Saving the kingdom

Recent hits from Nintendo demonstrate the enduring value of beloved video game characters.   Released last month, The Super Mario Bros. movie based on the eponymous character that first appeared 42 years ago has grossed over USD 1.2 billion at the box office, placing the film in the global all-time top 25.   Similarly, a 37-year-old character drew long lines at retail stores for last week’s game release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.  After a very strong 2020 when global video games sales rose 22% year on year, the industry declined slightly in both 2021 and 2022.  Therefore, with a long pipeline of sequels from nearly every game developer due for release over the next year, the question for the industry is  - can these aging characters save the kingdom?

Sources: Data.ai, December 2022; NewZoo, May 2023