Monday August 26, 2002 |
Nintendo Video Game Character Mario Surpasses Hollywood's Harrison Ford in Global RevenuesHe's a dynamic hero, a man in blue -- a smooth cat with a red hat. Since his first appearance in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong(R), his heroic antics have made him one of the largest leading men in the world. With his charming voice and unforgettable mustache, he has helped push the video game industry past the film industry with projections eclipsing $10 billion in revenues by the end of 2002. The
entertainer is Mario, and he is King of the "A"
List. This moneymaking celebrity plans to raise the
high-bar once again as his new game, Super Mario
Sunshine(TM) for NINTENDO GAMECUBE(TM) launches today for
a suggested retail price of $49.95. "Video games are giving Hollywood a run for its money," says John Gaudiosi, columnist for the Hollywood Reporter. "Nintendo's Mario exemplifies this as he's become one of the biggest leading men in entertainment, as his $7 billion-plus worldwide video game sales rank him above Hollywood's current leading man, Harrison Ford, whose films have earned more than $5.6 billion worldwide in theatrical revenues over his career." Mario is one of Nintendo's platinum characters, he is the brain-child of Shigeru Miyamoto, who is considered by TIME Magazine(a) as the Steven Spielberg of electronic entertainment, and one of the most prestigious video game designers and creators in the world. "When I created Mario, I wanted him to be a character that everyone could relate to and enjoy," explains Miyamoto. "I never doubted Mario would be successful as a video game star, but I had no idea how incredibly popular and recognizable he'd be throughout the entertainment world." Mario
has remained in the top revenue spot with multiple video
game successes since 1985: Super Mario World(R) for the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System(R), Super Mario
64(TM) for the Nintendo(R) 64, and more. "Ford has starred in a string of blockbusters spanning almost 30 years, including the Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Jack Ryan series," Nash said. "He's generated $3.2 billion in U.S. box office sales and more than $5.6 billion in global sales. It's amazing a video game character such as Mario has surpassed that." As the worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co. Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home video game systems. The systems include Game Boy(R), Nintendo(R) 64, Game Boy Advance and NINTENDO GAMECUBE(TM). Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 1.6 billion video games worldwide, creating enduring industry icons such as Mario(TM) and Donkey Kong(R) and launching such franchises as Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). As a wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo or Super Mario Sunshine, visit the company's Web site, www.nintendo.com or visit www.supermariosunshine.com. |
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