Pokémon is a media franchise owned by Nintendo, created in 1995 and debuted in 1996. It is the highest-grossing entertainment media franchise of all time, having earned $45 billion in revenue, surpassing Star Wars.
In terms of software sales, Pokemon is the second best-selling game franchise, having sold over 295.44 million software units as of 2017,[n 1] behind only Mario. In addition, Pokemon Go is the most-downloaded mobile game, with more than 600 million downloads.[3] Pokémon Trading Card Game has also sold over 21.5 billion cards,[1] making it the second best-selling trading card game, after Yu-Gi-Oh![4]
Sales figures
Releases with more than one million sold units:
Main series
| Year | Titles | Platforms | Sales (millions) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | First generation | 59.52 | ||
| 1996 | Pokémon Red/Green/Blue/Yellow | 47.52 | ||
| 2004 | Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen | GBA | 12 | [5] |
| 1999 | Second generation | 23.1 | ||
| 1999 | Pokémon Gold/Silver | GBC | 23.10 | [5] |
| 2000 | Pokémon Crystal | GBC | 6.39 | [5] |
| 2009 | Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver | DS | 12.72 | [7] |
| 2002 | Third generation | 36.28 | ||
| 2002 | Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire | GBA | 16.22 | [5] |
| 2004 | Pokémon Emerald | GBA | 6.32 | [5] |
| 2014 | Pokémon Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire | 3DS | 13.74 | [2] |
| 2006 | Fourth generation | 25.27 | ||
| 2006 | Pokémon Diamond & Pearl | DS | 17.67 | [7] |
| 2008 | Pokémon Platinum | DS | 7.60 | [5] |
| 2010 | Fifth generation | 24.16 | ||
| 2010 | Pokémon Black and White | DS | 15.64 | [7] |
| 2012 | Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 | DS | 8.52 | [5] |
| 2013 | Sixth generation | 16.11 | ||
| 2013 | Pokémon X and Y | 3DS | 16.11 | [2] |
| 2016 | Seventh generation | 15.44 | ||
| 2016 | Pokémon Sun and Moon | 3DS | 15.44 | [2] |
| 1999 | Console series | 13.73 | ||
| 1999 | Pokémon Stadium | N64 | 5.46 | [5] |
| 2000 | Pokémon Stadium 2 | N64 | 2.54 | [5] |
| 2003 | Pokémon Colosseum | GC | 2.41 | [5] |
| 2005 | Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness | GC | 1.37 | [5] |
| 2006 | Pokémon Battle Revolution | Wii | 1.95 | [5] |
| Main series total | 231.81 |
Spinoffs
| Year | Platform | Title | Sales (millions) |
Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Pinball | 6.68 | ||
| 1999 | GB | Pokémon Pinball | 5.31 | [5] |
| 2003 | GBA | Pokémon Pinball: Ruby & Sapphire | 1.37 | [5] |
| 2005 | Mystery Dungeon | 14.76 | ||
| 2005 | GBA | Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team | 2.36 | [5] |
| 2005 | DS | Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team | 3.49 | [5] |
| 2007 | DS | Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness | 4.88 | [5] |
| 2009 | DS | Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky | 1.49 | [5] |
| 2013 | 3DS | Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity | 1.32 | [5] |
| 2015 | 3DS | Super Pokémon Mystery Dungeon | 1.22 | [8] |
| 2006 | Ranger | 6.81 | ||
| 2006 | DS | Pokémon Ranger | 2.93 | [5] |
| 2008 | DS | Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia | 2.35 | [5] |
| 2010 | DS | Pokémon Ranger: Guardian Signs | 1.53 | [5] |
| Other | 10.96 | |||
| 1998 | GB | Pokémon Trading Card Game | 3.7 | [5] |
| 1999 | N64 | Pokémon Snap | 3.63 | [5] |
| 2010 | Wii | PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure | 1.25 | [5] |
| 2011 | 3DS | Pokémon Rumble Blast | 1.38 | [5] |
| 2016 | Wii U | Pokkén Tournament | 1 | [9] |
Mobile
| Year | Platform | Title | Downloads (millions) |
Revenue (million US$) |
References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |
|
Pokémon Go | 600 | 1000 | [3][10][11] |
Gross revenue
By 1998, the Pokémon franchise was worth $4 billion in Japan.[12] By 1999, Pokémon was generating revenues of nearly ¥400 billion ($3.28 billion) annually.[13] In Japan, the franchise earned ¥1 trillion ($9 billion) by 2002, including ¥98 billion ($0.92 billion) from Japanese software sales.[14]
Worldwide, the franchise earned ¥2 trillion ($19 billion) by 2001.[15] By 2002, the franchise had earned ¥3 trillion ($28 billion),[16] including $15 billion from merchandise sales worldwide,[17] while the rest were earned from video games, anime, and trading cards. In 2005, a theme park was opened in Nagoya, Japan.[18] By 2013, the Pokemon franchise had earned ¥4 trillion ($37 billion) in revenue.[19]
As of May 2016, the Pokémon franchise has grossed ¥4.8 trillion ($45 billion) in revenue. ¥76.72 billion ($719 million) was grossed from the Pokémon films, while the rest of the earnings were from the video games, trading card game, anime TV show, and licensed products.[1] This makes Pokémon the highest-grossing entertainment media franchise of all time, surpassing Star Wars ($42 billion), Harry Potter ($25 billion), James Bond ($6 billion), and The Lord of the Rings ($6 billion).[20]
Generations
First generation
The first generation of Pokemon consists of the worldwide Editions Pokemon Red, Blue and Yellow and Pokemon Green which was only sold in Japan. They sold 47.52 million units on the Game Boy and Virtual Console.
