Many people were done playing Nintendo's console by the time SS was released. Wii apathy.

^^ This.  Exactly.

Wii is on a decline. Mario Party 9 would be another great example.
It just looks like Nintendo fans are already into saving money for WiiU.

So many factors many of which have been mentioned.

First was the GameCube release it brought in a ton of sales even though it was on a dying platform. It was the launch title for Wii the flagship title introducing motion controls. There were what 7 or so games to choose from launch day LoZ:TP was the no brainer launch title.

Add to this Nintendo's decision to go with a darker gritty art direction. A mature Zelda the title fans had been waiting for since the 2001 SpaceWorld video. Gamers that were dissapointed in Wind Walker were buying Wii's in droves for a return of photo realistic link in a gritty dark adventure.

The release timing also is important. When TP launched the global economy was far stronger but after 2008 the global downturn has had an effect on video game sales. Skyward Sword has done pretty well considering this economic crisis.

Toss in the fact that motion controls are old now, even Motion+ wasn't enough to make AS the same revolution that TP was.

I should have said look at Twilight Princess on Game Cube. My bad.

Pretty much all of this. im sure wii motion plus messed up its sales  small bit to. 

There are many reasons. It was weaker than Twilight Princess, the market prefers Zelda with a realistic art style, it was released on a dying console, it needed an accessory, it didn't evolve from past entries in the series thus feeling outdated compared to other Zelda's at the time of their release. And I guess there's more.

Also another factor is the five years TP has been on the market and its retail pricing. Plus the market demographic when Wii launched the core gamers who usually support these kinds of games bought Wii's but after years of casual games and shovel ware they moved on. This left Nintendo with only the die hard Nintendo fans to support Skyward Sword.

Simply put there are so many reasons for Skyward Sword to fail, the fact that it has done this good is amazing.

A release on WiiU would be a terrible idea, the game while being great is going to be ancient by release of WiiU. Its graphics will be horrifically dated on WiiU and all the hardcore Nintendo fans will have already purchased it on Wii and won't likely rebut it. It would send a horrible message to 360/PS3 gamers that Nintendo rather then releasing new high quality content are going to rehash a game they never wanted.

If Nintendo wants success they will want a return to photo realistic darker and grittier Zelda. TP making a come back no cell shaded or cartoon look, yes I loved Wind Walker and enjoyed Skyward Sword but the average consumer did not.

These supposed hardcore gamers are not really gamers. They are posers they play games they buy games but they don't play or buy games for the games. They buy them for the graphics and the shock and awe factor. They don't want a AAA amazing game they want a gritty graphically stunning master piece.

Just look at CoD:MW3 or BlackOps. Both inferior games to BF3 and I would even say inferior to HomeFront. Yet what sold? These are not actual gamers, a gamer enjoys games loves games these guys want eye candy they want realism.

So if Nintendo wants to sell Zelda at 7-10 million copies. They need to take the amazing game play that is Zelda and add on a coat of beautiful stunning HD graphics. That way you attract the real gamers with the high quality game and the graphic whore pretend gamers with the dark gritty and graphical master piece. Best of both worlds.

Or if they don't care about making a good game, call up Treyarch and hire them to make Call Of Hyrule a gritty dark graphical first person shooter. Gordon's carrying plasma rifles and Link with the Master Rifle, set in a futuristic Hyrule where evil aliens known as the Ganon fleet have invaded. Its up to our hero to pump those alien scum bags full of lead and save the princess from being raped up the ass by an evil pig monster. Game includes graphic gratuitous violence, blood and gore, scenes of nudity and drug and alcohol abuse. Rated M for Mature and you can actually see the flesh searing off the faces of villagers as the flame thrower tears through their town.

Now that hunk of garbage would sell 10+ million copies, ruin my childhood and destroy any and all credability Nintendo has with its fans. But hey they would win over the pretend core gamer, throw in online multiplayer with 32 on 32 and free for all death matches. You'd have a hit on your hands!

They did a bad job advertising SS, at least in the UK. Still surprising that Majoras Mask outsold it which was also poorly advertised and required the memory expansion.

I would disagree about CoD BLOPS being worse than BF3. But then again I only really play the campaign of FPSs and BF3 had a porely designed single player campaign.

As for the Dark M rated Zelda game. Nintendo doesn't need to make it, since Darksiders 2 will be on Wii U.

But I do agree that if Nintendo wants huge sales they have to take the more realistic look over the saturday morning cartoon or anime look. Though I really loved the look of Wind Waker.