Why hasn't there been any other videogame franchise with humongous merchandise revenue like Pokemon?

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Japan created the juggernaut that is Pokemon, which started out as videogames but was then overtaken by the TCG and the plushies. They now have plushies of almost every Pokemon for sale in their Pokemon Center stores, movies, Pikachu airlines, etc, and they are now the biggest franchise ever, ever. The games have become a drop in a bucket compared to the merch.

It seems that in the thirty years since, nobody has replicated this blueprint. Some other Eastern franchises have dipped their toes into merch, but not on the same scale as Pokemon. It seems baffling that Square and Mihoyo aren't making plushies of their creature designs and Saurians. But then you look at Western game franchises, and it seems that there is no major merch push from any of them like Pokemon. They just sell a few T shirtd and hoodies, and that's it. Why is that? Even Blizzard missed the obvious opportunity to sell sculptures of people's characters. What were the higherups thinking?

[rusty_shackleford]

It has to be a franchise primarily aimed at children, I think angry birds did alright in this area

[Tangerine]

Japan created the juggernaut that is Pokemon, which started out as videogames but was then overtaken by the TCG and the plushies. They now have plushies of almost every Pokemon for sale in their Pokemon Center stores, movies, Pikachu airlines, etc, and they are now the biggest franchise ever, ever. The games have become a drop in a bucket compared to the merch.

It seems that in the thirty years since, nobody has replicated this blueprint. Some other Eastern franchises have dipped their toes into merch, but not on the same scale as Pokemon. It seems baffling that Square and Mihoyo aren't making plushies of their creature designs and Saurians. But then you look at Western game franchises, and it seems that there is no major merch push from any of them like Pokemon. They just sell a few T shirtd and hoodies, and that's it. Why is that? Even Blizzard missed the obvious opportunity to sell sculptures of people's characters. What were the higherups thinking?

Minecraft.

[rusty_shackleford]

Better question is what IPs were squandered as hard as pokemon, the only people even into it are 35 year old women

[Stack of Turtles]

From what I can tell, merchandise is a loss leader now unless you can swing some serious brand recognition in order to reach a profitable price point. It was probably the 2008 recession or so that purged all the lesser players, making Pokémon the industry standout, if I had to guess. How are you going to break into that market now? It's too expensive to make things like figurines and way too expensive to ship them.

[J1M]

Better question is what IPs were squandered as hard as pokemon, the only people even into it are 35 year old women

We look at it as squandered but it's the number one video game brand in the world so it's hard to make that case in a board room.

[rusty_shackleford]

Better question is what IPs were squandered as hard as pokemon, the only people even into it are 35 year old women

We look at it as squandered but it's the number one video game brand in the world so it's hard to make that case in a board room.

Idc what the fake numbers say, it's a dead franchise nobody cares about

[Rand]

I remember when Pokemon came over from Japan and I thought it was silly and stupid...

[Norfleet]

I remember when Pokemon came over from Japan and I thought it was silly and stupid...

And you don't still think that? Because as far as I know, it still is. On the other hand, they successfully marketed cockfighting to children.

What OTHER forms of banned bloodsport can we sell to children?

[Rand]

I remember when Pokemon came over from Japan and I thought it was silly and stupid...

And you don't still think that? Because as far as I know, it still is. On the other hand, they successfully marketed cockfighting to children.

What OTHER forms of banned bloodsport can we sell to children?

Silly and stupid and I thought what is the point of this?

Turns out kids would love that **** and they'd make hundreds of millions from it.
I STILL don't know how.

[Norfleet]

Turns out kids would love that **** and they'd make hundreds of millions from it.
I STILL don't know how.

Because children are silly and stupid.

[Vaako]

I would say the anime series helped a lot back then and it wasnt only for small kids, even teenagers could watch that and be entertained. Nowadays young people rarely watch tv I would assume. And overall quality is just too bad. Probably also harder and more expensive to market all the games/toys in the west with all the added bureaucrazy in the last decades.

[Tinky Winky]

Touhou, if that counts. Both fandoms share the same phenomenon in which most of the fans haven't played the actual games, and never plan to do so.

[Oyster Sauce]

Front door of a Pokemon card store near my friend

[WhiteShark]

Touhou, if that counts.

I don't think Touhou's popularity even approaches that of Pokemon. It's mainly popular in Japan, and that largely thanks to ZUN's permissive copyright arrangement that allows third parties to profit from derivative works. Is he even the one who sells those Touhou fumos?

Both fandoms share the same phenomenon in which most of the fans haven't played the actual games, and never plan to do so.

I think this is only true of Touhou. Who hasn't played a Pokemon game?

[Tinky Winky]

Both fandoms share the same phenomenon in which most of the fans haven't played the actual games, and never plan to do so.

I think this is only true of Touhou. Who hasn't played a Pokemon game?

Me unless weird sprite-swapped bootleg nes games count.