FireRed and LeafGreen are first generation remakes. They sold 12 million units on the Game Boy Advance.
Second generation
The second generation consists of Pokemon Gold, Silver and Crystal. They sold 29.49 million units on the Game Boy Color.
HeartGold and SoulSilver are second generation remakes. They sold 12.72 million units on the Nintendo DS.
Third generation
The third generation consists of Pokemon Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald. They sold 22.54 million units on the Game Boy Advance.
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire, a remake of the third generation for the Nintendo 3DS, was successful. Pre-orders were ahead of X & Y and launch sales have been good. In America, the game has sold 2.6 million with versions combined as of the end of December and 2.9 million by the end of February. It sold 476,000 in France by the end of December 2014.[21]. In Japan, it sold 2.5 million by the end of 2014. They exceeded 10 million by September 2015. In May 2016, the game exceeded 3 million in Europe. They sold 13.68 million units in total.
Fourth generation
The fourth generation consists of Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum, with 25.24 million sold units.
Fifth generation
The fifth generation consists of two versions of each Pokemon Black and White, with 24.14 million sold units.
Sixth generation
The sixth generation consists of Pokemon X and Y, with 16.06 million sold units. In Japan, it has sold about 4.5 million.
Pokemon Go is based off this generation and has broken most records in relation to mobile charts, including being #1 in top grossing in the most countries as well as the fastest to hit $600 million in revenue.[22]
Seventh generation
The seventh generation consists of Pokemon Sun and Moon. Due to the preceding hype built by a Superbowl Commercial, re-releases of the original games on digital storefronts, and Pokemon Go, it surpassed Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire as Nintendo's most preordered game. In November 2016, the games have sold 3.7 million in the Americas and 1.5 million in Europe, becoming Nintendo's fastest seller titles ever. If Japanese numbers, the games sold about 7.5 million copies in 2 weeks. In the United States, by December 2016, the game had sold 4.5 million copies, making it the fastest Nintendo game to reach 4 million. As of December 31, 2016, the game has shipped 14.69 million copies, already outselling Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.
Notes
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Pokémon in Figures. Pokémon Company (May 2016).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/sales/software/3ds.html
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/11/pokemon-go-hits-600-million-downloads/
- ↑ https://www.konami-digital-entertainment.co.jp/en/news/topics/2011/0614/
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 5.23 5.24 5.25 5.26 5.27 Nintendo software and hardware sales data from 1983 to present, December 2014
- ↑ Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ended March 2016. Nintendo (April 28, 2016). Retrieved on May 1, 2016.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 IR Information : Sales Data - Top Selling Software Sales Units - Nintendo DS Software
- ↑ https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/pdf/2016/160427_4e.pdf
- ↑ http://www.siliconera.com/2016/08/18/pokkn-tournament-surpasses-one-million-worldwide-shipments
- ↑ https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/01/report-pokemon-go-has-now-crossed-1-billion-in-revenue/
- ↑ http://venturebeat.com/2017/01/17/pokemon-go-generated-revenues-of-950-million-in-2016/
- ↑ http://cjonline.com/stories/082798/com_pokemon0827.shtml
- ↑ http://thegia.com/archive/news/n990603a.html
- ↑ http://academic.csuohio.edu/makelaa/history/courses/his373/The%20Japan%20Times%20Online.htm
- ↑ http://www.iist.or.jp/wf/magazine/0196/0196_E.html
- ↑ Japanese Pop Industry (MIT)
- ↑ http://archive.wired.com/wired/archive/9.09/topten_pr.html
- ↑ http://archive.li/4d5Jq
- ↑ "Pokemon X · Y" is released on October 12, 2013, Famitsu
- ↑ Chew, Jonathan (December 24, 2015). Star Wars Franchise Worth More Than Harry Potter and James Bond, Combined. Fortune. Retrieved on November 29, 2016.
- ↑ http://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/2015/01/22/01007-20150122ARTFIG00382-nintendo-premier-vendeur-de-jeux-video-en-france.php
- ↑ http://venturebeat.com/2016/10/20/pokemon-go-is-the-fastest-mobile-game-to-hit-600-million-in-revenues/
| Best selling franchises | |
|---|---|
| Mario · Pokémon · FIFA · Grand Theft Auto · Call of Duty · Wii Series · Lego · The Sims · Minecraft · Final Fantasy · Assassin's Creed · Need for Speed · Sonic · Madden NFL · The Legend of Zelda · Star Wars · Resident Evil · Pro Evolution Soccer · Tetris · NBA 2K · (more) See also: Best selling games · Best selling games worldwide · Highest grossing franchises |
Famitsu Japan sales through October 2008 (courtesy Chart Get!)