Super Mario
Image: Nintendo

"Brand new analysis" from sales tracking firm GfK has lifted the lid on the UK's top 30 best-selling pieces of gaming software since 1995 – and it should come as no real shock to learn that Mario ranks very highly indeed.

The new chart has been ranked in order of revenue generated, and while FIFA and Call of Duty take the top two places, everyone's favourite Italian plumber is in third place. The titles that contributed most to this success were Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 8, and New Super Mario Bros.

Elsewhere, the Pokémon series is at number 8 in the chart, while Zelda is all the way down in 29th position. Wii Fit, however, ranks 13th – impressive when you consider that it has only seen three individual releases in its lifetime. Mario's one-time rival Sonic is at number 11.

In total, the top 30 titles have generated over £26bn in the last 27 years.

Here's the full chart, as complied by GfK:

No. Top-selling game by brand Titles (1995-) Series start
1 FIFA 50 1993
2 Call of Duty 32 2003
3 Mario 109 1987
4 Grand Theft Auto 21 1997
5 Lego 77 1997
6 Star Wars 113 1983
7 The Sims 106 2000
8 Pokémon 93 1999
9 Assassin's Creed 27 2007
10 Need For Speed 30 1994
11 Sonic 55 1991
12 WWF / WWE / Wrestlemania 61 1987
13 Marvel 106 1982
14 Wii Fit 3 2008
15 Tom Claney 72 1997
16 Guitar / DJ Hero 18 2006
17 Pro Evolution Soccer 22 2001
18 Skylanders 6 2011
19 Battlefield 30 2002
20 Tomb Raider 31 1996
21 Halo 15 2001
22 DC 43 1986
23 Formula One 66 1992
24 Gran Turismo 13 1998
25 Forza 13 2005
26 Harry Potter 17 2001
27 Crash Bandicoot 22 1996
28 The Olympic Games 20 1992
29 Zelda

35

1987
30 PGA Tour Golf 46 1990

GfK’s Senior Client Insight Director for Gaming, Dorian Bloch, had this to say about the data:

This is a fascinating list and anyone who has been following the development of the videogame industry as I have will no doubt show little surprise at the sheer value, size, and breadth of this market. What was once seen as a niche sector is now an unquestionably mainstream market generating billions in revenue annually. The characters in these games have become much-loved heroes, from Lara Croft to Luigi and Mario, to Sonic the Hedgehog. Terms used in the franchises have entered our vocabulary, and there are more than a few gamers who could navigate their way around the outskirts of San Francisco from their time at the wheel of a stolen car in GTA.

[source gfk.com]