"Actually, 'franchise' is a financial term for the way that 'character franchises' are sold and/or retained as intellectual property, so you may have to bear with me on stretching the meaning a bit (or maybe not--hold that thought).
"Part of the success of gaming companies like Nintendo is their cultivation and use of trademarked characters like 'Mario' and 'Princess Peach.' If you think about it, these characters are basically the only reason anyone ever buys games like 'Mario Kart.' But it works--this kind of stuff really sells. And when I say 'works,' I mean 'works on me' not just the stereotypical Walmart shopper who buys into 'Hello Kitty' or 'The Disney Princesses...'"
