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		<title>Sleeper hit</title>
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		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Bettinawing: &lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;div&gt;{{short description|Film, song or game that becomes successful gradually with little promotion}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}}&lt;br /&gt;
In the [[Outline of entertainment|entertainment industry]], a &#039;&#039;&#039;sleeper hit&#039;&#039;&#039; is a film, television series, music release, video game, or some other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release but becomes a success later on. A sleeper hit may have little promotion or lack a successful launch, but then garner a fan following that garners it media attention, which in turn increases its public exposure and public interest in the product.{{sfn|Berra|2008|p=68}}&lt;br /&gt;
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==In film==&lt;br /&gt;
Some sleeper hits in the [[film industry]] are strategically marketed for audiences subtly, such as with [[sneak preview]]s a couple of weeks prior to release, without making them feel obliged to see a heavily promoted film. This alternative form of [[marketing strategy]] has been used in sleeper hits such as &#039;&#039;[[Sleepless in Seattle]]&#039;&#039; (1993), the [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Oscar winner]] &#039;&#039;[[Forrest Gump]]&#039;&#039; (1994), &#039;&#039;[[My Best Friend&#039;s Wedding]]&#039;&#039; (1997), &#039;&#039;[[There&#039;s Something About Mary]]&#039;&#039; (1998), and &#039;&#039;[[The Sixth Sense]]&#039;&#039; (1999).{{sfn|Berra|2008|p=68}}&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Film screening|Screenings]] for these films are held in an area conducive to the film&#039;s demographic. In the case of &#039;&#039;Sleepless in Seattle&#039;&#039;, a [[romantic comedy]], screenings were held at suburban shopping malls where romantic couples in their mid-20s to early 30s spent Saturday afternoons before seeing a new film. In theory, a successful screening leads to [[word-of-mouth marketing]], as it compels viewers to discuss an interesting, low-key film with co-workers when they return to work after their weekend.{{sfn|Berra|2008|p=68}}&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;&#039;[[Easy Rider]]&#039;&#039; (1969), which was created on a budget of less than $400,000, became a sleeper hit by earning $50&amp;amp;nbsp;million and garnering attention from younger audiences with its combination of drugs, violence, motorcycles, counter-culture stance, and rock music.{{sfn|Ganeri|Bergan|2006|p=458}}  It was also one of the successful films during the beginnings of the [[New Hollywood|American New Wave]] of cinema.&amp;lt;ref name=Crawford&amp;gt;{{cite news|last=Crawford|first=Travis|title=Criterion: American Lost and Found: The BBS Story|url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/16844-america-lost-and-found-the-bbs-story/|access-date=February 19, 2013|newspaper=Filmmaker Magazine|date=16 December 2010}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;&#039;[[The Rocky Horror Picture Show]]&#039;&#039; (1975) was considered a flop&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20200618-the-rocky-horror-picture-show-the-film-thats-saved-lives The Rocky Horror Picture Show: The film that saved lives - BBC Culture]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; for the first 6 months of its release and it wasn&#039;t until it found popularity in midnight screenings afterwards.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://variety.com/2005/film/markets-festivals/midnight-movies-from-the-margin-to-the-mainstream-1200525884/#! Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream - Variety]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &#039;&#039;[[A Christmas Story]]&#039;&#039; (1983) was initially a modest success with little promotion,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite news |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |title=IN THE ARTS: CRITICS&#039; CHOICES |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 8, 1984 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/01/08/arts/in-the-arts-critics-choices-162681.html |access-date=December 1, 2009 |quote=Popular misconceptions can get a movie off to a slow start, and they may have helped turn &#039;A Christmas Story&#039; into the sleeper of this season.}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; but after [[Ted Turner]] purchased the [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]] back-catalog a few years later and began rerunning the film on his cable networks every December, it became an iconic Christmas classic.