Do you all keep track with everything model and version of smartphones released every year? Because I certainly don't
It's not like a person could not figure out what a Wii U with research but rather they didn't do any research at all because they didn't care
The advertising failed to communicate "there is a new console, check it out"
The virtual box example is particularly interesting because I didn't even knew it was ever released until a couple of years ago studying about console History. Remember not everyone is a 30 years old adult doing research. A big part of the industry are kids who only wants what is either advertised them on TV or what they see what their friends also have/share.
Hardware buying is often about FOMO. If your marketing is bad you don't need to fear missing it out. The momento you don't communicate your system is good you are basically saying to your customers they don't need it
If this was not a important then Hardware makers should have stopped spending billions of money in marketing every generation but here we are
