That was just them fucking up. Pikachu is a lot more visible than any character they showed.
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Mario vs. Pokemon - Which is the bigger game IP
- Thread starter AntMurda
- Start date
Vital Tundra
Member
Mario.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
The Pokemon anime has had progressively decreased relevance since it's inception, it's currently a shell of it's former self popularity wise. The best thing it has currently going for it is that it still exists.
There's something called exposure. So all those people who experienced the 80's-90's craze of NES/GB and Nintendo Cereal and the Super Mario Bros. show and the even the godawful Super Mario Bros. movie. Adults, children, and parents of children alike - they may not be gaming in the 2000-2016 era, but they know who Mario is decades later even without being involved in gaming culture NOW.
DecoReturns
Member
at the end of the day, who cares.
Nintendo is making a Mario theme Park and Mobile games. Hell if the rumors are true, Mario might be on the Wreck it Ralph sequel.
If they play their cards right, theyll have two dominant IPs. Hopefully they make so much money, they'll make A Star Fox movie.
Nintendo is making a Mario theme Park and Mobile games. Hell if the rumors are true, Mario might be on the Wreck it Ralph sequel.
If they play their cards right, theyll have two dominant IPs. Hopefully they make so much money, they'll make A Star Fox movie.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
That was entirely due to Pokemon Go. Pokemon has been a consistently large but not that massive franchise in terms of visibility before hand. The anime's relevance was near nonexstant though it shifted a fairly substantial amount merchandise. Mario last just last generation was shifting 30 million a game. Pokemon was capped at 15 ish million even during th DS generation. That says it all.
How is the franchise getting bigger when the mainline games are selling less each generation? The animation is only becoming less relevant each release. Sure Sun and Moon had the best day 1 sales, but it's likely going to sell at the same rate as the 3DS versions have, which is less than the DS, and much less than the GBA and GB.
CaviarMeths
Member
As a multimedia franchise, Pokemon is bigger. It's got a 20-year-running TV show, movies, a card game, and a fuckton of merchandise outside of the games. The games have also outsold Mario this gen, but that could be largely due to Wii U selling like ass.
Mario is a more iconic character though. He's basically Mr. Video Games.
Mario is a more iconic character though. He's basically Mr. Video Games.
No, even before Pokemon Go. The anime and the cards are still quite popular aside from other merchandise.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
I never said they weren't. In terms of visbility however it was at the roughly the same rate it always was with slight decrease year on year. (Though the merchandise sales themselves have been consistently great.
The pokemon anime really isn't all that popular in comparison to other long running anime. It exists as a marketing vehicle. If it was the only part of the pokemon franchise that existed, It would have been cancelled a while ago.
That might be true now. But at its peak the Pokemon Anime easily had more people watching it than people playing Pokemon or Mario games. It was easily one of the most popular TV shows during the early 2000s.
By that logic even Mario games have decreased in sales since its inception. No Mario game is going to outsell a GTA or a COD. Doesnt mean those IPs are more recognizable.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
Mario was selling 30 million just last generation. The last time Pokemon sold over 20 million was 20 years ago.
The thing people are missing is Pokemon has limited appeal in comparison to Mario.
That's why you will always see Mario sell way more on hardware with a big & wide audience and that's the reason why SMR will be downloaded way more in comparison to Pokemon GO. Because the audience that Mario appeals to goes beyond the ceiling Pokemon can ultimately appeal to.
If Nintendo and game freak would've put a legit full Pokémon game on the Wii it would've also sold 30 million copies
Also MARIO ain't been doing those numbers in a long time and it'll likely never get to that point again. While sun and Moon are going to continue selling
DecoReturns
Member
i actually doubt that.
Of course you should doubt that. The Nintendo DS had a userbase of 150 million people, had multiple legit Pokemon games and still sold less than either NSMB or MKDS. Mainline Pokemon games don't as gain much by a hugely expanded userbase as Mario games do.
When you put them on even playing fields with the largest over all user base.
Nintendo DS - 154 million user base
1. New Super Mario Bros. - 30.80 million
2. Mario Kart DS - 23.60 million
3. Pokemon Diamond / Pokemon Pearl - 17.64 million
Wii - 101 million user base
1. Mario Kart Wii - 36.83 million
2. New Super Mario Bros. Wii - 29.80 million
3. Pokemon Battle Revolution - 1.20 million
MisterHero
Super Member
Right now Pokemon is a monster hardware seller so it's probably bigger to Nintendo. Mario games have god-tier sales but do they push hardware?
