The Top 10 Video Game Franchises Based on Revenue
Video games are such a huge part of every day life, and people no longer see them as just a “waste of time”. We’re even seeing people become professional gamers (and earning a ton of money while doing so), and ESPN is beginning to recognize it as an official sport (e-sports)! So it’s no surprise that the revenue some of these video game companies have earned over the years has reached many billions of dollars. Let’s take a look at the top 10 highest earners.
- ) POKEMON — $90 billion
Pokemon may be in the top spot, but look at where the revenue is coming from. Only $17 billion is from actual video game sales, the rest of their revenue mainly comes from merchandising.
2.) MARIO — $30.25 billion
Mario may be the most recognisable video game characters, having gotten his start in 1981 and still putting out new games that are a huge hit. The Super Mario series is responsible for half of their revenue, earning $15.9 billion.
3.) CALL OF DUTY — $17 billion
The Call of Duty games are not only extremely popular, but they have become a way for the younger generation to not forget past conflicts. It’s recent WWII game is evidence of this as it was a huge hit that brought in $1 billion in sales alone.
4.) Wii — $14.8 billion
This represents the series of Wii branded video games such as Wii Sports, Wii Play, and Wii Fit. While these games may not be as thrilling as some others on the list, their popularity can be credited towards being a family-focused game.
5.) PAC-MAN — $14.1 billion
Pac-Man was a huge hit in the 1980s and the hits just keep on coming as this game continues to prove popular amongst gamers of all ages.
6.) SPACE INVADERS — $13.93 billion
Space Invaders may have come out over 40 years ago but it’s still just as big of a hit today! Which is a pretty amazing feat when you think about all of the competition it has out there.
7.) DUNGEON FIGHTER ONLINE — $11.8 billion
If you’ve never heard of Dungeon Fighter, you’re not alone. Many in the U.S. may not recognise this name due to it being more popular in South Korea.
8.) STREET FIGHTER — $11.28 billion
If you’ve never heard of this game, you’ve been living under a rock! It came out in 1987 and has become one of the most recognised names in the video game industry thanks to it’s many crossover projects.
9.) FINAL FANTASY — $10.66 billion
Final Fantasy is king when it comes to Role-Playing Games (RPGs), which have taken the video game world by storm. It is said to have set the standard for all other RPGs.
10.) WARCRAFT — $10.63 billion
Warcraft is one of the biggest, and most popular, MMORPGs in the world. A game so good you can’t help but say “WOW” when you play it ;)
You can find a complete list of the top 50 highest-grossing video game franchises here.