Most successful video game character

[ShadowHand25]

Interesting question for you folks: Which video game character has been the most successful?

This isn't a question of popularity, or "how awesome this guy is," or even about how good the games are. This is about how well this character has done outside games: movies, television programs, books/novels, ect.

For Example:

Mario- cartoon, movies, graphic novel

Master Chief- Movies, comic books

Pokemon- cartoon, movies, comic books, themed shop in NY




PostScript:
I already have a character in mind, but I wont reveal who it is until I get a decent amount of posts.

 

[Lilani]

Eh, I dunno. I don't have any real stats, but as far as outside of game manufacturing I think I'd put my bets on Pokemon. They've got a long-running and highly successful TV show, several successful movies, a huge line of toys and products, and a popular trading card game. Other games have had these kinds of broad markets as well, but I don't think any of them can hold a candle to how well Pokemon has done, and continues to do.

 

[dimensional]

Eh, I dunno. I don't have any real stats, but as far as outside of game manufacturing I think I'd put my bets on Pokemon. They've got a long-running and highly successful TV show, several successful movies, a huge line of toys and products, and a popular trading card game. Other games have had these kinds of broad markets as well, but I don't think any of them can hold a candle to how well Pokemon has done, and continues to do.

Yeah but surely thats pokemon as a series rather than any particular character as such.

I would say its Mario hands down there arent many people who dont know who he is even if they dont play games and I expect there is a lot of memorabilia crap surrounding him plus the brand is still strong after all these years so yes even not counting his success in videogames I would still say Mario in fact I would say he is one of the few characters whos reach extends past videogames.

 

[wintercoat]

Eh, I dunno. I don't have any real stats, but as far as outside of game manufacturing I think I'd put my bets on Pokemon. They've got a long-running and highly successful TV show, several successful movies, a huge line of toys and products, and a popular trading card game. Other games have had these kinds of broad markets as well, but I don't think any of them can hold a candle to how well Pokemon has done, and continues to do.

Yeah but surely thats pokemon as a series rather than any particular character as such.

I would say its Mario hands down there arent many people who dont know who he is even if they dont play games and I expect there is a lot of memorabilia crap surrounding him plus the brand is still strong after all these years so yes even not counting his success in videogames I would still say Mario in fact I would say he is one of the few characters whos reach extends past videogames.

Considering he's been the literal face of gaming for over 20 years, I'd say Mario wins hands down. He's been around for so long, there's pretty much at least one of every product ever themed after him.

 

[Bertylicious]

We need to quantify "Success" with a unit of measurement and also define boundaries. I mean, I'm sure there's a game with Jesus in it and his fan-fiction goes back millennia so I don't know if even Nintendo can compete with that.

 

[ShadowHand25]

We need to quantify "Success" with a unit of measurement and also define boundaries. I mean, I'm sure there's a game with Jesus in it and his fan-fiction goes back millennia so I don't know if even Nintendo can compete with that.

The original idea of the thread was "who started out in video games, but whose intellectual property has gone far beyond just games."

 

[Rawne1980]

Sonic.

He gets every bloody where.

 

[Vault101]

oh...well thats kind of un-interesting, you know talking about a charachters populaity/merchanidse rather than weather or not they are a good charachter

 

[Instant K4rma]

I think I'm going to have to vote for Link on this one. He's just as big of an icon as the heavyweights like Mario or Sonic, but I think through my own nostalgia-goggles, he takes the cake. The guy defined my childhood gaming experience, that's got to count for something.

 

[Ordinaryundone]

It's Mario. Even people who've never played a video game before can recognize Mario. For more recent, non-Nintendo examples, I'd say Master Chief and Lara Croft are good bets.

 

[Don Savik]

Kirby!

If you hate or dislike Kirby...you instantly fail at life, no exceptions!
Anime (100 eps is a fucking lot for a video game character) Comics, Toys and Plushies!

Not to mention just so damn...freaking...awwwwwwwwww-some!

I'm sad that kirby isnt nintendo's main mascot. He is more interesting than mario with a better set of skills (he flies by holding in breath, and he absorbs people's power by eating them. Instead of.....jumping...) and his world is just more interesting. Mario isn't a likeable character, he isn't even a necessary character. Remove Mario from Super Mario Galaxy and replace him with a mannequin, and its still the same fun game.

I don't get Mario. Nobody cares about him, only his games. REMOVE HIM FROM HIS GAMES.

 

[ResonanceSD]

InB4 Ma-

It's Mario. Even people who've never played a video game before can recognize Mario. For more recent, non-Nintendo examples, I'd say Master Chief and Lara Croft are good bets.

Oh for god's sake.

Right, Gordon Freeman.

 

[Goofguy]

I'm going to echo the previous sentiments and say Mario. He's one of the most recognizable video game characters and there's no shortage of Mario products that have made it in to other media.

 

[Ryuo]

Kirby!

If you hate or dislike Kirby...you instantly fail at life, no exceptions!
Anime (100 eps is a fucking lot for a video game character) Comics, Toys and Plushies!

Not to mention just so damn...freaking...awwwwwwwwww-some!

I have to agree. While not as sucessful as I wished he was, (in terms of say, Mario) he is, however my unofficial Nintendo mascot.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Mario.

he was the face of gaming for 20 years

just about EVERYONE know who he is, gamer or not

that's not counting all the merchandising he's had over the course of his popularity (cereal, plush toys, plastic toys, cartoons, movie and so on) no other video game character is as successful