DecoReturns
Member
I think Mario Kart pushes Sales.
I never denied Mario selling more in the gaming sphere. I just said that because the Anime is declining doesn't mean that its impact during its peak has declined. Just like how Mario selling a few million on Wii U doesn't change how recognizable he is because of how popular he was at his peak.
The TV show was watched by wayy more people than the people who bought the games. It was popular worldwide in so many regions where console gaming isnt anywhere close to being as popular as PC and F2P stuff.
Ultimately Mario is limited to the number of systems Nintendo sells. But the Pokemon anime had much bigger audience and was broadcasted in many countries where Nintendo dont even sell systems.
The Pokemon brand had much bigger reach because of successful TV shows,Movies and Card game. As an IP Pokemon is bigger. as a strictly gaming IP Mario is bigger.
Highly doubt this. Pokemon GO was a very different game which is what made a lot of people try it ( Ingress never really caught on ). SMR is ultimately just a 2D Runner , something many people are familiar with. There isnt much novelty apart from the Mario Brand.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
The Mario brand is hardly limited to gaming, it's one of the most visible in the world and has been for several decades. It's analogous to mickey mouse for animation. That's why it can sell 30 million a pop when the casual userbase is there. Pokemon is far more limited than mario is as it ahd it's biggest mindshare with the people that group with th original craze until pokemon go.
Mario already has 40 million downloads on iphone alone. There's nothing to doubt it's already happening.
No, the real difference between Mario and Pokemon is this: Pokemon has to be something very special & new in order to make it bigger than the IP really is and, as you mentioned, Pokemon GO just did that which made a lot of other people outside of its usual audience try it.
On the other hand, you can just release a standard runner game with the Mario name slapped on it and it will still be downloaded way more than the phenomenon that was PGO.
And that is already happening, as mentioned above.
Joining icons like Neff from Altered Beast.
Exterminieren
Banned
Diamond and Pearl sold more than Ruby and Sapphire, and X and Y have almost certainly sold more than Black and White by this point.
If Sun and Moon have similar legs to previous Pokémon games, they'll probably be the best selling Pokémon games since Gold and Silver.
Look at it this way. If a new Pokemon game released on the same day as a new Mario game, i can garuntee you that Pokemon would out do it 5 to 1. Mario is an iconic franchise no doubt, but it relies on mass bundling and legs to receive it's sales. Meanwhile, Pokemon can generate millions in a heart beat.
Anyways, no contest here, because Pokemon is easily the bigger franchise. Anyone that thinks otherwise should look at the best selling games on the 3ds - which is Pokemon.
Anyways, no contest here, because Pokemon is easily the bigger franchise. Anyone that thinks otherwise should look at the best selling games on the 3ds - which is Pokemon.
hemo memo
Member
Mario and it's not even close. Maybe because some of you live in big cities where gameing is big where everyone know what Pokemon is. Worldwide I think many people never heard of Pokemon before Pokemon Go. But for Mario it's basically part of Japan as a country. Japan Prime Minster appears as Mario in Rio Olympics closing ceremony. Worldwide it's Mario.
I mean for me Pokémon has become so big it has superseded any other gaming franchise. I don't even consider it a gaming franchise. It's just morphed in to an entirely different beast, similar to the huge cultural movie franchises like Star Wars.
Mario is great and obviously a humongous franchise and it is still one of gaming's biggest mascots but for me Pokémon is the one.
Mario is great and obviously a humongous franchise and it is still one of gaming's biggest mascots but for me Pokémon is the one.
Haha!
Pikachu was the Japan World Cup mascot in 2014, the greatestand most popular competition in the world.
TheGreatMightyPoo
Banned
Right answer.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
That's why several mario games doubled pokemon sales on the DS?
Just for reference, every Pokémon movie ever (19) has a higher box office gross.
Again.Mobile is a present day corroboration that Mario / Pokemon released on mainstream user bases - Mario wins by a wide margin.
Sorry, i thought the question was: which "is" the biggest franchise? Which means figures from Nintendo's most recent handheld should only be looked at here. And let's just ignore how Mario isn't the most bundled gaming franchise, shall we?
Those multi-sku Pokemons that get combined into one, how much of a factor is it that several Pokemon fans buy both versions each time? Have you ever seen the sales of the single SKU releases? They top out 8-10 million.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
Franchise means franchise, which includes mindshare historical sales current sales and likely future sales. Pokemon is currently at it's second high point but that doesn't change the fact that for the vast majority of it's lifespan mario has been the bigger franchise.
