Glad you post it.
I'v read it a couple days ago and I must say that I disagree with him.
My take on the quotes you brought ( in order ):
It's not Nintendo that had abandoned someone starting wih N64, it is that their ( obsolete ) business tactics have alienated third parties therefore alienating who like the games produced by those thirdparties like Squaresoft.
What remained to Nintendo whose who like Nintendo games.
Super Mario Sunshine can't brought the same amount of interest of Super Mario 64 for the same reason Super Mario World can't brought the same amount of interest of Super Mario Bros :
Nintendo generally can create an archtype so "perfect" that the amount of surprise can't be replaced or improved in a "direct" sequel. The same apply for the Zelda serie, sale-wise Zelda 1 > 2&3 , Oot > MM&WW.
Surely Miyamoto's study about industrial design came in handy in his successful works but what he craft isn't the characters. Althought Miyamoto is considered the father of storytelling in videogames thanks to Donkey Kong, he had always keep the storyline factor to the minimun to focus user attention only on gameplay.
From Miyamoto’s perspective, the Mario and Zelda franchises revolve around the icons ? what bullshit !
Mario is know for its gameplay, like character Mario is an uncool one.
Every Zelda or Mario games have it bound with previous episode to bring nostalghia on long time fans but it is new concept of gameplay and ideas that bring to life those new episodes.
Your knowloedge isn't enough. Super Mario Bros, 3 and World have all sold better than NSMB ( althought I think that overall NSMB can outsell 3 & World ).
NSMB success is tied to the fact that 2D platform has features suitable to the expanded audience and can attract long time fans due to nostalghia and NSMB didn't had a single rival because the genre was dead for at least one decade.
Now the question is how can you surprise consumers with an hypotecally NSMB2 ? You can't.
What core gamers really want is what expanded gamers want ( with the exception that the formers are used to enjoy certain type of experience therefore are more difficult to take them on surprise ) :
Be surprised and be entertained.
And you can do it only if you have brand new ideas.
“In the entertainment business, there are only heaven and hell, and nothing in between and as soon as our customers bore of our products, we will crash.” Hiroshi Yamauchi
TAG: Like a Yamauchi pimp slap delivered by Il Maelstrom; serving it up with style.
