There was never any doubt about which series would come out on top. Shigeru Miyamoto's Italian plumber initially appeared on the scene with Donkey Kong in 1981 and has since ascended to become not only Nintendo's poster boy but also the industry's symbol. Mario Kart, Mario & Luigi, Paper Mario, New Super Mario Bros., and Super Mario Galaxy are just a few of the franchises and genres he's worked on. He has also coached a number of successful sports teams, including baseball, tennis, soccer, and basketball.

Mario has sold almost half a billion copies throughout the world. Mario has ruled the gaming industry for nearly three decades, from his exploits saving Princess Peach from another castle in his Super Mario Bros. titles to his ruthless abilities on the tennis court and racetrack, and the plumber continues to rake in the sales statistics with each release.

Gross value: 577 Million

Link: https://mariogames.io/

Sega's golden kid (or blue child...) was Nintendo's Italian plumber Mario's immediate competitor. While the Blue Blur's recent years haven't been kind to him, he's continued to put out some very good games in recent years, such as Sonic Generation, which honors the hedgehog's past.

These sales are the steak and potatoes of his career, dating back to his days on the plains of the 2D Green Hill Zone. He may not have made as smooth a transition as Mario, but he is still going strong today and has dabbled in different genres with Sonic the Fighters and Sonic Riders. Sonic the Hedgehog made his debut appearance in 1991, while Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice is his most recent release.

Gross value: 350 Million

Link: https://www.allsonicgames.net/

Few other brands have had as much of an impact on pop culture as the video game industry. With the debut of Pokémon Red & Blue in 1996, the Pokémon series has grown to become one of the most successful brands in the world, and its mascot, Pikachu, has become one of the most recognized faces in gaming.

The series has gone through a lot of changes in recent years, yet it still manages to stay true to its beginnings, as seen by the series' popularity. The series has sold a lot of games, and its new main series releases immediately take over the gaming market. Few other series can boast of gaining the same amount of worldwide acclaim as Pokémon.

Gross value: 295 Million

Link: https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-video-games/

Despite whether you are for or against the divisive game series, its presence and dominance of the First-Person Shooter genre can’t be ignored. Call of Duty has gone on to outsell every other shooter franchise and the numbers speak louder than the haters. Call of Duty overtook the first-person shooter genre many years back in 2003 with its first installment titled Call of Duty.

It is presently the industry's most popular shooter franchise, despite being chastised for its often-repetitive formula and a focus on the younger age as the series progressed. While it, like the rest of the titles on our list, has had its share of troubles, it is amazing, to say the least, that it has ascended to become the fourth highest-grossing series of all time. It's only natural that the top three won because they have a far longer track record.

This list would not be complete without the quintessential sandbox title. Grand Theft Auto has become one of the gaming world's monarchs in recent years, with some of the most popular titles. The Grand Theft Auto series has published some of the industry's most well-rated games, from its initial title Grand Theft Auto in 1997 through Grand Theft Auto V's release in 2013, and I doubt the upcoming iteration will undersell by any means.

The Wii Series is another unexpected inclusion on our list, but it makes sense when you consider that Wii Sports is Nintendo's best-selling game of all time. Wii Sports was the first game in the series, and it was released in 2006 as a bundled game with the Nintendo Wii. It was designed to show off the Wii's motion capabilities with sports for the whole family to enjoy. It was a favorite to play at any gathering due to its relative simplicity and ease of usage.

Wii Sports Club, the most recent chapter in the series, was launched in 2014 and featured several new sports as well as the same motion control-centric play style as the previous titles and, like the others, was aimed to encourage players to engage in a bit more physical exercise. Wii Play and Wii Fit are two other games in the series.

Gross value: 203 Million

Link: https://www.nintendolife.com/wii/games/browse

The Sims series, another genre king, contains a population of people over whom you may effectively play God. The Sims, the first iteration, was published in 2000 and marked the start of a tremendously popular simulation game series. It's known for the weird and occasionally ridiculous things you can do with the Sims, but it's also well-known for allowing you to create houses and decorate living areas.

Each game in the famous franchise also comes with its own set of vast and apparently all-encompassing DLC packs, giving you even more ways to mock, entice, or punish your Sims. The freedom you have in this game is clearly a big component of its popularity, and it will continue to be a big part of the franchise's success as long as it survives.

Gross value: 175 Million

Link: https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims

Need For Speed is the highest-grossing racing franchise of all time, according to EA. The Need For Speed series began in 1994 with The Need For Speed and ended in 2015 with The Need For Speed. Despite the fact that the series has over 25 iterations, it is commonly thought that Need for Speed: Most Wanted, released in 2012, is the genuine frosting on the cake. The series sets the player against a swarm of other racers, with the aim of winning the races evident.

