It's interesting, when you look at the three big companies, Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony, only one of them has a definitive mascot. Mario is arguably the most recognizable name in video gaming, along side Link/The Legend of Zelda, yet another Nintendo franchise. The brand loyalty and instant recognition of these names is what really drives home Nintendo's sales. People feel comfortable going out and buying a Mario game. It's what they know, and in most cases, it's what they grew up with. Mario has been at the forefront of gamer's minds since the launch of the Nintendo Entertainment System in the 80s. Is the power of Nintendo's mascot a true driving force in their success? And would Microsoft or Sony benefit from having a mascot as recognizable as the plumber himself?
It's important in life to maintain a broad palette when it comes to culture and the arts. Hideo Kojima agrees, as he continues to use video games like Death Stranding to introduce people to music and other elements they might not otherwise discover.
Mojang has partnered with Merlin Entertainments to build the world's first Minecraft theme park in the UK.
A three-episode live-action adaptation of the first two Yakuza video games will debut Tuesday, March 17 exclusively IGN. Each episode is about an hour long and will stream on IGN.com and IGN’s YouTube channel.
target the under 10 demographic that Nintendo does.
SONY and MS both target an older audience.