There were more "Core" games that sold on the Wii than any other Nintendo console, it just happened that Wii Sports and Wii Fit were record smashing titles on the console.

I feel it is more Nintendo's kiddy image on the Gamecube and to some extent on the N64 that kept "core" gaming audiences away.

No it's Nintendo greed that kept Wii only in casual camp.
If they offered motion controls and as much horsepower as they could fit into it while breaking even at start they wouldn't lose third party support.

@JoelCool7 I still think you said it best: "it was the lack of HD that helped sell the Wii"

Would anybody posting here have payed $400 for the console when it launched?

I think even with having the Wii as is, they could have gained more 'core' support by using some of those insane profits from casual titles to get some more quality 3rd party exclusives. Also a form of greed, I guess.

Well they didn't even have to money hat. Just finance some riskier core games from other companies or offer big marketing incentives like MS did with Gears.

No, but I would have payed 350$/€ for a "4 Gamecubes taped together" Wii.

I agree. It's too bad they turned down some of the offers they had like working with Factor 5 again (on both Rogue Squadron and Pilot Wings), or maybe even they could've gotten a Timesplitters out of Free Radical before they went under. How there was no partnership with Lucasarts to make a lightsaber game I will never understand. There were also two cool looking titles at n-space that ended up never being made, a promising 3rd person shooter from THQ which could have done well considering RE4's success, and many more.

The fact is there were lots of intriguing third party 'core' titles in development that Nintendo could've saved from being canceled if they wanted to... Looking over on unseen64 makes me real frustrated sometimes.

Yea hes right and i cant wait to camp for his system lol.