Apple's App Store has been a tremendous hit, as consumers have downloaded more than 800 million apps in less than a year. Of the 25 most-downloaded apps, ComScore said a dozen were games. The top spot was occupied by the rhythm game Tap Tap Revenge, which has been installed on 32% of all devices that accessed the App Store. Other games on the list include Pac-Man, solitaire, bowling, and Sudoku applications.
"Tap Tap's success demonstrates that there is ample opportunity in the app space for any publisher to obtain significant distribution with a product that engages users," ComScore VP Brian Jurutka said in a statement. "Since the number of app users is growing nearly 10% each month, that opportunity will only continue to grow for both existing and emerging app developers." The iPhone and iPod Touch are rapidly becoming a viable platform for game developers, and could eventually challenge Nintendo's DS and Sony (NYSE: SNE)'s PlayStation Portable. While it does not have the installed base of Sony's or Nintendo's mobile gaming consoles, the iPhone does have a robust processor, 3-D graphics, and network connectivity. At last month's Game Developers Conference, many game creators said the iPhone platform represents a large opportunity for game publishers of all sizes. The upcoming iPhone 3.0 software should make the platform more compelling for game creators because it will enable in-app purchases, push notification, and peer-to-peer multiplayer gaming with voice chat. Some of the other apps that were on the most-downloaded list include social networking programs from MySpace and Facebook, the Internet music-streaming Pandora program, and a virtual lightsaber app from Lucasfilm.
