Hmm, I don't think Mario grew to fame through the internet.
Dota became a cultural phenomenon, and has stayed a cultural phenomenon, solely through the internet. No internet, no dota.
It's simply mistaken.
Or do I need to prove Dota is a cultural phenomenon? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OzWIFX8M-Y
I would say that franchising/sequels reflect the fact that if you have content which is just barely sub-viral you can pump money into marketing to get virality to get more money. Basically a controlled fission reaction instead of an explosion.