I'm 100% certain he was being sarcastic, Grampy. I am only 25% certain you are, however.

Yes, it's interesting. I think Nintendo has historically been very good at establishing genres that they get to then define and profit from. When they're at their best they come up with games with good game-play mechanics and then create hardware that makes it possible. When Nintendo gets it right they make games that can only have the definitive version on their hardware and then everyone copies it.

As Sulla so kindly researched and pointed out, it's the norm for 1st party software to excel. 

Those who set a precedent lead the pack. It's always that way. And a comment I heard often last generation was that Sony's games were just not that great any more, and that the PS2 was mostly only good for (insert third-party developer here; it varies from person to person, though it was usually either Square-Enix or Rockstar I heard cited). Without a first party setting the precedent, it was up to third parties to do so. And Rockstar did with Grand Theft Auto 3. Ever notice how just about every PS2 game resembles it in one way or another, be it because it sports a vast and detailed world, excessive vehicle-oriented gameplay and combat, or because it's a free-roaming sandbox game? That is the mark of a precedent-setting game: one that everybody copies elements of.

Honestly, some people put entirely to much emphasise on brand name recognition. Nintendo only has brand recognition, because they earn it. I don't recall too many people picking up cd-is for the Zelda and Mario brand names and if Nintendo games were selling on name alone , don't you think Barrel Blast would have sold better with it's DK brand recognition? Anytime Nintendo doesn't live up to their standards in any area, of any game they get marks against it in fold. There are plenty hardcore zealots ( which make up the majority of critics and most of the rest get pressured into going along with the crowd ) just waiting to tare Ninty a new one.  Why do so many pull the name recognition card on Ninty, when it seems to me they have been pretty consistent with quality, creativity, and gameplay character. What games are on a comparable level to nintendos on that regard, that aren't selling, on the wii or otherwise?

Well, it isn't a crime to be too successful in the market. If a game is good, people will buy them. Who cares who made that game? First party sales tend to be higher because they are seen as the "representatives" of the consoles by the problem by the general public, more than even the most impressive third party exclusives.

Excellent post. I agree with it all. I have nothing clever to add.

I agree in most cases except one : strong first party games partially kill the hardcore market . Many hardcore gamers will buy a Wii just for Nintendo games ... thats why others like NMH or Z&W arent selling at the level they should .... but thats just my opinion ;)

You don't kill a genre by under-representing it. Markets don't work that way. The basic mechanism is thus: suppliers provide a product to the market, which is consumed by interested parties, creating demand. Based upon the demand, suppliers adjust their supply and their production values. The failure of games like No More Heroes and Zack & Wiki to have significant market impact is a simple case of the demographic at large being disinterested combined with a lack of appropriate advertising to the appropriate demographics that would want them. The best way to get more attention for such games (and thus more sales) would be to give them advertisements on a medium besides the internet or gaming magazines.

Most of your initial post was quite correct, although things are far greyer than you suggest.

However, the above quote is quite absurd. There is no evidence thus far of "higher gameplay values", which is unsurprisingly given that "higher" gameplay values" and "higher production values" are massively positively correlated. A quick analysis of the data would almost certainly see a relationship between budget and quality of gameplay.

 Please don't bring up the No More Heroes/Zack & Wiki argument again.  No More Heroes was only advertised in gaming magazines and gaming websites. No TV commercials, nothing. The developer (Suda 51) made a game previously for the GameCube (Killer7) that sold 20,000 copies. There was barely any history of Grasshopper and no one knew their names. No More Heroes was expected to sell not much more than Killer 7 because it was so violent and stylish. No More Heroes has sold over 225k, exceeding expectations.

Zack & Wiki had NO advertising whatsoever, NONE. They only got some but Zack & Wiki campaign from IGN. Zack & Wiki is also a game from a DEAD genre on home consoles, POINT AND CLICK. The game was only expected to sell around 200k copies and is at a 335k right now.

No More Heroes and Zack & Wiki are NEW IPs with no history at all. Not many games I know nowadays without grisled war machines get millions so quickly. If Nintendo's high quality 1st party efforts are killing the hardcore market, why are games like The Conduit, Disaster: Day of Crisis, MadWorld, and Wiiware 3rd party games even being released? They aren't going to sell why bother? They bother because 3rd parties not selling on the Wii is a damn lie, that's why they bother.

Oh yeah, No More Heroes might get a sequel, who knew?