Is Nintendo even able or willing to surprise anymore?

[burninmylight]

First, I'd like you to read this:

http://nintendo3dsdaily.com/nintendoarticles/nintendo-needs-no-more-franchises-why-the-misconception-of-nintendo-as-not-innovating-is-wrong/

Next, I'd like to compare some sales data for you:

New Super Mario Bros Wii: 26.8 mil sold worldwide

Baten Kaitos franchise: .37
+ Captain Rainbow*: .01
+ Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest: .17
+ Doshin the Giant*: .14
+ Drill Dozer: .05
+ Electroplankton***: .03
+ Endless Ocean franchise: 1.84
+ Excite Truck & Excitebots: .51 & .23
+ Fortune Street: .40
+ Geist: .15
+ Giftpia: .11
+ Kid Icarus Uprising: 1.04
+ The Last Story: .51
+ The Legendary Starfy: .81
+ Odama: .11
+ Pandora's Tower**: .17
+ Pikmin franchise: 3.8
+ Steel Diver: .37
+ Wii Music: 3.19
+ Xenoblade: .83
--------------------
11.65 million

*Japan only
** Hasn't launched in NA yet, not that it will make much of a difference
***There are a ton more titles under this IP, but VGC only has data for the one I listed. I think it's a safe bet that most of you haven't heard of it, let alone bought it.

I'll throw in some well-known IPs that "surprised" us with new or different art direction or gameplay, and even throw in Donkey Kong Country Returns, since that caught everyone off guard when it was announced:

DK: King of Swing: .24
Donkey Konga franchise: 1.54
Donkey Kong Country Returns: 5.93
+ Kirby's Epic Yarn: 2.02
+ Metroid: Other M* :1.2
------------------------
10.93 million

*Other M numbers are misleading, because the game was heavily marked down within months after launch. I got a brand new copy for $9 less than a year after it launched.

**I wanted to include IPs like Maboshi's Arcade, Sakura Samurai, Pushmo, Dillon's Rolling Western and a couple of other download-only IPs I can't think the name of, but of course I couldn't find sales data for them. I doubt they've sold enough to bump the total for the rest of the lot up NSMBWii's total though.

26.8 mil > 22.58 mil. So NSMBWii (the game, not the NSMB IP) does more for Nintendo than all those new IPs, fresh ideas and creative takes on games combined.

That's what "surprises" have gotten Nintendo. Yet, for all the complaining so-called hardcore gamers do about the Mario franchise, especially NSMB, it flies off shelves. Tell me, how many of those games in that list have you heard of, let alone purchased? I said it before, I'll say it again: Nintendo doesn't decide what becomes a hit; only YOU can do that, with your wallet. If it was up to Nintendo, every one of its games would sell like NSMBWii.

If surprise means come up with something new or do something unexpected with an established property, then you can clearly see Nintendo does it all the time. But as soon as it gives the masses what they really want, the outspoken few begin crying foul. The real question is whether us gamers are even able or willing to surprise anymore.