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> Can you even name a famous video game character, other than Sonic, who isn't a Nintendo brand? Master Chief (Halo). Lara Croft (Tomb Raider). Duke Nukem. Clo
by metaphorm 10y ago
> Can you even name a famous video game character, other than Sonic, who isn't a Nintendo brand?
Master Chief (Halo). Lara Croft (Tomb Raider). Duke Nukem. Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII). Solid Snake (Metal Gear).
there are a few. I could go on. a lot of extremely famous/popular game franchises don't stick with a single iconic character though. Assassin's Creed is a good example. The archetype is consistent but it's a different character in each game. A lot of games are like this. Nintendo has pursued a branding strategy based around a handful of "mascot" characters (Mario, Link, Samus, Donkey Kong) but it's not like those are the only famous video game characters around.
Maybe that's what you're pointing out though? Besides Sonic (which was Sega's attempt to make a Nintendo style mascot character) most other game developers don't use mascots. That's true. They generally don't. The games themselves are still incredibly well known and popular though.
- cholantesh 10y agoMaster Chief and Cloud Strife? Honest question, perhaps I'm missing the intended meaning of iconic.
- metaphorm 10y agomaybe its generational. I'm a 90s kid. Cloud Strife was an icon in my childhood.
- cholantesh 10y agoI am too, but in fairness my circle of friends was not especially 'into' JRPGs until the release of Final Fantasy 9. Maybe we're outliers, but Cloud did not resonate a whole lot with us.
- khedoros1 10y agoThose were provided as examples of "famous" Non-Nintendo characters. "Iconic" is a higher bar to reach. So, I might argue that those characters are famous, but not iconic.
- jressey 10y agoLara Croft is the only one my spouse could name. My spouse teaches a university class on video game narrative.
- vlunkr 10y agoI'm confused, Lara Croft is the only non-Nintendo video game character your spouse knows? But they teach a class on video games? I'm not trying to be insulting, I'm just wondering if I'm missing something. Edit: I guess OP said "famous" characters, as in generally known by non-gamers, and that makes lots more sense
- vlunkr 10y agoPac-man!