What would have sold most? 3D World, Galaxy 3, or a Mario 64 successor?

[curl-6]

Einsam_Delphin said:

curl-6 said:

What I'm saying is that while there is a relationship between software sales and install base, said relationship is not a fixed, linear one.

If Sunshine were a more desirable product, it wouldn't just have sold to more existing Gamecube owners, it would have motivated more non-Gamecube owners to buy the console for it.

Similarly, if Galaxy weren't the more desirable game, it would have sold less than Sunshine in spite of the bigger install base.

But you don't know if everyone who bought Sunshine bought the Gamecube specifically for it, nor if everyone who bought Galaxy only did so after they had enough Wii Sports action, though seeing as Wii's were selling out before Galaxy arrived the latter is very likely.

My point is 3D Mario has consistently had one of the highest attach rates on every console it's been on, thus it's one of the most appealing games to those who pick up said consoles, however many that may be, and regardless of what 3D Mario it is. So I say it doesn't matter what 3D Mario you put in World's place, sales would be roughly the same, though of course no proof of that.

Games do not just churn out numbers to a set proportion of their userbase, the game itself determines its own sales by how desirable it is, as once again we saw with Metroid Prime selling double Other M despite having a vastly smaller base.