It is an understatement to say that Pokemon is a marketable IP. Back in 2021, as The Pokemon Company was celebrating the 25th anniversary of the series, Pokemon fans saw all sorts of crossovers and official merchandise, from plushies, to clothing, even to some Pokemon skateboards featuring some of the franchise's most notable monsters. Even with a lot of sales coming from other merchandise, to many fans the central feature of the entire Pokemon franchise is its games.
According to recent financial earnings figures, it seems like The Pokemon Company is recognizing that its games are the backbone for the franchise. Usually, May is the time when a lot of gaming companies will reveal their financial earnings, and in some cases they will also give fans and investors a look into future plans. Sony, for example, recently told its investors that the PS VR2 would be launching with 20 major third and first-party titles and that the company would be focusing on creating new IPs in its near future.
The Pokemon Company, however, did not share its earnings. As a private company, its disclosure agreements are limited. Though, analysts in the gaming industry have managed to get their hands on some details shared in a Japanese government filing, which show that The Pokemon Company has had a very positive financial year. It was another record year for the company, which is impressive considering Pokemon's previous success as a franchise.
Sales were up 70.4% from the last fiscal year for the company, and the operating and net profit for The Pokemon Company were reported to have increased by over 100%. Alongside the aforementioned merchandise sales of Pokemon's 25th anniversary, it seems clear that having three Pokemon titles release in the last financial year have supported The Pokemon Company's financial success. Pokemon Legends: Arceus was already a bestseller in the days following its launch, and since then its sales have only continued to grow.
Of course, alongside the release of Pokemon Legends: Arceus,two more Pokemon games came out in the previous financial year. According to figures provided by Nintendo, New Pokemon Snap saw sales figures of around 2.4 million, and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl sold 14.65 million copies. These figures cover up to March 31, 2022, meaning since then the games have likely increased their sales. With two mainline Pokemon games coming out later in 2022 in the form of Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, perhaps The Pokemon Company can see continued success.
Source: Serkantoto