I think Pokemon saved the N64. I mean seriously the Pokemon games on the N64 and GB, plus the royalties on the TV show , movies and Trading Card Game must have been catastropic. I bet in 1998-2001 that Pokemon probubly accounted for upwards of 20% of Nintendo's annual profit if not more. That including all of the Nintendo Pokemon incomes from action figures to card games to board games to TV shows/movies.
The royalties Nintendo made were amazing. However that was during the hieght of the Pokemon empire. Today Nintendo has brought the card game , TV series and movies in house so that they make 100% of the profits rather then simply royalties. However the card games and movies/TV shows have dropped in popularity. Nintendo has also not developed nearly as many Pokemon titles as they did back in the early millenium/late 90's.
Today I think Pokemon is probubly 10% of Nintendo's annual profits. Thats including the Card game, Tv shows , Movies and action figures. It might even be as high as 15% as no Pokemon title has ever sold less then a million copies according to (Nintendo Power 10th anniversary issue).
You have to remember that Mario doesn't have a trading card game that pretty much is free money. I mean the cards cost like a cent a booster if made in bulk and retail as cheap as a dollar but as high as 5$ a pack. Then the movies are still huge in Japan I believe the last one made it to theaters, thats a huge deal. The TV show still airs in North America and Japan making a mint for Nintendo. Then the action figures which I see covering local Toy's R Us.
Their is no stronger franchise in Nintendo then Pokemon. Some would argue Mario but Mario doesn't have TCG , Movies , TVshows...etc....etc.... Pokemon does.
-JC7
"In God We Trust - In Games We Play " - Joel Reimer
