It has a lot to do with the content of the games as well. Certain subjects just aren't that popular in certain regions of the world, and this is a fact.

 ya, I have to agree with you here. you're picking 2 games out of the somewhat hundred or thousand of games that were released.

One JRPG doesn't sell well in Japan and that means lots of developers aren't going to develop games for the Wii?

What the OP is getting at is that just because the DS has a larger install base doesn't mean all the games are automatically going to sell well. It is much more dependent on the game's popularity and how it is recieved by the general public. More fan's of a seriese just don't materialize out of thin air just because a console has a larger userbase. If the game is that spectacular then it will bring in people who do not own the system to buy it on that one. If not then it will do poorly, regardless of the hardware.

Who said they'd automaticly sell? It's about shooting at the bigger market.

So the point is that install base isn't everything. There are other factors to consider that could lead developers to put games on lower selling systems. D'oh, really?

Yet to support this point you used first week sales of two single-platform DS games with no good parallel on another system. And one of which (Inazuma 11), which with the same first week multiplier as Prof. Layton 1, would end up selling a respectable 300K copies.

It doesn't speak well that you can't come up with good evidence to support a point that is very nearly self-evident.

You could have just looked at all the Wii/360/PS3 multi-plats that have come out in America over the last several months, and how Wii has a major advantage with some, and 360 has an even bigger advantage with others, despite the similar install base.

If you really want proof that install base isn't everything, the PSP is the shining star to make an example of. PSP software sales have been below the Wii despite having a substantially larger user base.

While you can cherry pick specific softwares to support your argument, a much more compelling and valid case can be made by looking at overall software sales statistics.

most are casual gamers and girls.
they play brain age, mario party ds, mario kart ds.

@fishyjoe, even so its mainly due the high piracy exist on the psp, way bigger, even the PSP have done a great with third parties even with the piracy crisis core and god of war sold resonably well last year.

even so wii its getting modchips that maybe help them or doom them like the psp.. that is neededing a revision each year to combat it.

The difference is that while not all games sell well on the DS it is much more likely for a game to make a profit on a bigger userbase. The point you just mentioned goes for all consoles so that´s not a pro for PS3 or Xbox 360. If you have a bigger install base the chance of your game selling good is much higher than on a smaller install base so I wouldn´t say you´ve got a point here.

The same goes for the Wii: Not all games will sell well but the chance that a game will sell well is higher because the console has a bigger userbase.

The point you made goes for all consoles but it affects the consoles with the biggest userbase the least. So basically your point proofs why developers should focus on Wii/DS. There are other points why (some) developers shouldn´t focus on those consoles but your point is definitely not valid.

Yeah, that´s why so many hardcore games are on the DS. Jeez, study the gaming library of a console before you try to make a point. You are entitled to your opinion but this is just wrong and the way you wrote it was more bashing than anything.