Nintendo holds key to franchise longevity, profitability

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:

1. Mario (Nintendo): 193 million (games sold worldwide)
   

2. Pokémon (Nintendo): 155 million

3. Final Fantasy (Square Enix): 68 million

4. Madden NFL (Electronic Arts): 56 million

5. The Sims (Maxis/Electronic Arts): 54 million

6. Grand Theft Auto (Rockstar): 50 million

7. Donkey Kong (Nintendo): 48 million

8. The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo): 47 million

9. Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega): 44 million

10. Gran Turismo (Sony): 44 million

11. Lineage (NCsoft): 43 million

12. Dragon Quest (Square Enix): 41 million

13. Crash Bandicoot (Sony/Vivendi): 34 million

14. Resident Evil (Capcom): 31 million

15. James Bond (Various): 30 million

16. Tomb Raider (Eidos Interactive): 30 million

17. Mega Man (Capcom): 26 million

18. Command & Conquer (Westwood Studios/Electronic Arts): 25 million

19. Street Fighter (Capcom): 25 million

20. 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.