The Pokémon phenomenon: video game sales of the iconic franchise are approaching half a billion copies
Few gaming franchises can match the popularity of Pokémon. And while the series is exclusive to Nintendo consoles, it sells colossal amounts and has been around for almost 30 years.
Here's What We Know
The Pokemon Company's website has published impressive statistics that show that since 1996, approximately 489 million copies of Pokémon video games have been sold.
In addition, the huge popularity of the entire franchise can't be ignored; for example, sales of Pokémon Trading Card Game cards have exceeded 75 billion copies, they are available in 16 languages and are sold in more than 90 countries. And animated Pokémon TV shows, the first of which was released in 1997, were broadcast in more than 190 countries and regions.
The history of the franchise began with the release of the first two video games for the then popular Game Boy console, Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green. Soon after, the Pokémon card game was introduced. However, it wasn't until 1997, with the release of the anime series, that the popularity of the franchise really took off.
Source: The Pokemon Company
