Microsoft is Metacritic's publisher of the year

[breakfuss]

Metacritic announced the results of its 12th Annual Game Publisher Rankings, and for 2021, Microsoft is Metactritic's publisher of the year.

1. Microsoft
2. Sony
3. Humble Gaming
4. Activision
5. Bethesda

Microsoft’s average Metascore for 2021 was 87.4, which is the only time any publisher has ever had an average over 85.

Metacritic's #1 Publisher of the Year. It is very rare for a publisher to average above 80 for its releases across a single calendar year. But how often does a company average above 85 ? Never ... until this year.
Our runaway winner of this year's Publisher of the Year honors, Microsoft certainly published fewer titles in 2021 than it does in a typical year. But what games it did publish were uniformly excellent, making Microsoft the only publisher with a 100% success rate. Three different titles scored 90 or higher (also tops among all publishers): the latest Forza Horizon racer, a sequel to Psychonauts, and the Xbox Series X version of Microsoft Flight Simulator. (Their successes almost make Halo Infinite seem like a disappointment with a mere 87.) Can Microsoft maintain its quality control once Activision Blizzard is welcomed into the fold? Stay tuned.

Complete list:

Spoiler

Merge Games
16 scored products (7 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 61.5
Curve Games
11 products (5 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 66.1
PM Studios
8 products (5 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 69.3
THQ Nordic (incl. HandyGames)
22 products (12 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 67.8
Nacon
22 products (12 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 65.4
ININ Games (United Games Ent.)
19 products (11 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 68.5
Thunderful (incl. Headup & Rising Star)
20 products (12 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 68.1
All in! Games
10 products (6 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 65.5
Playism
9 products (5 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 66.1
Idea Factory
8 products (8 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 68.2
EastAsiaSoft
7 products (5 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 67.7
PQube
11 products (7 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 71.2
Microids
14 products (8 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 70.5
Nakana.io
8 products (5 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 73
Sold Out
15 scored products (7 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 72.3
Koch Media
58 scored products (28 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 70.6
Take-Two Interactive
14 scored products (6 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 69.1
Team17
27 scored products (12 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 72.4
Xseed/Marvelous
11 scored products (8 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 70.6
Ratalaika Games
8 scored products (5 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 71.0
NIS America
18 scored products (13 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 70.6
Maximum Games
38 scored products (15 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 72.4
Saber Interactive
11 scored products (6 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 70.7
Raw Fury
12 scored products (8 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 74.1
Ubisoft
28 scored products (12 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 74.2
Annapurna Interactive
17 scored products (7 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 73.5
Focus Entertainment
24 scored products (10 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 72.5
Plug In Digital
19 scored products (10 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 73.3
Koei Tecmo Games
27 scored products (10 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 74.5
Nintendo
18 scored products (18 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 76.0
DANGEN Entertainment
11 scored products (6 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 73.8
Square Enix
54 scored products (24 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 75.3
Devolver Digital
20 scored products (9 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 76.5
505 Games
8 scored products (5 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 75.7
Electronic Arts
36 scored products (14 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 78.3
Sega
38 scored products (19 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 77.6
Bandai Namco
24 scored products (11 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 78.5
Capcom
17 scored products (7 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 80.6
Bethesda Softworks
15 scored products (7 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 80.2
Activision Blizzard
17 scored products (6 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 80.6
Humble Games
17 scored products (7 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 80.9
Sony
11 scored products (10 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 81.3
Microsoft (Xbox Game Studios)
10 scored products (5 distinct titles)
Average Metascore (2021 games): 87.4

Source: Metacritic's 12th Annual Game Publisher Rankings

 

[Koba St]

Publishers they bought recently and whose games had nothing to do with them

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

long live november 2021

 

[breakfuss]

Publishers they bought recently and whose games had nothing to do with them

bruh you can clearly see those scores were tabulated separately.

 

[Diondon]

For Halo & Forza. nikka please

 

[Obreh Winfrey]

Metacritic scores don't matter

 

[FromStLouis]

 

[breakfuss]

For Halo & Forza. nikka please

R&C, Returnal, GoT etc...those were included. This is an aggregate of unaffiliated publications. Metacritic is just the messenger. It is what it is.

Metacritic scores don't matter

Today .

 

[The Mad Titan]

The stanary always come back around to bite them

 

[Obreh Winfrey]

The stanary always come back around to bite us

You get bit by it too

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Publishers they bought recently and whose games had nothing to do with them

Don’t know how to read cause you are hurt Sony stans.

They were number one without activision and Bethesda. With them they are number 1,4, and 5

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Gonna be a repeat for 2022 too

 

[-DMP-]

Tide turning?

 

[Gizmo_Duck]

Gonna be a repeat for 2022 too

With what games???

 

[Tenchi Ryu]

Microsoft definitely………

……..has games