IGN Editorial: Blinded by MARIO

[Kenryoku_Maxis]

rajendra82 said:

Kenryoku_Maxis said:

Chairman-Mao said:
I can't say as I disagree with this article.

You can't possibly deny the fact that because its a Mario is the only reason it got so much recognition. If it has been the exact same game with different characters and a different name it wouldn't have done well at all.

You could swap out 'Mario' and imput many other games into that Scenario and get the same result.  From Halo 3 to Final Fantasy to Uncharted 2.  You can't play the 'its only selling because of name recognition card' if you're not willing to claim the same thing for all the other games that are selling based on name recognition as well.

I can see you lumping Halo and Final Fantasy with Mario, because the name sells the game.  But I don't agree that Uncharted 2 belongs in that category.  The sales of that game are good, but not spectacular, and it is selling on its own merits.  Uncharted 1 was a similar ciritical hit, but not so much a commercial hype machine.  Naughty DOg could have conituned the Jak and Daxter series, if they wanted to live on hype alone.

I was countering the idea that those games sell by name alone by pointing out examples like Halo, Final Fantasy and Uncharted 2.  The fact that you pointed out one that isn't selling by hype alone shows that.  And Mario also isn't selling simply by name recognition.  If anything, Mario is the primary series that established Console gaming popularity.