Report: The world's most popular, most profitable iOS games are 3 years old

A new report from mobile analytics firm App Annie posits that two games released in 2012 (Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans, respectively) are the most popular and most profitable iOS games of all time -- or, at least, since App Annie began collecting market data in 2010.

The takeaway for mobile game makers is clear: Apple's App Store is dominated by F2P games that have been running for years, making it harder than ever to get a new game listed on one of the Apple's top charts.

App Annie's report also notes the top 10 most downloaded iOS games of all time, worldwide, are all at least two years old. The most recent, Gameloft's Despicable Me, was released in the summer of 2013; the oldest, Zynga's Words with Friends, came out way back in 2009. 

The list of top all-time iOS earners is a bit fresher, but even there the most recent release is Supercell's 2014 game Boom Beach. It's also just one of three Supercell games on the list of top games by all-time revenue, alongside 2012 releases Hay Day and Clash of Clans. 

For more data, you can download the full report for free via the App Annie website.