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/11/how-a-christmas-story-became-an-american-tradition How A Christmas Story Went from Low-Budget Fluke to an American Tradition|Vanity Fair]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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The 1979 Australian film &#039;&#039;[[Mad Max (film)|Mad Max]]&#039;&#039;, which sprung from the [[Ozploitation]] movement and helped to popularise the [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic dystopia]] genre, held the record for the biggest profit-to-cost ratio for several years until it was broken in 1999 by &#039;&#039;[[The Blair Witch Project]]&#039;&#039;, also a sleeper hit.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20483133_20828245_30188940,00.html|title=Summer Sleepers: 14 Unexpected Movie Hits|first=Lanford|last=Beard|work=Entertainment Weekly|date=22 July 2014}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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The [[independent film]] &#039;&#039;[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]&#039;&#039;, which played over the course of fall 1978 through fall 1979 and relied almost completely on word-of-mouth as marketing, was also a sleeper hit, having a box-office take of $70&amp;amp;nbsp;million on a budget of only $325,000. Its success caused other [[slasher films]] to try the same approach, although few fared as well since horror films heavily rely on opening weekend box-office and quickly fall from theaters. Other notable examples of horror sleeper-hits to follow in &#039;&#039;Halloween&#039;&#039;&#039;s wake include &#039;&#039;[[Friday the 13th (1980 film)|Friday the 13th]]&#039;&#039; in 1980, &#039;&#039;[[The Evil Dead]]&#039;&#039; in 1981, &#039;&#039;[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]&#039;&#039; in 1984, &#039;&#039;[[Scream (1996 film)|Scream]]&#039;&#039; in 1996, &#039;&#039;[[I Know What You Did Last Summer]]&#039;&#039; in 1997, &#039;&#039;[[The Blair Witch Project]]&#039;&#039; in 1999, &#039;&#039;[[Final Destination (film)|Final Destination]]&#039;&#039; in 2000, &#039;&#039;[[Saw (2004 film)|Saw]]&#039;&#039; in 2004, &#039;&#039;[[Hostel (2005 film)|Hostel]]&#039;&#039; in 2005, &#039;&#039;[[Paranormal Activity]]&#039;&#039; in 2007, both &#039;&#039;[[The Purge (2013 film)|The Purge]]&#039;&#039; and &#039;&#039;[[The Conjuring (film)|The Conjuring]]&#039;&#039; in 2013, and both &#039;&#039;[[Happy Death Day]]&#039;&#039; and the [[Academy Award]]-winning &#039;&#039;[[Get Out]]&#039;&#039; in 2017.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite book|last1=Kerswell|first1=J.A.|title=The slasher movie book|date=2012|publisher=Chicago Review Press|location=Chicago, Ill.|isbn=978-1556520105}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;&#039;[[Hocus Pocus (1993 film)|Hocus Pocus]]&#039;&#039;, which was initially a box-office flop, eventually became a sleeper hit through television airings on the &#039;&#039;[[31 Nights of Halloween|13 Nights of Halloween]]&#039;&#039; block on what is now [[Freeform (TV channel)|Freeform]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite news|last1=Chaney|first1=Jen|title=The Magical Tale of How &#039;Hocus Pocus&#039; Went From Box-Office Flop to Halloween Favorite|url=https://www.yahoo.com/movies/the-magical-tale-of-how-hocus-pocus-went-from-144105863.html|access-date=October 28, 2015|work=Yahoo.com|date=October 28, 2015}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&#039;&#039;[[Napoleon Dynamite]]&#039;&#039; made back it&#039;s $500,000 budget and became a phenomenon in 2004.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://digitaledition.baltimoresun.com/tribune/article_popover.aspx?guid=f9b71a9d-ce41-4978-bfe3-90f9afcf042a What&#039;ll become of the cult movie? - Baltimore Sun]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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==In music==&lt;br /&gt;
Don Howard&#039;s 1952 recording of &amp;quot;[[Oh Happy Day (1952 song)|Oh Happy Day]]&amp;quot; was one of the earliest sleeper hits. Featuring only Howard&#039;s baritone vocals and his acoustic guitar played at an amateur level, it was initially released regionally and was never expected to become a hit. A massive groundswell of support from teenagers in Howard&#039;s home base of [[Cleveland]], Ohio, led to the song rapidly rising in popularity,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;TIME&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,889646,00.html?iid=digg_share |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222110743/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,889646,00.html?iid=digg_share |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 December 2008 |title=Mystery Hit – |date=9 February 1953 |work=Time |access-date=9 October 2008}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; despite music industry scorn;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Galvestonfeb53&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news |title=No One Likes &#039;Happy Day&#039; Except Public |first =  Richard N. |last =  Smith |date=19 February 1953  |work=[[Galveston Daily News]]}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; [[cover version]]s (including one by [[Larry Hooper]] and the [[Lawrence Welk]] orchestra) were quickly rushed into production, and by 1953, there were no fewer than four hit recordings of the same song circulating, including Howard&#039;s original.&lt;br /&gt;
