Where Did All the Iconic Game Characters Go?

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From Mario and Sonic to Pikachu and Pac-Man, gaming used to pump out icons like clockwork. But somewhere along the way… it stopped. Despite bigger budgets, better graphics, and more games than ever — new characters just don’t seem to last. Why?

In this video, I break down what actually makes a character iconic — and why so few modern designs make it there. We’ll talk about audience-first vs. artist-first design, the myth of psychological depth, the dangers of “diegetic” thinking, and why flexibility might matter more than lore.

Whether you're a game dev, character designer, or just someone who misses the good old days of drawing Sonic in your school notebook, this one’s for you.