New Super Mario Bros DS FW sales (USA+Europe+Japan)-1.17m

New Super Mario Bros Wii FW sales (USA+Europe+Japan)-2.1m

Super Mario Galaxy FW sales (USA+Europe+Japan)-920k

Super Mario Galaxy 2 FW sales (USA+Europe+Japan)-1.27m

Super Mario 64 DS FW sales (USA+Europe+Japan)-500k

Super Mario 3D Land FW sales (USA+Europe+Japan)-780k

New Super Mario Bros 2 FW sales (USA+Europe+Japan)-730k

New Super Mario Bros U FW sales (USA+Europe+Japan)-510k

Super Mario 3D World FW sales (USA+Japan)-340k, Europe will put it at 400-450k

Of the 9 Mario games released in the last 10 years, only 3 of them had first week sales of over 1 million

Gamecube-Sonic Adventure 2(Feb 02), Super Mario Sunshine(Aug 02), Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex(Sept 02),  Sonic Mega Collection(Nov 02), Spyro: Enter The DragonFly(Nov 02). 5 platformers released in a span of 9 months

Wii U-New Super Mario Bros U(Nov 12), New Super Luigi U(Aug 13), Rayman Legends(Sept 13), Sonic Lost World(Oct 13), Super Mario 3D World(Nov 13), Donkey Kong Country:Tropical Freeze(Feb 14). 6 platformers released in a span of 15 months

also not sure why u left out games like Wind Waker HD, Wonderful 101, Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate as non platformers for Wii U.

For Nintendo to release a sku without the gamepad they have to change the OS.

It's not just a nice bonus like the 3D on 3DS.

Momentum in 2014 is by far more "important," however, without at least some success this holiday that will be hard to achieve. If the holiday goes poorly, some very significant changes could begin to take place in how Nintendo does/runs its business starting next year. One thing's for sure, if Wii U does poorly this holiday and then STILL manages to find a cliff to fall off of (an underwater deep-sea fissure when its drowned, airless heap sinks even further) in January and February, then Iwata is in some trouble.

That's a little bit doom-and-gloom, but it's difficult to not get sucked into it by all the negativity about Wii U sometimes. Ultimately, even if this holiday goes poorly (I suspect Wii U will show moderate numbers this holiday and will manage to actually show "improvement" in its January and February sales compared to the previous year) as long as Wii U can "hang on" in early 2014, I still believe Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. BOTH have system-selling potential far beyond what a single excellent 3D Mario game could ever hope to achieve (Super Mario 64 excluded of course). Mario Kart 8 will appeal to the "everyone" audience, while Super Smash Bros. will appeal to "the hardcore" and the "Nintendo loyalists." Add those two plus a stream of solid, high-quality games like DKC: TF, X, Yarn Yoshi, Bayonetta 2, and others and Wii U should be "okay" in 2014. It's NEVER going to be the Wii in terms of sales. That ship has "sailed"...pardon the pun. What Wii U fans can realistically hope for is Gamecube or MAYBE N64-level sales in the long run. And you know what? That's okay. As long as the first-party content delivers, I'll be happy. Wii U won't make Nintendo a lot of money, but as long as it breaks even or makes a modest profit in the long run, 3DS will keep Nintendo comfortably in the black. And that's all it will take...we'll get another handheld and another console and more iterations of some of the BEST franchises in gaming all over again. Or, who knows...maybe the next system will be a handheld/console hybrid like people have been speculating? We only have to wait 4-5 years or so to find out. In the meantime, I'm legitimately happy I own 3DS AND Wii U and I'll be enjoying all the games Nintendo releases this generation.

Oh, and just for fun, who's already dying of excitement since Nintendo already confirmed the next Zelda for Wii U will be shown at E3? :D

People do realize you can use the Wii U OS just fine without the game pad? I had a friend that barely ever touched the game pad, would just log into everything with the Pro Controller. The Wiimote also works. 

Miiverse is really the only thing that requires the gamepad (I think even the eShop now works on the TV screen), and that could be patched fairly easily. 

I think both are crucial, and I believe Nintendo is busting their ass trying to figure out something that works, and on a small scale it seems to be. I can say this, with the arrival of 3D World Wii U has gone from selling 30K in 3 months to 111,046 consoles in one week. I'm not naive enough to think that it just being the holiday season didn't have something to do with it as well but let's face it, everyone who has a Wii U has more than likely seen and had some interest in 3D World. If that doesn't say anything about the importance of Super Mario on a Nintendo console, nothing ever will. Also, I have finally been seeing actual Wii U console (not just game) commercials airing on television. It isn't going to guaranty any sales, but it's at least putting some much needed publicity out to the public.

I also know there are more games that I am looking forward to slated to be released next year for Wii U than on any other system. X, Bayo 2, Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, Smash Bros, Mario Kart, Watch Dogs, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Now if we are also to look at reveals that create hype, we know we are going to get information on not only the new official Wii U Legend Of Zelda, but also a peek at what the new Miyamoto IP, and let's all just face it he's like the video game version of Walt Disney or Hayao Miyazaki (if you know anime).

Now even with all this do I expect Nintendo to just mop the floor with the competition, or even outsell the competition? No. I just think they are on their way to having a product that is well worth peoples money, and through that I hope that their fortune turns around for them.

They needed a strong holiday to generate momentum to sustain in 2014. Without much momentum generated this Christmas--and unless there's a huge upswing in the next few weeks, it's very safe to say Nintendo haven't generated enough momentum--then 2014 becomes even more difficult. Negative perceptions of the console persist, and are worsened, putting off buyers, and Nintendo have to spend valuable time generating momentum outside of the year end sales season, which will be even more difficult to do with even less consumer confidence, competing machines on the market and a marketing and branding message that 12 months down the line, is still confused and sub-par.

I really do hope they turn it around to some extent, but I no longer see that happening. Nintendo need to focus on pumping out as many Wii U titles as they can in 2014 to build up a small install base that they can recoup some of their investment from, ensure they get as much life and money from 3DS as possible, and rethink what their strategy is going forward. The last thing they should do is abandon the Wii U prematurely. If Nintendo aren't seen to do everything they can to support Wii U, then their next console will suffer even more.

is this true? cause people here have sworn up and down that the pad was essential for the OS to work. Have they've been BSing because they dont want to accept the possibilty of a WIi U SKU without the gamepad?

I like the Gamepad, I think its neat and has alot of potential but I definitely isnt essential to the console. A sku without it for $229 wouldnt be a bad idea and have the Gamepad+Nintendo Land for $99. That way the sku with the Gamepad for $299 still looks like a deal.

ok good to see their are still some level headed people left here. It was suggested before and people flipped their top, you'd thing someone was insulting their mother.