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[[The Romantics]]&#039; 1980 single &amp;quot;[[What I Like About You (The Romantics song)|What I Like About You]]&amp;quot; was a minor hit upon its release, charting at number 49 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|&#039;&#039;Billboard&#039;&#039; Hot 100]] in the United States, while not charting at all in the United Kingdom. It eventually became one of the most popular songs of the 1980s thanks to its use in various advertising campaigns.{{sfn|Gimarc|2005|p=287}}&lt;br /&gt;
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The 1987 single &amp;quot;[[Welcome to the Jungle]]&amp;quot; by American rock band [[Guns N&#039; Roses]] performed poorly in both the United States and the United Kingdom when first released in September of that year. As the band&#039;s popularity grew steadily in 1988, it became a sleeper hit in the US and reached the top 10 of the &#039;&#039;Billboard&#039;&#039; charts. It was then re-released in the UK, charting within the top 40 there.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite book|last=Masterton|first=James|title=The Top 40 Annual 1988|chapter=Guns N&#039; Roses|publisher=James Masterton|year=2015}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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[[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]&#039;s second album &#039;&#039;[[Nevermind]]&#039;&#039; was released in September 1991 with low expectations, hoping to sell 500,000 copies. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number 144, but slowly climbed up the charts over the following months, entering the top 40 in November. The album was selling 300,000 copies a week by December, before in January 1992, it even replaced [[Michael Jackson]]&#039;s &#039;&#039;[[Dangerous (Michael Jackson album)|Dangerous]]&#039;&#039; at number 1 on the Billboard charts.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Newman|first=Melinda|title=Nirvana&#039;s &#039;Nevermind&#039; Turns 25: How It Changed The Record Business|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/melindanewman/2016/09/24/nirvanas-nevermind-turns-25-how-it-changed-the-record-business/|access-date=2021-02-22|website=Forbes|language=en}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; The album went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|date=2016-09-25|title=The baby from Nirvana’s Nevermind cover recreates the pose for its 25th anniversary|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/nevermind-anniversary-nirvana-baby-kurt-cobain-dave-grohl-a7328811.html|access-date=2021-02-22|website=The Independent|language=en}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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The R&amp;amp;B singer [[Raphael Saadiq]]&#039;s [[soul music|classic soul]]-inspired album &#039;&#039;[[The Way I See It]]&#039;&#039; was a sleeper hit.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite magazine|last=Sless-Kitain|first=Areif|date=6 August 2010|title=Raphael Saadiq + Balkan Beat Box + Javelin at Lollapalooza 2010: Live review|magazine=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|location=Chicago}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Overlooked upon its release in 2008,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite journal|last=Watson|first=Margeaux|url=http://music-mix.ew.com/2008/12/24/raphael-saadiqs/|title=Raphael Saadiq&#039;s &#039;The Way I See It&#039;: Most overlooked CD of the year|journal=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|location=New York|date=24 December 2008|access-date=7 April 2012}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; it ended up charting for 41 weeks on the US [[Billboard 200|&#039;&#039;Billboard&#039;&#039; 200]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=raphael saadiq|chart=Billboard 200}}|title=Raphael Saadiq Album &amp;amp; Song Chart History|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=16 May 2012}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;[[Just Dance (song)|Just Dance]]&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;[[Poker Face (Lady Gaga song)|Poker Face]]&amp;quot; by pop singer [[Lady Gaga]] were both released in 2008 but did not become popular hits until the end of the year and the following year in certain countries, including the US and the UK.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://books.google.com/books?id=HJQvMRtelYIC&amp;amp;pg=PT15&amp;amp;lpg=PT15&amp;amp;dq=lady+gaga+poker+face+sleeper+hit&amp;amp;source=bl&amp;amp;ots=-iRMV9lku6&amp;amp;sig=GY5Ve_mhRmezoHW4jmeEgAptFaY&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ved=0CCkQ6AEwA2oVChMI96eRo4XoyAIVStNjCh060Qdd#v=onepage&amp;amp;q=lady%20gaga%20poker%20face%20sleeper%20hit&amp;amp;f=false Lady Gaga Superstar – Page 7]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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The R&amp;amp;B singer [[Miguel (singer)|Miguel]]&#039;s 2010 debut album &#039;&#039;[[All I Want Is You (Miguel album)|All I Want Is You]]&#039;&#039; performed poorly at first, debuting at number 109 on the &#039;&#039;Billboard&#039;&#039; 200 with sales of 11,000 copies,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Lipshutz&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; while underpromoted by his record label.