Don't know much about the US and celebrities affecting sales, but I remember that in the UK there was a time when wiiparty wasn't very successful but then a commercial for it aired with a popular UK band (think they're called JLS) and sales seriously picked up. Yes, a game you had to pay over 30 quid for.
And I don't get the whole "you can't judge x company from your armchair". Why not exactly? Just because Ninty is a powerful company, doesn't mean that they always make the right choices. Same with MS and xbone or Sony and ps3.
I feel that the ones running the company to the ground are the people who defend anything the company does and give them the wrong message. I think fans should be vocal in a respectful way so that the company can know what they need to at least consider changing.
