IIRC, MK enjoyed its greatest popularity (by leaps and bounds) between 1993-1995, when the first two games hit consoles and the movie came out. I think it was basically surviving on the hardcore remnants of that initial huge fanbase for years. Up until the recent retooling of the series, hardly anyone cared about it for like ten years.
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Yoblazer: http://i43.tinypic.com/25z1non.jpg
Watch and you'll see... someday I'll be... part of your world!