While the series has featured both street racing and track racing, the games have always been a favorite with fans, and it is a series that has established its mark on the racing genre and has yet to be displaced.

Gross value: 150 Million

Link: https://www.ea.com/games/need-for-speed

Tetris was initially launched in 1984 and is one of the few legendary vintage games still being developed today. It is one of the earliest video games ever made and one of the few ones whose formula has stayed mostly intact over the years. Its fundamental architecture and relative simplicity make it simple to transfer to almost any machine that can play video games. It is the best-selling digital download game of all time, having sold over 140 million copies as of today.

For almost 30 years, players have been enthralled by the falling puzzle pieces and difficult physics, and the world's obsession with Tetris and the need for challenge never seems to wane.

Gross value: 140 Million

Link: https://tetris.com/play-tetris

Square Enix, maybe the most well-known RPG franchise in the world, understands how to put together a good game (for the most part). While Final Fantasy XIII was a huge disappointment, it's difficult to say the same about Final Fantasy XV, which was a fantastic game. Not every edition is a winner, and the series is hit or miss, but the best installments, particularly Final Fantasy VII, are among the best in the genre.

It's a series that's tough to keep track of since there are several releases inside a single numbering system, and each of them tells a different section of the same tale. These games' main selling points are their personalities and action, and they may leave you with some of the finest gaming experiences you've ever had.

Gross value: 130 Million

Link: https://thefinalfantasy.net/games

Given that statistics do not deceive, FIFA looks to be the world's favorite game for the world's favorite sport. FIFA has sold over 100 million copies and is a widely anticipated release each year. With the number of copies sold over the years, to say it is well-liked would be an understatement.

The Lego series began in 1995 with Lego Fun to Build, then in 2001 with Lego Creator: Harry Potter, it launched its venture into licensed material. The series is a wonderful combination of gaming elements that span both youngsters' and adults' ages.

Due to the drop-in/drop-out co-op, the series is one of the ideal titles for parents to play with their children or friends to play with other pals, which has undoubtedly boosted sales. Don't be fooled by the Lego look of these games; they may be just as intricate and interesting as any other product, as seen by sales.

Gross value: 100 Million

Link: https://www.lego.com/en-gb/games

Madden NFL is the most popular football game and the second most popular sports series on this illustrious list of gaming's best. Since the first title, John Madden Football, in 1988, the series has been supported with an annual release every year. After RBI Baseball, EA's Madden is the oldest football game franchise and the second oldest sports game franchise. Year after year, supporters have continued to support it, and it is recognized for its aesthetics and portrayal of the athletes involved.

While Madden is the most popular football game, it is mostly unchallenged because of a 2004 agreement between EA and the NFL, which granted EA exclusive rights to utilize the NFL's licensed material, including clubs, coaches, players, and stadiums. Madden's sales have soared because of a lack of competition, and it's unlikely that enthusiasm in the series will wane very soon.

Gross value: 99 Million

Link: https://www.ea.com/games/madden

The popular Ubisoft franchise is ranked 14th on the list. The public's adoration for the series began with the release of the first game, Assassin's Creed, in 2007, but it was Assassin's Creed II that appeared to lure them in and truly make it a household brand in gaming. For its novelty and extremely fascinating view on historical events, the series appears to have attracted a significant following. It was also a lot of fun to scale structures and take out swarms of foes without being detected.

The series may have started to tire fans out with its nearly yearly releases, and Ubisoft noticed, so we'll have to wait a bit for the next entry in this historical series. Whether set in the Italian Renaissance, the American Revolution, or the Industrial Revolution in England, this series has made the most of its setting and presented a compelling mix of fictitious and real people.

Gross value: 93 Million

Link: https://www.ubisoft.com/en-gb/game/assassins-creed

Pro Evolution Soccer is the first of two soccer game franchises to appear on this list, and it's a game that allows you to play virtual soccer. The first iteration, suitably titled Pro Evolution Soccer, was released in 2001, and the series continues today with Pro Evolution Soccer 2017. The series, like other sports game franchises, is released once a year and contains the finest players in the world.

Unfortunately, owing to EA's licensing agreements, players, teams, jerseys, and other items are not always accurate, prompting users to effectively patch the game to fix the problem for their own amusement. Despite this, the game stays on the list, selling copies and giving other series in the category a run for their money.

Gross value: 86.8 Million

Link: https://www.konami.com/wepes/2019/us/en-us/