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Rytlewski&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite news|last=Rytlewski|first=Evan|date=9 October 2012|url=http://www.avclub.com/articles/miguel-kaleidoscope-dream,86389/|title=Miguel: Kaleidoscope Dream|journal=[[The A.V. Club]]|location=Chicago|access-date=19 October 2012}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; As its singles achieved radio airplay and Miguel toured in the record&#039;s promotion,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Lipshutz&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite journal|last=Lipshutz|first=Jason|date=21 September 2012|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/474985/miguels-kaleidoscope-dream-inside-the-rb-dynamos-fresh-start|title=Miguel&#039;s &#039;Kaleidoscope Dream&#039;: Inside The R&amp;amp;B Dynamo&#039;s Fresh Start|journal=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=20 October 2012}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &#039;&#039;All I Want Is You&#039;&#039; became a sleeper hit&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|last=Graham|first=Nadine|date=24 March 2011|url=http://soultrain.com/2011/03/24/qa-miguel/|title=Q&amp;amp;A: Miguel|publisher=[[Soul Train]]|access-date=17 October 2012}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; and reached 404,000 copies sold by 2012.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;Lipshutz&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; As of November 2017, the album has been certified platinum in the US.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;[https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&amp;amp;ar=MIGUEL&amp;amp;ti=ALL+I+WANT+IS+YOU Gold &amp;amp; Platinum - RIAA]&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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&amp;quot;[[Truth Hurts (song)|Truth Hurts]]&amp;quot;, by American singer [[Lizzo]], was released in September 2017 and did not chart until its appearance in the 2019 romantic comedy film &#039;&#039;[[Someone Great (film)|Someone Great]]&#039;&#039; led to the single debuting at the number 50 position on the Hot 100. As the song became a sleeper hit on the chart, the music video—featuring the singer in a &amp;quot;wedding-gone-wild&amp;quot; concept—went [[viral video|viral]]. By September 2019, the single had reached number one on the chart. The music video has been viewed over 240 million times as of January 2021. The single also benefited from its use in [[TikTok]] videos by users who lip-synced or referenced the lyric &amp;quot;I just took a DNA test, turns out, I&#039;m 100 percent that bitch&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;paper&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{cite magazine|url=https://www.papermag.com/lizzo-truth-hurts-number-one-america-2640176924.html?rebelltitem=6#rebelltitem6|title=How Lizzo&#039;s &#039;Truth Hurts&#039; Became the No. 1 Song in America|last=Love|first=Michael Love|date=September 3, 2019|magazine=[[Paper (magazine)|Paper]]|access-date=November 5, 2019}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; During its chart run, Gary Trust, the senior director of charts at &#039;&#039;Billboard&#039;&#039;, noted the rarity of a song topping the Hot 100 almost two years after its release, but explained that, &amp;quot;in the digital era, it&#039;s much easier than ever before for music fans to be exposed to older songs that might&#039;ve been overlooked the first time around.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/friday-aug-30-2019-geena-davis-lizzo-and-more-1.5264345/how-lizzo-s-truth-hurts-could-hit-no-1-on-billboard-hot-100-despite-2017-release-1.5264351|title=How Lizzo&#039;s Truth Hurts could hit No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 despite 2017 release|publisher=[[CBC Radio]]|access-date=November 5, 2019|date=August 30, 2019}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; According to &#039;&#039;[[Paper (magazine)|Paper]]&#039;&#039; magazine&#039;s Michael Love Michael, Lizzo&#039;s sleeper hit can also be explained by a more inclusive [[popular media]] since the song&#039;s original release: &amp;quot;Black women are more visible than ever on magazine covers; fashion is having broader conversations about size, racial, and ethnic diversity. Lizzo&#039;s presence in these spaces signals a future of greater inclusion.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;paper&amp;quot;/&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
