The video games industry generates billions of pounds every year, but with millions of different games out there, which ones have risen above the rest to reach the top of the ranks? Here are five of the all-time best-selling video game franchises.
Pokémon
Pokémon first burst onto the screens of our Game Boys back in 1996. Initially, Nintendo only released the game in Japan but after seeing how successful it was there, they released it in the USA, and the pocket monsters soon became a global hit!
These days, a lot of Pokémon’s sales don’t come from the games themselves, but from the collectables. Pokémon cards and plushies are still popular, as millions still love the franchise to this day.
Mario
Super Mario is another Nintendo franchise that’s seen worldwide success. In the mainly platform-based games, players must run and jump through the fictional Mushroom Kingdom and battle Bowser.
This iconic franchise started back in 1981 as an arcade game. Its simple gameplay and recognisable characters have made this franchise one of the best-sellers of all time. With spin-offs such as Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros. and Mario Party, as well as main titles such as Super Mario Bros, the Mario franchise continues to delight gamers of all ages.
Call of Duty
The first Call of Duty game came out in 2003. This first-person shooter was set in the Second World War and had players battle in three campaigns as soldiers from the US, Britain and the Soviet Union.
There are now nineteen games in the influential franchise, which sees players battling it out within a range of different historical time periods. It is the biggest multiplayer shooter franchise in the Western world and with a new game released just last year – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, its popularity shows no signs of slowing anytime soon!
What’s incredible is the game is the only one on this list not targeted towards younger children, with most given at 18+ certificate. The Black Ops series were 12+ with an option to limit the visible gore.
The franchise has come in for criticism for glorifying violence, but not as much as the similarly adult targeted Grand Theft Auto.
FIFA
As it imitates one of the world’s most popular sports, it was almost inevitable that FIFA would go on to become one of the most popular console games. First released in 1993, FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association and in the game, players strategically build their ultimate football team and lead them to success.
Appealing to gamers of all ages, FIFA’s popularity has gone from strength to strength, and the franchise has released over thirty games to date, with a new version of FIFA being released almost yearly since its inception.
At one point rivalled by Pro Evolution Soccer, FIFA was the only one with real player names thanks to the FIFPro license. This meant only one clear winner in the long run.
Minecraft
One of the best-selling games of all time, Minecraft is popular with both children and adults alike. The biggest allure of the game is in the creativity it encourages, with players able to construct entire worlds from their imagination.
Minecraft’s creative mode has no violence, making it suitable even for younger children, and for many it has become an introduction to gaming. Minecraft has also gone on to expand its empire through the release of books, events and merchandise.
But more bizarrely for me, as a 40-ish male I’ve never played it. So it seems odd to me not to be waxing lyrical about the works of the legendary Electronic Arts, Activision, Capcom, Sega, Rockstar Games and Square Enix.
So the nostalgia gamer in me pushes honourable mentions to Tetris, Street Fighter, Sonic the Hedgehog, Halo, Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, Tomb Raider, Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, Assassin’s Creed, Need for Speed, Sky Rim, Tiger Woods Golf and the truly epic Final Fantasy series. Each were genre defining on games console in their own way, but obviously not all are franchises’.
And Populous, Sims and Syndicate on the PC, with Football Manager and Championship manager deserving to be named too.
