALES PLEASE.
>Why not give the amount of downloads and sales? In fact it is about time that all public companies started sharing their digital sales data
...because some companies view this knowledge as a competitive advantage and don't see what they have to gain by giving it up. Same reason some digital distribution services have clauses in the contracts preventing developers from disclosing their numbers. It sucks, but I understand why they do it.
On a positive note, I *love* that both the 'top grossing' lists are almost half made up of indie content. A year ago, the big brands from EA and their ilk were dominating. THis shows that the indies can hold their own, and more importantly, they and customers can find each other on the digital storefront. Yay!
But I do agree with you Leon. I would like to see some digital sales myself.
But like Leon said, SHOW ME THE DIGITAL SALES PLEASE.
...because some companies view this knowledge as a competitive advantage and don't see what they have to gain by giving it up. Same reason some digital distribution services have clauses in the contracts preventing developers from disclosing their numbers. It sucks, but I understand why they do it.
On a positive note, I *love* that both the 'top grossing' lists are almost half made up of indie content. A year ago, the big brands from EA and their ilk were dominating. THis shows that the indies can hold their own, and more importantly, they and customers can find each other on the digital storefront. Yay!