Despite perhaps not making as much money as it might have hoped, one-time console manufacturer SEGA has been officially crowned the highest-rated publisher of games of 2024 by review aggregator Metacritic. Following critically acclaimed releases like Metaphor: ReFantazio, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, SEGA has unseated 2023's champion, Capcom.
Metacritic calculates the scores in a slightly arcane fashion, but generally speaking, publishers are awarded a point ranking drawn from four factors, which are weighted differently. Most important is the pub's average Metascore for the games it released that year. Then, the percentage of titles with "good" reviews (above 75), the percentage that received "bad" reviews (49 or below), and those that received "great" reviews (90 or above) are all taken into account.
By this metric, Capcom still managed a very impressive #2 ranking, barely edged out by SEGA; still deserving of its Capgod status. Interestingly, Aksys Games secured the #3 spot, with its highest scoring game being Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II at 83.
Metacritic notes that all five of Aksys' releases in 2024 received positive reviews from professional critics (like the master-raters here at Push Square), allowing it to beat out Sony, which had to content itself with the #4 spot. That's despite Astro Bot being hailed as the highest individually-rated game of the year.
We've included the top five rankings below, but you can check out the complete list of 37 eligible publishers, with quite a bit more detail, over at Metacritic.
- #1: SEGA (325.5 points)
- #2: Capcom (323.1 points)
- #3: Aksys Games (318.1 points)
- #4: Sony (314.0 points)
- #5: Focus Entertainment (309.6 points)
What do you think of Metacritic's coldly analytical ranking of video game publishers? Do you agree, disagree, or refute aggregators entirely? Let us know on a subjective scale of 1-100 below.
[source metacritic.com, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 17
I don't care with Metacritic scores when purchasing the games.
The games I bought were the games that I thought they were acceptable enough for me, not because of their scores by Metacritic.
Well deserved.
Where's Nintendo and MS???
I still need to grab Death Mark II, the first two games were fantastic VNs
“Most important is the pub's average Metascore…”
This is why it’s important to support your local drinking establishment.
I'd say SEGA are 84/100.
Metaphor: ReFantazio, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and don't forget Unicorn Ovelord too!
Unsurprising. SEGA was easily the standout publisher last year. Banger after banger after banger.
Sega and Capcom been doing they're things a lot for the past couple of years Word up son
Interesting how 4/5 of them are Japanese and the last one is French. No North American publishers and 80% of them are from just one relatively small country. Clearly Japan is doing something very right and NA is doing things wrong.
@PuppetMaster Nintendo are at #22 with this statement:
"It's very unlike Nintendo to release so many middling products (such as Endless Ocean Luminous and Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer) in one year. Even the company's go-to franchises delivered relatively lackluster results in 2024: Four different Mario titles scored 77 or lower, and the storied Zelda franchise produced its lowest-scoring release in two decades."
MS are in 9th place.
It brings me immense joy to see asian devs thriving and growing while the greedy and creatively stifled Western AAA scene self-implodes hard.
Chickens coming home to roost.
Whilst I don't put too much weight into metacritic scores it's impressive l, fair play to Sega. It wasn't all that long ago that segas future existence was in question. Long may it continue.
Again: Sony should've never closed as many of their native studios.
@Matroska Wow i didn't know Nintendo fallen that far. I'm surprised MS at 9 though.
Good well deserved
Capcom needs to make resident evil turn based jrpg to compete with metaphor and shin megami. I think theyre catching up with monster hunter wilds tho
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