As noted earlier, a list published by UK newspaper The Independent reveals what many already assume; Nintendo's Mario is the best-selling franchise of all time. Coupled with the second best-selling franchise Pokémon (also a Nintendo property), the two series, which have sold a combined 348 million games worldwide, account for nearly 34% of the total sales of the top-twenty best-selling franchises; which include two additional Nintendo IPs ranked in the top ten, Donkey Kong and Zelda. So what's Nintendo's secret?Cross-culture appeal, spin-offs (e.g., racers, sports titles, puzzlers), brand saturation (e.g., apparel, card games, TV shows), and E-ratings all appear part of a profitable formula built for the long haul.
The list:
- Mario (Nintendo): 193 million (games sold worldwide)
- Pokémon (Nintendo): 155 million
- Final Fantasy (Square Enix): 68 million
- Madden NFL (Electronic Arts): 56 million
- The Sims (Maxis/Electronic Arts): 54 million
- Grand Theft Auto (Rockstar): 50 million
- Donkey Kong (Nintendo): 48 million
- The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo): 47 million
- Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega): 44 million
- Gran Turismo (Sony): 44 million
- Lineage (NCsoft): 43 million
- Dragon Quest (Square Enix): 41 million
- Crash Bandicoot (Sony/Vivendi): 34 million
- Resident Evil (Capcom): 31 million
- James Bond (Various): 30 million
- Tomb Raider (Eidos Interactive): 30 million
- Mega Man (Capcom): 26 million
- Command & Conquer (Westwood Studios/Electronic Arts): 25 million
- Street Fighter (Capcom): 25 million
- Mortal Kombat (Midway): 20 million
Note: James Bond is the only licensed franchise to crack the top twenty. Madden and Bond are the only licensed franchises to crack the top twenty.
