Japan dominates best-selling games franchise list

A list of the best-selling games franchises of all-time reveals that Japanese developed titles are the most dominant, with 10 brands in the top 20 coming from companies such as Nintendo, Capcom, Sega and Square Enix.

The list, published by The Independent, shows Nintendo's Mario games to be the biggest sellers, shifting 193 million units, followed by Pokemon (155 million units), with Square Enix's Final Fantasy series racking up 68 million units.

The highest ranked Western developed title is Madden NFL at number four, with 56 million units sold, while publisher Electronic Arts also claims the fifth position with The Sims' 54 million units.

The only licensed franchise is James Bond at number 15 in the chart (30 million units), while Grand Theft Auto (50 million) and Tomb Raider (30 million) are the only UK developed titles in the list.

The full list follows:

1. Mario (Nintendo): 193 million

2. Pokemon (Nintendo): 155 million

3. Final Fantasy (Square Enix): 68 million

4. Madden NFL (Electronic Arts): 56 million

5. The Sims (Maxis/Electronic Arts): 54 million

6. Grand Theft Auto (Rockstar): 50 million

7. Donkey Kong (Nintendo): 48 million

8. The Legend of Zelda (Nintendo): 47 million

9. Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega): 44 million

10. Gran Turismo (Sony): 44 million

11. Lineage (NCsoft): 43 million

12. Dragon Quest (Square Enix): 41 million

13. Crash Bandicoot (Sony/Vivendi): 34 million

14. Resident Evil (Capcom): 31 million

15. James Bond (Various): 30 million

16. Tomb Raider (Eidos Interactive): 30 million

17. Mega Man (Capcom): 26 million

18. Command & Conquer (Westwood Studios/Electronic Arts): 25 million

19. Street Fighter (Capcom): 25 million

20. Mortal Kombat (Midway): 20 million