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The [[COVID-19 pandemic]] played a significant role in audiences&#039; rediscovery of previously-released media, including music. Songs like &amp;quot;[[Arcade (song)|Arcade]]&amp;quot; by [[Duncan Laurence]] (released March 2019),&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=https://www.nickiswift.com/389879/the-real-meaning-of-arcade-by-duncan-laurence/|title=The Real Meaning Of &#039;Arcade&#039; By Duncan Laurence|publisher=[[Nicki Swift]]|access-date=August 5, 2021|date=April 22, 2021}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; &amp;quot;[[Astronaut in the Ocean]]&amp;quot; by [[Masked Wolf]] (released June 2019), and [[Beggin&#039;#Måneskin version|Beggin&#039;]] by [[Måneskin]] (released November 2017)&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/9609530/maneskin-beggin-august-chartbreaker/|title=Chartbreaker: Inside Måneskin’s Unlikely, TikTok-Assisted Journey to Rock Stardom|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=August 5, 2021|date=August 3, 2021}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; became sleeper hits, mainly through [[TikTok]] and other social media sites, achieving popularity in early spring and summer of 2021.&lt;br /&gt;
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==In video games==&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;Pocket Monster Red&#039;&#039; and &#039;&#039;Green&#039;&#039; were released in 1996 in Japan, and later released as [[Pokémon Red and Blue|&#039;&#039;Pokémon Red&#039;&#039; and &#039;&#039;Blue&#039;&#039;]] in 1998. They followed several years of development and became sleeper hits.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;honey&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web | first=Matt | last=Knodle | url=https://honeysanime.com/top-10-sleeper-hit-games-best-recommendations/ | title=Top 10 Sleeper Hit Games | website=Honey&#039;s Anime | date=2 January 2018 | access-date=26 December 2018}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book | first1=Kate | last1=Berens | first2=Geoff  | last2=Howard | title=The Rough Guide to Videogames | year=2008 | page=21 | publisher=[[Rough Guides]] | isbn=978-1848362291 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=676lvisP2zMC&amp;amp;q=Pok%C3%A9mon+sleeper+hit&amp;amp;pg=PT32}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Believing it to be a one-time product, Nintendo initially shipped 200,000 copies, a relatively low amount. Most media ignored the games, but largely by word-of-mouth stemming from the hidden character [[Mew (Pokémon)|Mew]]&#039;s introduction,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;honey&amp;quot;/&amp;gt; their popularity gradually spread throughout Japan, selling a million units by the end of 1996.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite book | first=Steven | last=Kent | title=The Ultimate History of Video Games | date=2001 | pages=566–567 | publisher=[[Three Rivers Press]] | isbn=978-0761536437}} See [https://books.google.com/books?redir_esc=y&amp;amp;id=C2MH05ogU9oC&amp;amp;focus=searchwithinvolume&amp;amp;q=%22By+the+end+of+1996,+we+reached+around%22 this] and [https://books.google.com/books?redir_esc=y&amp;amp;id=C2MH05ogU9oC&amp;amp;focus=searchwithinvolume&amp;amp;q=%22But+we+originally+thought+of+it+as+a+one-time+product%22 this] link.&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; They eventually became the best-selling video games ever in Japan, with 7.8 million copies sold,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web | author=Master Blaster | title=Japan&#039;s 30 Best Selling Video Games of All Time | website=SoraNews24 | date=8 July 2012 | url=https://soranews24.com/2012/07/08/japans-best-selling-video-games-of-all-time/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221191821/https://soranews24.com/2012/07/08/japans-best-selling-video-games-of-all-time/ | archive-date=21 December 2018 | url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; and 45 million sold worldwide.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web | first=Jeremy | last=Parish | title=Pokémon: The 20-year fad | website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] | date=24 September 2018 | url=https://www.polygon.com/pokemon/2018/9/24/17874620/pokemon-legacy-20-years-red-blue | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926040859/https://www.polygon.com/pokemon/2018/9/24/17874620/pokemon-legacy-20-years-red-blue | archive-date=26 September 2018 | url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; After becoming a national sensation in Japan, the franchise was introduced to the United States in September 1998,&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite press release | title=Pokémon Craze Zeros In On the United States | publisher=[[Nintendo of America Inc.]] | location=Atlanta, Georgia, US | date=27 May 1998 | url=http://www.nintendo.com/corp/press/052798k.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980610060224/http://www.nintendo.com/corp/press/052798k.html | archive-date=10 June 1998 | url-status=dead}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; going on to start a worldwide craze dubbed &amp;quot;Pokémania&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite magazine | first1=Howard | last1=Chua-Eoan | first2=Tim | last2=Larimer | title=Beware of the Pokemania | magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time Asia]] | date=22 November 1999 | volume=154 | issue=20 | pages=80–93 | url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,34342-3,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010220055311/http://www.time.com:80/time/asia/magazine/99/1122/cover2.html | archive-date=20 February 2001 | url-status=live | quote=While best-selling games like Final Fantasy grabbed the top slot for a couple of dramatic months and then faded, Pokémon sales grew slowly and steadily--and they did not stop.}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;[[Portal (video game)|Portal]]&#039;&#039; was released in 2007 with little fanfare as part of the game compilation &#039;&#039;[[The Orange Box]]&#039;&#039;, but eventually became a &amp;quot;phenomenon&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web | title=Indies Take the Cake at Game Developers Conference |  url=https://www.wired.com/2008/02/indies-take-the-cake-at-game-developers-conference/ | website=WIRED}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;[[SteamWorld Dig]]&#039;&#039; (2013) was released on the [[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]] by little-known developer [[Image &amp;amp; Form]]. It became one of the first [[indie game]]s mentioned in a [[List of Nintendo Direct presentations|Nintendo Direct]], and ultimately sold over a million copies on all platforms. If the game had not succeeded, the studio would have been forced to close.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web | first=Gita | last=Jackson | title=The Making of a Switch Sleeper Hit  | url=https://kotaku.com/the-making-of-a-switch-sleeper-hit-1820022642 | website=[[Kotaku]]}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&#039;&#039;[[Among Us]]&#039;&#039; was released in the late first half of 2018 and received little mainstream attention and apparently only had an average of around  30 to 50 concurrent players. It received a sudden and significant jump in popularity in mid-2020 after being popularized by streamers on Twitch and YouTube. In November 2020, [[SuperData Research]] reported that the game had over half a billion users, proclaiming it to be &amp;quot;by far the most popular game ever in terms of monthly players.&amp;quot;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|title=November 2020 worldwide digital games market|url=https://www.superdataresearch.com/blog/worldwide-digital-games-market|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222193038/https://www.superdataresearch.com/blog/worldwide-digital-games-market|archive-date=2020-12-22|access-date=2020-12-23|website=SuperData Research|language=en-US}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=December 2020|first=Hope Bellingham 23|title=Among Us gained almost half a billion players in 2020|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/among-us-gained-almost-half-a-billion-players-in-2020/|access-date=2020-12-23|website=GamesRadar|language=en}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==See also==&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Cult following]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Hit song]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Independent film]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Art film]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [[Blockbuster (entertainment)]]&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
{{reflist}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==Bibliography==&lt;br /&gt;
* {{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/declarationsofin0000berr|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/declarationsofin0000berr/page/68 68]|title=Declarations of Independence: American Cinema and the Partiality of Independent Production|last=Berra|first=John|year=2008|publisher=Intellect Books|isbn=978-1841501857}}&lt;br /&gt;
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WpBwRbtq8cEC&amp;amp;pg=PA458|title=Eyewitness Companions: Film|publisher=[[Penguin Books|Penguin]]|last1=Ganeri|first1=Anita|last2=Bergan|first2=Ronald|year=2006|isbn=0756643465}}&lt;br /&gt;
* {{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4WM6Cb1z-PwC&amp;amp;pg=PA287|title=Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter&#039;s Guide To Underground Rock, 1970-1982|last=Gimarc|first=George|author-link=George Gimarc|year=2005|publisher=[[Hal Leonard Corporation]]|isbn=0879308486}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==External links==&lt;br /&gt;
* [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/alltime/timeto1.htm &amp;quot;Movies Taking the Longest to Hit #1 at the Box Office&amp;quot;] by [[Box Office Mojo]]&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1999/10/04/the-science-of-the-sleeper &amp;quot;The Science of the Sleeper&amp;quot;] by &#039;&#039;[[The New Yorker]]&#039;&#039;&lt;br /&gt;
* [https://wordle-unlimited.io Wordle] on wordle-unlimited.io&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Film and video terminology]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>Bettinawing</name></author>
	</entry>
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