Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, a company founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. The franchise was created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996, and is centered on fictional creatures called "Pokémon". The name Pokémon is a syllabic abbreviation of the Japanese brand Pocket Monsters. It soon became a media mix franchise adapted into various media. Pokémon is estimated to be the highest-grossing media franchise of all time. The Pokémon video game series and anime television series it spawned have achieved great success. The franchise is also represented in other Nintendo media, such as the Super Smash Bros. series, where various Pokémon characters are playable.