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It’s hard to argue with the popularity of the video game market , considering it’s worth upward of $184 billion. The US market alone accounts for almost $100 billion of this number, which emphasizes how widespread the video game popularity has spread in the US. What makes video games so interesting is that they are not specific to any demographics, as young and old alike have expressed love for them.
For millennials, video games have simply been a staple of growing up. The PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo are just a part of life. Video game marketing is and has long been everywhere, and games like Mario, Madden, and Call of Duty dominate the conversation. Using data from YouGov in descending order, it’s easy to drill down and get specific about which video games are the most popular with millennials.
Why Is This Important?
Video games are not just entertaining. They can be an escape from reality.
Given that the video game industry is so large, there is no question that this is a relevant topic for 24/7 WallSt. Brands like Apple, Microsoft, Epic, Sony, Sega, and Nintendo are not just some of the largest publicly traded stocks but some of the biggest consumer names in the world. When you consider the importance of these brands, covering the video game industry makes a lot of sense.
15. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Sonic the Hedgehog was Sega's answer to Mario.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 60%
The 1992 video game Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was originally released for the Sega Genesis. During a time when Nintendo and Sega were locked in a 16-built console war, Sonic was Sega’s answer to Mario. Featuring pre-rendered 3D graphics, the game had sold over six million copies by 2006, making it the second best-selling Genesis game of all time behind its predecessor, Sonic the Hedgehog.
14. SimCity
SimCity is the best city-building game of all time.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 60%
One of the most popular city-building franchises, SimCity, was first made available on PCs in 1989. Multiple sequels have since spawned, totaling more than 15 games as part of the SimCity series. Not only did SimCity popularize the city-building genre, but it also laid the groundwork for similar games like Roller Coaster Tycoon.
13. Halo
Halo is the video game franchise that made the Xbox.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 60%
The Halo franchise, the most important game in the Xbox universe, is hardly a surprise entry on this list. The entire franchise has made over $10 billion in sales and spawned a popular TV show, comics, short films, animation, and comic books. First released in 2001 for the original Xbox, the Halo series is the video game best associated with Microsoft.
12. Candy Crush Saga
Candy Crush Saga is one of the most successful mobile games ever.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 60%
The popularity of the first mobile game on this list, Candy Crush Saga, is impossible to ignore. Originally made for Facebook, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone versions followed, along with one final copy for Windows 10. Available as a freemium model, Candy Crush Saga has totaled more than 2.7 billion downloads and earned over $20 billion for its developer.
11. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Nintendo Switch fans love this dual-game release.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 60%
Something of a dual release for the Nintendo Switch in 2021, the combination of Super Mario 3D World and Bowser’s Fury has delighted Switch owners. Selling over 13.47 million copies worldwide, it’s easily one of the console’s best-selling games. Earning an 89 out of 100 on Metacritic, the game has not only won over fans, but critics were thrilled at the ability to play this game at home and on the go.
10. FIFA
FIFA is not just a sporting event that is watched but also one of the most played.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 60%
Soccer is the most popular sport globally, so it should be no surprise that the FIFA series is a huge hit with millennials. With over 42 different versions of the game available since 1993, the series had sold 16 million copies by 2000. Fast-forward to 2010, FIFA games sold over 100 million copies. Today, the FIFA series accounts for over 325 million units sold.
9. Mario Kart 8
Mario Kart 8 was the best racing game on the Wii U.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 62%
A 2014 release for the Nintendo Wii U, Mario Kart 8 was easily one of the most popular games for the console. One of the best-selling games of all time, the Wii U copy has sold 8.46 million units, while the updated release for the Nintendo Switch has sold just under 62 million copies. The updated anti-gravity sequences and online multiplayer mode helped make Mario Kart 8 a family favorite.
8. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty is the best first-person shooter game in the world.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 63%
Originally released in 2007 and remastered in 2015, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of the best-selling games and is considered one of the greatest video games ever. The top-selling game of 2007 had sold 16 million copies by the end of 2013. It’s easy to argue and say that Call of Duty is the most popular first-person shooter series of all time.
7. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Breath of the Wild helped Nintendo sell a ton of Switch consoles.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 64%
The popularity of the Zelda series is hard to ignore overall, but The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the most popular with millennials. Another game initially released for the Wii U, the game’s port to the Nintendo Switch, was released on March 3, 2017. Since then, it’s been the best-selling Zelda game of all time, with 33.55 million copies sold.
6. Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat is one of the oldest and most successful fighting games.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 65%
While YouGov doesn’t specify exactly which Mortal Kombat game is the most popular, its popularity as one of the most successful fighting games ever is indisputable. The first Mortal Kombat game, released in October 1992, has helped the series stand the test of time and sell over 83 million copies across every console generation since the early 1990s.
5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has sold tens of millions of copies.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 67%
Originally launched on the Nintendo Wii U, the Switch released Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the fifth most popular video game according to millennials. The game’s release included everything available on the Wii U version while adding downloadable content on the Switch release. It also had the honor of being the first Mario game for the console and has since sold over 70 million copies and counting.
4. Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most successful video games ever.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 68%
Originally released in 2013, Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most enduring video games ever. The first game to earn $800 million on its first day of availability and $1 billion in its first three days, there is no question that Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most successful video games ever. This is why it’s hardly surprising to learn it’s sold over 200 million copies.
3. Super Mario Odyssey
Then Nintendo CEO Reggie Fils-Aime helped launch Super Mario Odyssey.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 68%
Released for the Nintendo Switch in 2017, Super Mario Odyssey first entered development in 2013. One of the most popular and best-selling games in the Super Mario franchise, Odyssey has sold over 27.96 million copies and still counting. The game’s highlight is Mario’s hat named “Cappy,” which lets him capture other characters and use their abilities.
2. Super Smash Bros.
Super Smash Bros. is the best way to play Mario in a fighting game.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: 76%
First released in 1999, the Super Smash Bros. series has sold over 75.21 million copies. Its latest release, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, was released on the Nintendo Switch in 2018. One of the best-selling games on the console, it has sold over 34 million copies as of March 2024. This is enough sales to label it the third-best-selling Nintendo Switch game.
1. Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. is the most iconic video game of all time.
- Percentage of millennials with a favorable opinion: Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. is the most popular video game in the world. With over 20 games on over a dozen Nintendo consoles, the Super Mario series has sold well over 380 million copies worldwide. If you factor in the entirety of the Mario franchise, it has sold over 880 million units since Mario’s first 1981 appearance in arcade Donkey Kong.
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