Yeah, very good counter-points. That's where we can start talking. Indeed, the SMB3 to SMW drop is very small as compared to SMW to SM64. That's where I would argue that it's a question of lost marketshare due to Sony, but some here would disagree with me. But at least you noticed it.

@prof. Good points, but the games weren't bundled in japan, see my prior post

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=4546383

The other point to consider for SMW is that it was the first game on a new system. That circumstance should have normally propelled it to SMB levels, but because of the stagnation, only prevented it from dropping further. By the time n64 mario released, nintendo was very much under attack by sony, which could explain the drop.

Doesn't the fact that 3d games sells better than 2d games(aside from the platforming con of 3d in my post before) make yall wonder about this bloggers reasoning?

To me, it just looks like that proves my point.

Looking at the japanese (green) line bundles are excluded.

Sales leveled out at the level of SMB3/SMW, so that was probably what the market could sustain +- a few millions depnding on the awesomeness of the game. SMB3 was an incredible leap forward, but SMW was considered by many to be lackluster, and still held similar although smaller numbers to SMB3. The collapse in sales started with SM64, and would probably have been slower if the games were kept 2D. 2D was also strong enough to not be discontinued.

Also don't forget that the market has grown tremendously since the SNES, and that has to explain some of the growth of NSMB and NSMBW. Nostalgia doesn't explain shit though, since many who grew up with SMB1 probably stopped gaming. If nostalgia was the huge driver of sales, the NSMB games wouldn't sell more than SMB3. The growth has to come from people who didn't play the originals.

YES! Good point. And that would explain why after starvation the levels bounced back to SMB levels of success.

See to me, it's straightforward.

Another fantastic counter-point.

Well, Sony was very very weak in the 2D platformer department, they even rejected 2D games. And there were many 3D competitors to SM64. But consider this, if Nintendo would release a SMB game on N64, there would be no competition in the same genre from either Sony or Sega. (Maybe from Sega because, say what you want about their business skills, but their strategy was always agressive and they would probably react)

Games like call of duty do not exist to malstrom. They are outliers, whereas 2d mario NSMB is not an outlier which proves his point that nobody wants 3d, because 2d mario sells tons more than everything else, if we assume that it's not an outlier.

Another good point. Then again, consider the fact that the market as a whole was migrating to 3D, and to the playstation, I wouldn't bet too much money on the success of such a venture, imho.

Nah. If nostalgia wasn't a factor the game won't have seen such a huge opening as it did in Japan (people who never played the games wouldn't have suddenly bought it day one for no reason, unless the Mario 64 remake left a very good impressionXD.) and led to insane momentum and increased sales.