I'm not sure RE:4 is such a terrible example, in all honesty. It shows that high quality games in established franchises can thrive on Wii, and the fact that it's the fourth release of said game really only serves to further reiterate the existence of such a market on Wii.
Is it true that Nintendo-produced titles dominate Nintendo-produced platforms? Absolutely! However, people seem to be under the impression that the only reason this is the case is that these titles simply have "Wii", "Nintendo" or "Mario" slapped on the cover. This plays a huge role, undoubtedly, but these people are ultimately missing the point. The reason sales of Nintendo titles are so robust is because of their unparalleled brand equity. Both Wii Fit and Brawl are titles of exceptional quality and polish, so that even though they are aimed at markedly different audiences, their sales are explosive. This is no coincidence.
If you pick a Nintendo-produced Wii title at random, the probability that the game will be accessible, engaging and cognizant of the Wii's unique capabilities is remarkably high. Can the same be said of the drivel dumped on the system by some of the other publishers? There is a reason Wii Sports, Wii Fit and Mario Kart all outsell their cheap imitations by a considerable margin... actual time and effort went into their production. Say what you will about Wii Music and City Folk, but the thought and polish that went into their creation is reflected by their sales. If companies are expecting to produce the same stellar sales Nintendo enjoys without having to allocate the same level of resources, talent and effort into their Wii projects, then they are sorely misguided.
Yes, the 360 and PS3 markets have proven to be much more conducive to "AAA" efforts, but this is entirely due to the fact that the Wii has seen absolutely no third party "AAA" titles whatsoever. Games that are both a) from established franchises and b) actual quality games are simply rarities in the Wii library. Oh, and on that note, it is absolutely true that Resident Evil 5 is outselling MadWorld by a wide margin... but Resident Evil 4: Wii appears to be on equal footing with its HD successor, despite its age.
It's quite simple, really. If you want to make a game in the vein of Wii Sports or Wii Play in order to replicate their wild popularity, make a game that is of the same quality. Similarly, if you want to reproduce the success of "hardcore" titles like Fallout or Dead Space on Wii... then make a game that is of the same quality!
It is not a matter of hardcore or casual, either. The Wii's popularity translates to a userbase with wildly diverse tastes and preferences which transcend these meaningless labels. The fact is that Wii owners know that regardless of what style or genre of game they are looking for, whether it is an exercise program like Wii Fit or an epic adventure like Zelda, that Nintendo's games are as a rule of greater quality than the titles provided by third parties. For companies who shit out their games with such abandon and display such astonishment at their substandard results, I can display no sympathy. Nintendo cannot be expected to make inferior games so third parties can profit in their apathy.
Oh, bananas! Long post! My bad
