Launch of Pokémon Franchise

Date: February 27, 1996 • Location: Tokyo, Japan

The multimedia franchise Pokémon was launched with the release of the video games Pocket Monsters Red and Green.

Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of video games, animated series and films, a trading card game, and other related media. The franchise takes place in a shared universe in which humans co-exist with the eponymous creatures, a large variety of species endowed with special powers. The franchise's primary target audience is children aged 5 to 12, but it is known to attract people of all ages. Pokémon is estimated to be the world's highest-grossing media franchise, with the video games in particular being among the best-selling.