I think a lot of us have similar ideas in our head what franchises sell consoles, and for many of us, those impressions are at least slightly, if not significantly, off. This thread is not about what games are actually good or which aren't: it's about which games tend to be the most important system sellers. In many cases, the "overrated" games here will games that are quite good, but don't sell that many systems anyway.

First, the most important evidence:

http://vgchartz.com/worldtotals.php
http://vgchartz.com/hwcomps.php?cons1=GC&reg1=All&cons2=PS2&reg2=All&cons3=XB&reg3=All&weekly=1

What we're going ot do here is look at software sales, how many of a game was sold, and how many of a system were sold around the release of any given title.

Overatted sellers:

1) Metroid Prime

This is the most obvious offender. Remember, please, that I am NOT saying that the games are bad, by any means. They're some of the best ever in my mind -- they just don't sell many consoles. The two Metroid Prime games have sold less than 4 million copies total, and there is no visible blip of any kind on the GC sales chart to indicate that any additional consoles were sold because of the game's release on November 18, 2002.

2) Metal Gear

This one isn't quite so clear as Metroid Prime, but it's fair to say that most of us overestimate how many consoles this game sells. It's last iteration sold a little less than 4 million copies. That's not bad, by any means, but I think a lot of us associate Metal Gear Solid with "premier console seller," which it isn't. The game was outsold by Simpsons: Hit and Run, Spiderman the Movie, among other titles none of us associate with top-notch games.

3) God of War

This one is in the same boat as Metroid Prime: despite being hailed by critics, the two titles in this series have jointly sold around 3.5 million in copies (both games are still selling, but not a lot. It's unlikely the two games will tally more than 4 million total copies in the end). The sequel has barely pushed past the million mark thus far, and has been outsold by games such as Shrek II, Tetris Worlds, 50 cent: Bullet Proof, and Spy Hunter.

Underrated

1) Gran Turismo

We all know this is a big title, I'd just say a lot of us just don't know how big. Let's put it this way: Gran Turismo 3 sold more copies than Metal Gear Solid II, Metal Gear Solid III, God of War I, and God of War II combined. It sells well everywhere, and one can visibly see a significant spike in PS2 sales around the game's launch dates (April 28, 2001 for Japan, July 10th for the US, and September 20th for the EU).

2) Grand Theft Auto

Again, we know it's big. But did you know that Gran Turismo and GTA account for all five of the top five best selling games on the PS2? When you gather up the sales of the three GTA games, those sales are more than these PS2 games:

1) Final Fantasy X, X-II and XII

2) Metal Gear Solid II and III

3) God of War I and II

4) Devil May Cry I, II, and III

Combined. Combined. In short, Gran Turismo and GTA have been in a league of their own over the last 5 years. None of the other available series come close. On any platform. Well, any console platform. Which leads me too...

3) Pokemon

Over the course of my browsings in video game forums, I see a lot of people say things like "Pokemon doesn't count." I have quite seriously seen those exact words uttered (or typed). It's almost as if, because it's outside of their personal interests, they don't think Pokemon should count as a real video game or something. I can relate, as I certainly don't care about Pokemon either. But I also don't care about God of War, so I think it's a little silly to trivialize this behemoth simply because it may not be within my scope of interest. Put simply: Pokemon is the only franchise on any system that has seriously contended with GTA and GT over the last 5 years. Again, the problem with this one isn't that gamers fail to recognize how enormous the popularity is, they just (often) refuse to recognize that popularity as valid. As if, because it's aimed more at 5-10 year olds than 18-25 year olds, it's trivial. My response is: tell that to Sony and the PSP.

There are other franchises to list, but these were the first and most glaring that came to mind. Please feel free to criticize or add your own franchises in here, but don't forget to support your claims with evidence!

Dragon Quest - Under-rated This series is a behemoth, Final Fantasy doesnt even come close, DQ9 is going to pull pokemon numbers in Japan for the DS, and when DQ10 is ANNOUNCED for the Wii, that will be the final nail in the coffin for the PS3/X360 in Japan,

Good call, QT

i would bet that dq x comes out on wii in a year or two or that it is on ps3 and 360 in three years. i would say wii. also i would include jak, ratchet, and sly together. they just take people onto the ps side of things. these are 3 big platformers and they help bring in the casuals. singstar as well. it is huge in europe.

I think the whole idea of system sellers is over rated for consoles. At most, they probably just shift the date of when the system is purchased by a few months... If a game is a system seller, it probably isn't going to sell it the first couple of weeks anyways. It will be as part of the games legs after a friend sees it... The exception may be for the first year of a new console. In that case, there can be system sellers... as people will wait to get the new system until the one game they really want is out. Pokemon is a system seller though, for my wife.

i think it more of system sellers not seller making you get the game, except for the beginning where it is seller. if it was a single system seller than the 360 would be in the millions in japan because of blue dragon. if people see a few games that are exclusive and big than that will sway them.

To reply to the idea of System selling games not existing. System sellers are basically IMO, something that a console is considered to be lacking in and that something has a large console buying fan base. A game that is so good that people will buy the whole damned console for that game. I have heard more than a few times on Youtube of people saying that they will buy the system just for that one game. For the Wii more than any other console, system sellers are powerful. Take for example DQ10, that game has a large fanbase. If someone really likes the way that the Wii version looks, are they gonna be that hesitant in spending a nice inexpensive 250 dollars on it? With the PS3 however, system sellers might be almost non existent at this point. If theres an awesome game that's coming out are you gonna be willing to spend a whopping 600 on that system for that one good game? Hell no. Go play a FPS from another console. The trick for the PS3 would have been to have a massive amount of system selling games. So many games in fact that it would dwarf the amount on the other consoles. Problem is PS3 has less quality games than either of the other consoles... As to the idea of Metroid being under rated. I do believe that the game was under rated, but simply because Metroid has been on the Gamecube in the past. Metroid is awesome, but it's no Super Smash Bros Melee. Which was of course the great game. Now that Nintendo is getting the attention it deserves again, Nintendonians are hyping new games which have never been properly apreciated before. Sales patterns will be like no other Nintendo Console before it.

less quality games than wii? the is selling on momentum, disruption, and price illusion. nintendo is the loved company right now. the motion sensing and not upgrading the console (relatively) is a complete disrupt in the industry. 250 dollars is cheap right? not compared to the 130 ps2 with hundreds of amazing exclusives and some non tell me that nintendo has more good games than the ps3.

Nintendo has more good games than the PS3.

can you tell me them and then i will respond with ps3 games.