Well, you could give Pokemon 1998-2003 and 2013-2016 as the bigger franchise. So on the scale of things, it is obvious that Mario is the more consistant franchise; however, Mario has never had the highs of Pokémon - which could easily argue for Pokémon being the bigger franchise. Mario games also never explode out of the block and usually it will take it years to reach a high total whilst Pokemon games will practically reach it over night. Anyways, it's all a matter of opinion, and it's clear that these two franchisees are different beasts in the gaming sphere. However, looking outside gaming, you cannot say that Pokemon isn't the bigger franchise. It generated 2 billion last year (and this was without a mainline title)
Young GAFfers should know that Mario in the early 90s was more recognizable than Mickey Mouse for American kids (and more than their own president Bill Clinton by some margin). These people are now pushing forty. Pokemon is younger and didn't have that level of iconicness, Pokemon Go or no.
I don't know the numbers, but from my perspective I'd guess Mario by quite a margin, though Pokémon got a huge boost this year, so maybe they're currently pretty close after all. But I don't think Pokémon's boost will be that long-lasting, so on a long-term basis, I'd say Mario with a higher degree of certitude.
From Nintendo's point of view, I'd say especially Mario, because they own and control it 100%, unlike Pokémon.
From Nintendo's point of view, I'd say especially Mario, because they own and control it 100%, unlike Pokémon.
MrCookiepants
Member
In the 20-30 age bracket that I fit in, Pokemon seems at least 20 times bigger than Mario.
Back when I was in university, it felt like the whole school was playing Pokemon X/Y. It was a similar story this year with Go and Sun/Moon being played by everybody I know.
Across all ages it's probably closer. But the Mickey comparison is very telling. Nobody actually cares about Mickey, whereas Pokemon fans are incredibly invested. You'll never see crowds of people out playing Mario Run at 1 am in the cold (hypothetically, if there was a reason to do that). Nobody would line up for a midnight launch of a Mario game. Sun/Moon had the biggest midnight launch I've ever seen.
People don't go crazy for Mario.
Back when I was in university, it felt like the whole school was playing Pokemon X/Y. It was a similar story this year with Go and Sun/Moon being played by everybody I know.
Across all ages it's probably closer. But the Mickey comparison is very telling. Nobody actually cares about Mickey, whereas Pokemon fans are incredibly invested. You'll never see crowds of people out playing Mario Run at 1 am in the cold (hypothetically, if there was a reason to do that). Nobody would line up for a midnight launch of a Mario game. Sun/Moon had the biggest midnight launch I've ever seen.
People don't go crazy for Mario.
ConfirmationBiased
Banned
More people:
- like
- enjoy
- buy
- know(?)
Mario.
More people:
- love
- care about
- talk about
- identify with
- spend hundreds of hours playing
Pokemon.
They're pretty even.
- like
- enjoy
- buy
- know(?)
Mario.
More people:
- love
- care about
- talk about
- identify with
- spend hundreds of hours playing
Pokemon.
They're pretty even.
serenewarfare
Banned
If we're talking strictly about gaming, then it's Mario easily. And I think more people are aware of the Mario brand.
If we take everything outside of gaming into account, it's Pokémon.
Pokémon had higher heights than Mario did. Pokémon was selling games, trading cards, toys, anime, movies, lunch boxes, you name it.
If we take everything outside of gaming into account, it's Pokémon.
Pokémon had higher heights than Mario did. Pokémon was selling games, trading cards, toys, anime, movies, lunch boxes, you name it.
CaviarMeths
Member
This doesn't happen as much as you might think. The vast majority of buyers will only get one version. It probably ends up being a negligible difference in sales.
Sorry old people, Mario doesn't carry the same level of importance as he did in the 80s/90s. Pokemon, on the other hand, is a cultural phenomenon that just experienced a huge revival (even though it never really left in the first place). People know who Mario is, but they're not talking about him on a consistent basis like people do with Pokemon.
Soapbox Killer
Grand Nagus
Just in case you missed it, That's the Prime Minister of Japan in cosplay as Mario at the freakin Olympics. If you would have asked this question before the summer I would have said it a push.
shackdaddy836
Banned
Mario definitely.
It's amazing that Nintendo owns both of these franchises though. Like any company would give their left nut for just one of them.
It's amazing that Nintendo owns both of these franchises though. Like any company would give their left nut for just one of them.