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The Big Sip
Image: Reddit
The take: Pokémon's dual-version model turned a social mechanic into a sales strategy that encouraged players to buy the game twice or convince a friend to buy the other version.
What happened: During a recent Nintendo shareholders meeting, Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that Pokémon creator Satoshi Tajiri once joked, "If you want to surpass Nintendo's Mario, you can't surpass it unless you sell two copies of the game to each customer," which became the rationale behind Pokémon Red and Green's 1996 dual launch.
Why it matters: Pokémon Red/Green/Blue sold 31.38 million units combined. Most players bought only one version, but collectors and families routinely purchased both, creating a strategy that's persisted and generated billions.
What to watch: Despite Pokemon's success, Miyamoto expressed skepticism any franchise could surpass Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's 69.56 million sales, noting "Mario Kart would likely continue to sell even more, so it may never be surpassed."
[Report] Nintendo shareholders meeting Q&A. Published November 2025.
The revelation came when shareholders questioned whether any Switch 2 title could surpass Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's sales.
Miyamoto recounted the pre-Pokemon conversation with Tajiri about needing to sell two copies per customer to beat Mario.
The strategy proved successful—Pokémon's first generation exceeded 31 million units (combined Red/Green/Blue), surpassing all Mario titles except Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario Bros.
They called it "encouraging trading." We call it "double revenue."
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