Connect with us

Gaming

The world’s favourite gaming franchises – Animal Crossing is officially UK’s #1

Published

on

Reading Time: 2 minutes

New research from Casino.org has taken a deep dive into total sales, critic ratings, search volume and Twitch views to discover the world’s – and every country’s – most-loved gaming franchise.

Animal Crossing is officially revealed as the UK’s favourite gaming franchise.

 

Rank

Franchise

Average franchise critic score

Total sales of base games

Annual Worldwide Franchise Google Search Data

Franchise Lifetime Peak Viewers on Twitch

Most Loved Franchise Score /10

1

Super Mario

88.2%

299,475,000

39,936,900

2,926,742

8.15

2

Call of Duty

84.5%

301,460,000

88,361,000

1,623,046

8.09

3

Grand Theft Auto

90.1%

193,500,000

31,787,020

1,020,005

5.84

4

The Legend of Zelda

89.2%

93,100,000

18,513,800

2,431,115

5.73

5

Assassin’s Creed

80.8%

93,000,000

89,036,300

721,736

5.50

6

Mario Kart

87.0%

177,860,000

13,322,600

1,361,952

5.24

7

Pokémon

85.8%

187,760,000

15,220,200

1,257,588

5.18

8

The Last of Us

94.0%

24,000,000

55,619,000

631,357

5.17

9

Animal Crossing

84.8%

62,550,000

78,359,700

284,906

5.00

10

Sonic the Hedgehog

76.5%

61,420,000

41,571,900

1,907,064

4.60

  • After being around for 35 years, Super Mario is ranked the world’s most loved franchise with nearly 3 million Twitch views and 300 million sales!

  • Starting in 2003, Call of Duty has seen the highest total sales of all the franchises- over 301.46 million games sold, however it just falls behind in Twitch views and average critic score earning it second place in the world’s most loved games.

  • Taking the third spot is Grand Theft Auto with one of the highest critic scores but much lower sales than the top two franchises.

Animal Crossing is the most searched franchise in the UK

While Call Of Duty has been searched for by the most number of countries (29), Animal Crossing emerges as the favourite for 24 countries – including the UK, US and Australia.

Most Searched Franchise

Number of Countries

Call of Duty

29

Animal Crossing

24

The Witcher

8

The Last of Us

6

Super Mario

3

Sonic the Hedgehog

3

Assassin’s Creed

1

Diablo

1

You can see the results of the research by clicking here.

Methodology:

Video game franchises were taken from the list of best-selling video game franchises from Wikipedia with spin-offs and remakes excluded.
The critical reception score for each game was sourced from Metacritic, with the exception of some older games which were released prior to Metacritic’s existence, which reflect scores from now-defunct GameRankings (which has since been incorporated into Metacritic).
For the total sales of the base games of each franchise, sales data was taken from the list of best selling game franchises on the Video Game Sales Wiki page.
Google Keyword planner found the number of global searches for each base game from March 2020 to February 2021.
Franchise lifetime peak viewers on Twitch was sourced from each games’ category page on TwitchTracker.
To discover each country’s favorite franchise, Ahrefs Keyword Explorer tool was used to collect the monthly average search volume for the last twelve months for the 75 countries where data was available.

Powered by WPeMatico

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Gaming

Soft2Bet launches MEGA Islands, a new gamification engine designed to increase player retention

Published

on

soft2bet-launches-mega-islands,-a-new-gamification-engine-designed-to-increase-player-retention

Soft2Bet has unveiled MEGA Islands, the latest addition to its MEGA Suite, designed to enhance player engagement and retention across both casino and sportsbook offerings.

The new engine introduces a persistent progression system that carries over across sessions, giving players an ongoing reason to return. Through island-building, resource collection, and continual advancement, players embark on a long-term journey that transforms short play sessions into sustained engagement.

First previewed in Soft2Bet’s recent Lodur release, the MEGA Islands system allows players to develop their own islands over time. Resources earned through gameplay can be used to construct new buildings, upgrade existing structures, and unlock further stages of progression. Each upgrade opens new goals, creating a loop of continuous advancement that keeps players invested.

The engine also incorporates plundering mechanics, giving players an additional path to gather resources by raiding other islands. This feature not only accelerates growth but also maintains a dynamic and engaging progression loop. With no fixed endpoint, MEGA Islands is built to encourage repeat play through a satisfying cycle of building, collecting, and advancing.

MEGA Islands is designed to make retention feel natural by providing players with a progression journey they want to return to,” said Yoel Zuckerberg, CPO at Soft2Bet. “By building islands, collecting resources, and unlocking upgrades—including through plundering—each session becomes part of a longer experience. It gives players a clear reason to come back while providing operators with a retention tool that integrates seamlessly across casino and sportsbook.”

The launch of MEGA Islands underscores Soft2Bet’s commitment to gamification as a driver of long-term growth. As part of the MEGA Suite, the new engine offers operators a powerful tool to extend player journeys, increase engagement cycles, and deliver consistent value in competitive markets.

The post Soft2Bet launches MEGA Islands, a new gamification engine designed to increase player retention appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading

Arcade

Pragmatic Play Elevates Arcade Roster with the Im-Peck-Able Chicken+

Published

on

pragmatic-play-elevates-arcade-roster-with-the-im-peck-able-chicken+

Pragmatic Play, a prominent content provider for the iGaming sector, has enhanced its arcade collection with the debut of Chicken+, a retro-themed game showcasing fast-paced action and significant winning opportunities.

Brought to existence with retro 8-bit visuals, the game tests players to evade approaching vehicles and various dangers, leading the chicken safely over the road.

