App Store Analysis: US Top 100 dances to the beat of Tap Tap Revenge 3

Considering Apple's recent announcement concerning the ability of developers to include in-app purchases within free games, this week's App Store Analysis might be considered something of a milestone.

So far only ngmoco has released a game that supports the new model - Rolando 2 - but over the coming months, there could be plenty of changes as games shift from the official Paid chart to the Free chart. Of course, this is always assuming that's where Apple places such free-plus-paid products. No one seems exactly sure

In the meantime, Tapulous has been making itself comfortable at the top of the US Top 100 with Tap Tap Revenge 3 - itself a game powered by in-app transactions.

But, Tap Tap Revenge 3 aside, there's not been much significant activity on the chart over the past couple of weeks.

NaturalMotion's Backbreaker Football has caught the national sporting mood, and thanks to its excellent value for money (99c) is at #4.

Another US culturally-oriented game - Freeverse's Skee-Ball has been doing the business. It's currently at #2 and has been in the top 10 for over three weeks.

Riding on the Flash gaming wave, Scottish developer Digital Goldfish has had another Bloons-related hit, this time with Bloons Tower Defense, which is priced at $2.99, and in at #8.

Also underlining the value of brands is Gameloft's Shrek Kart, which at $4.99 is the most expensive game in the US top 10, as well as being the best placed most expensive new entry in the whole Top 100.

As ever, the majority of the new entries are bite-sized 99c games - such as Fling!, XenoWars and Parking Mania.

There's also a Halloween flavour starting on the App Store: something we're sure to see much more of over the coming week.

Examples include App Entertainment's Zombie Pizza, while the award for getting the most buzzwords into a game title goes to Draw Slasher: Dark Ninja vs Pirate Monkey Zombies.

It's also worth pointing out the success of another oddly named game. UK studio Four Door Lemon's QuizQuizQuiz, sneaking up the charts, currently at #49.

When it comes to checking out the Top 100 App Store numbers, the situation is very similar compared to our previous analysis of the 4th October 2009.

The average price of the Top 100 is almost exactly the same: $2.76 compared to $2.77.

Indeed, the average price of the top 10 is exactly the same: a lowly $1.79.

As the sales momentum of EA and Gameloft's expensive $9.99 and $6.99 titles has dropped off, following their launch period, the overall balance of the chart average price has become less lumpy, with every set of 10 positions at least $2.29 or higher.

Significantly, it seems that the $4.99 price tag is now definitely seen as a sweet spot for developers and publishers with 21 games tagged at that level. During our analysis, only once have more games been priced at that level, and then there weren't any games at $9.99.

EA Mobile remains the only publisher able to maintain that sort of expensive quality in the Top 100 thanks to Madden NFL 10 and FIFA 10.

When it comes to tracking the sales of App Store publishers, only once before has Gameloft outgunned EA Mobile in terms of the number of games each has in the Top 100.

It's only by one - thanks to Shrek Kart and the re-entry of Guitar Rock Tour 2 - and EA Mobile maintains a strong advantage in terms of the average price it charges for its games.

Smaller publishers have also been putting in the work, with Digital Chocolate, Glu and Chillingo all managing to get three games listed in the Top 100.

It's been over a month since Digital Chocolate and Chillingo have been so popular, while this is the first time that we've included Glu in this particular listing.

As well as longtime chart sitter Deer Hunter 3D, it has newcomers Family Guy: Uncensored and Super KO Boxing 2 to thank for its position, and its high average price.

Digital Chocolate relies on two versions of one game for its position: Haunted 3D Rollercoaster Rush and Jurassic 3D Rollercoaster Rush plus 3D Brick Breaker Revolution make up its three.

Chillingo's position comes courtesy of its two games published via its 99c Clickgamer brand: Parking Mania and Stick-Fu. To that extent then, its low average price is no surprise.