I've got some advice for Nintendo: release some mass market appeal games (or games at all more frequently than one every 3 months) in the first 18 months of your console's life, dumb butts.
NSMB is tired, people love it, but they all look like the same game. I don't know about many others, but seeing NSMBU for the first time I thought "I have this game on Wii and DS". At least MK8 looks like more of an improvement/change.
2D platformers, WarioWare, and Pikmin ain't gonna sell $300+ systems when they don't even use the expensive controller you're trying to sell. The first potential system pusher WiiU got was 3D World a full year after release (still not using the controller). And it's a shame it hasn't been pushing more consoles than it has because that game is a lot of fun and (because I didn't play 3D Land) actually kind of a unique feeling for Mario.
Now over the next month or two we'll see how the next potential pusher, MK8, holds up. I'm starting to feel VGC new weekly data is worth squat beyond general trends; I'll just be looking for Japan numbers and NPD, or any official statements.
Okay, now I got all that complaining out of my system.
