If you are an avid gamer, then you must learn about the best selling most profitable video game franchises of all time: 2018 rankings.
Video games have been around for a long time, ever since the time of the first personal computers. However, a lot has changed since their humble beginnings. Way back in the day, graphical fidelity was nonexistent. Gamers were content with rudimentary pixel graphics, and one’s power of imagination did the rest. However, over time video games have become so appealing that now they are even considered as works of art. But that is a topic for another day, here we will talk about the best selling video game franchises. Well, this isn’t our first time to talk about highest grossing video games of all time, since we made similar lists last year – 10 Most Profitable Video Games of All Time and 10 Best Selling Video Games in 2017. So, feel free to check them out for context if you will. However, since it’s been a year and a lot can change in a year when it comes to video games, we simply had to compile another list on the topic, and this time we will be covering almost double the titles covered in our previous lists.
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It does not matter whether you are a console gamer or a PC gamer, in this list, we will talk about most popular video games of all time spanning both the video game consoles and the video games played on a personal computer. Since you are reading these lines, it is rather safe to assume that you are a gamer, and as a gamer, you should definitely try out all the best selling franchises, even if some of the titles do not fall into your genre of preference. After all, millions of gamers have spent their hard earned money on these video game franchises, and they are hungry for even more as many of the franchises publish new games every year. Take Call of Duty series, for example, that is one of the best selling PC games of all time – you can expect a new Call of Duty title every year. Moreover, if you own a gaming PC or one of the best selling video game consoles out there, you will be able to take advantage of this list and hunt down copies of games for your preferred gaming platform easily.
Let’s talk about our methodology for a little bit. As you can see from the title, our list is going to be about the best selling and also profitable video game franchises. So obviously we have to take a look at the number of copies sold. Thanks to the power of the internet, these sales figures are now readily available online, and publishers of said franchises boast about these figures as well. We used quite a few websites in order to collect the necessary data. Like Super Data Research, VG Chartz and IGN. We also put Google’s trusty search engine through its paces for any additional information we needed. In the end, we ranked the video game franchises based on the number of copies sold. The more copies a said franchise sold, the higher we have ranked it on the list.
Without further ado, let the best selling most profitable video game franchises of all time: 2018 rankings commence.
18. Gran Turismo
Copies sold: 77.02 million
We are starting off our best selling most profitable video game franchises of all time: 2018 rankings with one of the best racing franchises out there in the market. If you are a proud owner of the Play Station gaming consoles, then you are definitely familiar with this racing series. Without a doubt, it is one of the best racing game franchises for the Play Station in the market.
16. Tom Clancy Franchise
Copies sold: 82 million
The list of Tom Clancy sponsored games primarily include Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, and Splinter Cell. Although these games series are independent, they all belong to the Tom Clancy Franchise, and thus far these games have sold over 82 million copies worldwide on various platforms.
16. Resident Evil
Copies sold: 82 million
At number 16 on our best selling most profitable video game franchises of all time: 2018 rankings, we have video game franchise that revolutionized the survival horror genre. This series is one of the best selling offerings from CapCom and creator Shinji Mikami. If you love the genre of survival horror, then you have to thank Resident Evil for paving the way for many more interesting franchises that came after.
15. Pro Evolution Soccer
Copies sold: 86.8 Million
The first soccer title to make it into our list is Pro Evolution Soccer or PES. However, this is not the last soccer entry on this list. If you are a soccer fan, then you can already guess what the other entry is. Anyway, if you love soccer, then you should definitely pick up the latest PES title ASAP.
14. Assassin’s Creed
Copies sold: 93 Million
The first game in the franchise was released back in 2007, and since then the franchise has exploded into something really massive. It introduced a lot of new mechanics in rouge-like and stealth genre, and since then Assassin’s Creed has improved upon the core gameplay mechanics. Another allure to this franchise is its compelling storyline spanning thousands of years and multiple generations.
13. Madden NFL
Copies sold: 99 Million
Football is a really exciting sport, and even in a video game setting the Madden NFL franchise of games have managed to capture the authentic feel of the sports to a great degree. For any football fan, Madden NFL is a must own. There are plenty of Madden NFL titles to choose from on various platforms as well.
11. Lego Video Game Franchise
Copies sold: 100 Million
Lego needs no introduction, along with their toy line, Lego video games have made a name itself as well. Lego games are usually based on a movie or other franchise, but there are quite a few independent Lego games as well. However, most Lego games are geared towards a younger audience.
11. FIFA
Copies sold: 100 Million
Here’s the other soccer franchise we talked about earlier. Clearly, FIFA franchise is a much more successful than its competitor. If you want to know how much, then you will have to pick up one of the most well-known titles from the franchise. This is one of the best selling sports video games.
10. Final Fantasy
Copies sold: 130 Million
At number 10 on our best selling most profitable video game franchises of all time: 2018 rankings we have the genre-defining Japanese RPG franchise, the Final Fantasy series. If you love a good story, in-depth strategic turn-based combat and a cast of amazing characters, then you will absolutely love this RPG franchise.
9. Tetris
Copies sold: 140 Million
Tetris is a unique game so to speak. This is the only game on the list that comes from behind the iron curtain. This is perhaps the most addictive puzzle game imaginable. Well, just take a look at the numbers, and you will surely agree.
8. Need For Speed
Copies sold: 150 Million
We are halfway through the best selling most profitable video game franchises of all time: 2018 rankings and at number 8 we have the Need For Speed franchise. One of the definitive video game franchises when it comes to racing. There are a lot of titles to choose from with unique gameplay and engaging stories.
7. The Sims
Copies sold: 175 Million
If you are into God games, where you play as an all-encompassing power presiding over the entire world, then Sims is definitely your cup of tea. Needless to say, this is another genre-defining franchise, and it has sold over 175 million copies so far.
6. Wii Series
Copies sold: 203 Million
If you own a Nintendo Wii, then you probably also own a few games belonging to the Wii series of sports games. Its fun, its fast and it has the seal of approval from one of the biggest names in the video game world.
5. Grand Theft Auto
Copies sold: 220 Million
If you like non-linear sandbox style gameplay, and a great deal of freedom then the Grand Theft Auto franchise will definitely pull you in. Although the gameplay is anything but linear, most GTA games have a compelling story as well.
4. Call Of Duty
Copies sold: 250 Million
If you are a first-person shooter fan, then you definitely have multiple Call of Duty titles in your collection. Although Call of Duty is not known for its storytelling and character design, it does great where it matters, which is gun-play. In singleplayer and multiplayer both modes, Call of Duty excels at providing a quality experience. It’s one of the best selling video games of all time.
3. Pokémon
Copies sold: 295 Million
The Pokémon franchise is probably one of the best video game franchises. It began its journey in 1996, and now it has become one of the most recognizable video game franchises in the world, and the Pokémon franchise also has the world’s most adorable mascot Pikachu.
2. Sonic The Hedgehog
Copies sold: 350 Million
The second spot on our best selling most profitable video game franchises of all time: 2018 rankings is occupied by Sega’s blue mascot Sonic the Hedgehog and for good reasons. Sonic games have sold more than 350 million copies worldwide which is an astonishing feat. As Sega keeps making more sonic games every year, this number will get even higher over time.
1. Mario
Copies sold: 577 Million
We have reached the very top of our list, and at the best selling, most profitable video game franchise of all time is the Mario franchise. You probably guessed it already that Mario would top this list. Well, pretty much every Mario game has been a smashing hit, so really there was no competition.
This wraps it up for our 18 best selling most profitable video game franchises of all time: 2018 rankings.
