10 of the richest publishers in video games this generation

7. Ubisoft

With huge sellers like Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood dotting their roster, Ubisoft are not to be taken lightly

Being one of the bigger third party developers and publishers, Ubisoft had some huge games last year. With games such as Splinter Cell: Conviction and Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood dominating the charts last year, and some serious follow ups gracing fans in 2011, Ubisoft are unlikely to have any financial troubles any time soon.

6. Nintendo

Need I say more?

This one hardly needs any justification. All of your favourite first party Nintendo franchises get a publishing stamp from the big N, and the combined weight of Mario, Zelda and Metroid alone is sure to bring in some big dollars. Even when these franchises get out-sourced as in the case of Metroid: Other M or the Oracle Zelda games, all the publishing rights make it back to Nintendo. It all adds up to make them veritable giants of the publishing world.

5. Square Enix

There’s no doubt that Final Fantasy is a serious money maker

Square Enix publish games for nearly every format under the sun. This, along with their recent acquisition of all Eidos properties, means that Square Enix are packing quality and quantity. They are also the proud owners of a little know franchise called Final Fantasy, and every title in the esteemed franchise seems to be getting new ports to PSN, iPhone and other such formats. When it comes to cash, these guys have got it going on.

4. Namco Bandai

When it comes to arcade games, Namco know what they’re doing

Namco have a fantastic history when it comes to the console market, but they’re also the masters of the arcade. With franchises like Time Crisis, Tekken and Soul Calibur gracing their roster, Namco Bandai have got some intense cash flow already. They also have an impressive rate of churning out licensed titles for cartoon and anime series and, whilst some of these games are of questionable quality, they are always going to make a profit.