With each lane successfully cleared, the win multiplier increases. Players can withdraw their earnings whenever they choose or try to navigate all lanes for the top reward, but a single random mishap concludes the round as a defeat. Players are able to view the possible winnings and the likelihood of success in reaching each lane to aid in their decision-making.

There are four levels of risk – Easy, Mid, Hard, and Daredevil. Raising the level reduces the number of lanes per round and increases the volatility, enhancing the maximum win potential from 24x in Easy mode to over 3,000,000x in Daredevil.

Blending nostalgic visuals with an eccentric theme, a user-friendly interface, and rapid betting rounds, Chicken+ meets the increasing demand for engaging, fast-paced games.

The title signifies the newest entry in Pragmatic Play’s continually growing arcade collection, succeeding the launches of Plinko+, Spire+, and Mines+.

Sharon McHugh, Director of Public Relations at Pragmatic Play, said: “Chicken+ blends retro charm with simple, high-engagement mechanics. With configurable risk levels and significant win potential, it stands out as another compelling addition to Pragmatic Play’s diverse arcade portfolio, inviting players to test their nerve and cross the road.”

The post Pragmatic Play Elevates Arcade Roster with the Im-Peck-Able Chicken+ appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading

Brazil

LOUD and SuperGaming Launch Prime Rush in Brazil, Bringing Battle Royale and Extraction Gameplay for Mobile

Published

on

loud-and-supergaming-launch-prime-rush-in-brazil,-bringing-battle-royale-and-extraction-gameplay-for-mobile

Prime Rush, a new mobile shooter blending battle royale survival with extraction-style mechanics, has officially launched in Brazil on the Google Play for Android and the App Store for iOS. Developed by SuperGaming in collaboration with Spacecaps—the parent company of LOUD—the game has been shaped by direct input from Brazilian players and creators throughout its Closed Beta and Early Access phases.

Prime Rush introduces a fresh twist on the traditional battle royale formula. Beyond simply being the last squad standing, players can secure victory early by extracting Cosmium, a rare resource that appears during the final circle. This dual win condition forces squads to choose between outlasting opponents or adopting a more tactical approach to secure extraction.

The game also features a dynamic tactical ability system designed for fast-paced mobile combat. Active abilities such as DeadEye, Shield Dome, Super Speed, and Hunter’s Instinct allow players to approach matches with different strategies, focusing on precision, defense, mobility, or intelligence.

Bruno Bittencourt, CEO of LOUD, said:
“We’ve always believed Brazil has one of the most passionate gaming communities in the world, yet for years we’ve been playing games that weren’t built with us in mind. Prime Rush is a game created for Brazilian players, shaped daily by the communities we’ve built over the past decade. We’ve been listening to them every single day. It’s a game that finally feels like home.”

Roby John, CEO and Co-founder of SuperGaming, added:
“Brazil has one of the most competitive mobile shooter audiences we’ve seen, and from the beginning we wanted Prime Rush to be both authentic and accessible. That meant building a game that feels true to Brazil while ensuring it runs smoothly across a wide range of devices, so more players can experience it as intended.”

Set on the island of Maré, the game’s main battlefield supports its battle royale extraction format. It also introduces a Mini TDM mode (Favela)—a fast-paced 4v4 mode designed for quick, high-intensity firefights on the go.

At launch, players can choose from a roster of Brazilian heroes including Juliana, Rafael, Miguel, Rogério, Dos Santos, Julia, and Gustavo, with deep customization options available. Weapon personalization is enhanced through Evo-X skins, featuring upgradeable visuals, multiple Chromas, unique animations, custom sound effects, and distinctive combat feedback elements.

Prime Rush also debuts with several limited-time modes such as DeadEye Rush, Pants in the Air, and Weapon Roulette, offering short, action-packed sessions beyond the core gameplay.

The game launches alongside its first Ranked Season, where players can progress through tiers including Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Champion, Legend, and Cosmic.

Check out the launch trailer right here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op5KreKoLmY

Season 1 Battle Pass: Street Legends introduces a range of rewards, including:

  • New Avatars: Laura, Juliana, Rafael
  • Weapon Skins: Subliminar, Grafitada, Suavidade, Firmeza, Raiz, Brabo, AK-BR7
  • Melee Weapon: Chinela (Slipper)
  • Vehicle Skin: Lenda Urbana
  • Additional items such as stickers, dive trails, emotes, and portraits

Powered by SuperGaming’s in-house SuperPlatform, the game supports Android 7+ devices with 4GB RAM and iOS 15+. Early Access data shows stable performance at 40 FPS on lower-end devices, with up to 60 FPS on mid- to high-end hardware, ensuring accessibility across a broad range of devices in Brazil.

SuperGaming continues to optimize Prime Rush for additional devices, with performance and visual quality varying depending on hardware and player settings.

The post LOUD and SuperGaming Launch Prime Rush in Brazil, Bringing Battle Royale and Extraction Gameplay for Mobile appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Continue Reading

Trending

Get it on Google Play

Fresh slot games releases by the top brands of the industry. We provide you with the latest news straight from the entertainment industries.

The platform also hosts industry-relevant webinars, and provides detailed reports, making it a one-stop resource for anyone seeking information about operators, suppliers, regulators, and professional services in the European gaming market. The portal's primary goal is to keep its extensive reader base updated on the latest happenings, trends, and developments within the gaming and gambling sector, with an emphasis on the European market while also covering pertinent global news. It's an indispensable resource for gaming professionals, operators, and enthusiasts alike.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2024 - Recent Slot Releases is part of HIPTHER Agency. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania