Just because a game is innovative doesn't mean it doesn't suck.

considering that wow brought in like $1b last year alone so total revenue (including retail and merchindice etc) WoW probably made more money than that entire top 10 put together...

Wii Play is innovative?

I declare the video game industry doomed right away if so is the case.

Possibly but that is world wide and this list is US retail sales only.

i would rather invest 100mil and make 200mil, then invest 20$ and make 70mil. Sure being cheap is nice as it won't be a big deal if its not successful, but its the total profit thats most important, not the profit margin.  

Wouldn't FFXI be up there too?.. it's been making like 100 million a year  or more since it came out I think
Same with everquest.
WoW no doubt, beat them both.

or mmo's don't count in this list?

Goddamn shame that 2 companies dominated the software list.

As for consoles, one company still in the competition today is responsible for well over 50% of the consoles sold since the Magnavox Odyssey became the first video game console created in 1972.

Sony.

Yes, not Nintendo, Sony with the PS1 and PS2 sold more consoles than Nintendo did with the NES, SNES, N64 and Gamecube combined.*

You want to start something major, then start a thread arguing Sony with 2 consoles has done more and sold more for video games than Nintendo ever did. Sure Nintendo may have created the most icons, but would Nintendo have gotten into the video game console industry if they did not have Atari to learn from and emulate?

Now that would be a fun debate to jump into.

Source: http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=119548

*I don't include hand-helds as they are like the little brother or red-headed step-child compared to the console experiece.

You can't spend what you don't have and it's a lot easier to borrow $140k than $100 million. Not that many developers can get that kind of money, and they have to give up a lot to get that money.

Would you rather spend $140k of your own money, keep all the profits and have total creative control. Or would you rather borrow $100 million, not own the IP you created and have to fork over most of the profits to the investors?

Show me a bank that will let you borrow 100 million.  I can sell my house to raise 140k, so that amount is feasible, but 100 million is not something you'll ever be able to get ahold of.  Profit margin starting off is most important because every dollar to count.  You need to make quick cash in the beginning so you can fund bigger things.  Not everyone has Activision money laying around.

Edit:  Grimes beat me to it.

You don't know much of the video game industry history, do you?