Happy Pikachu

Pokémon is a bit of a big deal; that's news to absolutely no-one. It's a brand that's sustained impressive levels of sales and interest even in tricky and evolving times, still proving hugely successful on the 3DS while also releasing a host of spin-offs and - yes - smart device apps.

It makes an awful lot of money, too. In the License Global publication its 2014 results for overall brand sales were shared - these sales are declared as a staggering $2 billion. Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, in their six weeks on the market last year, were apparently the "best-selling set of video games in 2014", and 'mon games as a whole have shifted over 270 million units to date, which is a ludicrous number.

The listing also talks up the current trading card game ranges - more than 21.5 billion TCG cards have been shipped over its history - and the success of films and TV shows. While there's great success in Japan, the animated series and movies are cited for their deals with various networks and streaming services around the world. Apps, merchandise and all manner of promotions have all contributed to those $2 billion in sales.

This is apparently an improvement over the equivalent figures of 2013, showing that the Pokémon machine is still going strong. If there isn't a main 'mon game - or two, as per normal - to boost the 3DS this Holiday season, and to keep that momentum going, we'd be rather surprised.

Image credit: Mary147 (DeviantArt)

[source images2.advanstar.com, via neogaf.com]