Metacritic: Sony's PlayStation 3 Tops Annual 'Power Rankings'

Critical reviews aggregator Metacritic has released its 2009 "Power Rankings," naming Sony's PlayStation 3 as the top console of the year, with strong software such as the year's top-rated game, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves boosting the quality of the console's library. Microsoft's Xbox 360 previously dominated the rankings, which are based on quality and quantity of titles released during the course of the year (sales are not a factor). But the PS3 "showed the best overall game quality for [2009]," the website said. The PS3 hosted 10 games that earned Metascores of 90 and above, including Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which was the top-rated game of the year at 96 percent. The PS3's median Metascore was 72. The Xbox 360's 2009 library still did perform well on the rankings, with the highest number of "positively-rated" games. The console was home to 88 games that earned a Metacritic score of 75 percent or higher -- seven games were 90 or higher. The top-rated game on Xbox 360 was Activision and Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which also released on PS3 and PC. The game earned a 94 on Xbox 360, and contributed to Xbox 360's median Metascore of 70. The Wii, which released the most titles during the year with 362 games, was in last place in the rankings. The console's median Metascore for the year was 67, the lowest out of six platforms, and had just one game with a Metascore over 90: Nintendo and Retro Studios' Metroid Prime: Trilogy, a re-release of Metroid Prime games outfitted for Wii's motion controls. While the console war rages on, the PC actually took the second spot on the power rankings behind the PS3. Metacritic scored 306 PC games, and seven were rated over 90. The platform's median Metascore was 72.5. Game publishers and developers often use Metacritic as a measure of their portfolios' overall quality, and also reference the website's weighted scoring system to set quality targets for games. Here are the annual Power Rankings, courtesy of Metacritic.