Electronic Arts came out first in Metacritic's third annual ranking of game publishers with an average score of 75.2 for 34 unique titles during 2012.
Metacritic decides its rankings based on the average Metascore for all games released in 2012, the percentage of products with good reviews (Metascore of at least 75), the percentage of products with bad reviews (Metascore 49 or lower), and the number of "great" titles (Metascore 90 or higher). The Metascore average counts for a slightly higher amount than the other categories.
Electronic Arts' Best Overall release was Mass Effect 3, scored 93. According to Metacritic, the company released two games in the "great" category: Mass Effect 3 and FIFA Soccer 13, scored 90. The company's Best Original Title was Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning for PC, with a score of 81. Although its worst was Medal of Honor: Warfighter, scored 53, the publisher did not release a single game scored 49 or lower.
During last year's ranking, Electronic Arts came in fourth.
Following EA was Microsoft, last year's winner, with a score of 73. Other runner-ups include Sony at 72.3, Nintendo at 71.2 and Capcom at 70.4. The worst ranked publisher was Namco Bandai, number 11, with a score of 62.5.
Check out the full list of publishers, including their scores and mentioned games, here.