It might be an indicator but an indication isn't the end meaning. If sales equalled popularity then why do some Mario games sell ten times more than other Mario games? Are you saying Mario is much more popular than Mario? The logic of popularity = sales doesn't match up with the numbers.

Aren't you guys getting a little off topic?

The Divinity series

How do you define popular?

your whole argument also falls apart by right at the start. you talk about the popularity of super man as a logo and figure that spans accross many different forms of entertainment. if a game was made and sold like shit, the game wouldnt be popular, but superman still is, because he is more than just a game.  again, if the game doesnt sell millions, its not popular, but superman is because he is more than just that game, he is in comics, tv shows, cartoons, parodys, movies and so on. 

I thought we're talking about gaming franchises here and not multimedia juggernauts. Why would a franchise that sells most in movies, comics and merchandise be exactly as successful in any other medium? By that logic Fast and Furious games must sell hundreds of millions, which they don't because they don't naturally target gamers as much as movie goers.

Popularity in gaming -> gaming sales. If a franchise that seems to be popular in the gaming community but doesn't sell many games, it's probably not as popular as it seems. Then it's only popular in a certain small demographic.

That's why I asked if tb only means popular in a certain demographic.

Changed the title and the OP a bit so we can stop arguing about the semantics and actually talk about what the OP was trying to say. @_@

@ OP:

Clover Studios/Platinum Games: The Thread.

Viewtiful Joe
Okami
God Hand
Bayonetta
Bayonetta 2
Vanquish

All games that are loved by those who play them, and yet the studio just can't catch a break.

ZoE

Mario franchise has had mega amounts of toys, has had a hollywood movie, TV shows, candy, clothing. Alot of Nintendo gaming products (and gaming products in general) have branched off into multiple sectors.

You missed my point entirely. I know what Fire Emblem is, I know what type of game it is, I even know the characters, but it has not gotten a single sale from me. That's my point, you cannot measure popularity by judging a games sales. If a game sells alot of units then you know its a popular game, but you don't know how popular based on the sales alone. Like you said previuosly, sales are just an indicator for how popular a game is, but it isn't the defining factor like you seem to think it is.

At OP, sorry I'll stop going off topic.

Fire Emblem is rising in popularity and Awakening sold 1M!

My picks off the top of my head goes to Rune Factory, Harvest, Final Fantasy Tactics, Advance Wars...