Wow. I was just looking at the All Time Top 30 and seeing Nintendo's overwhelming dominance on it made me realize that Nintendo has to have a totally different defination of success than anyone else in the industry.

With over 25 games in the double digits, Nintendo surely grades that as a break-out success. And that's what they are shooting for. Their games to sell in the double digits.

Everyone else in the industry is thrilled to sell a couple million. Wii Music sold about 3.78 m I believe. Which by Nintendo standards is mild success. By 'Wii ___' standards it's a flop. For ANYONE else in the business that would be a massive success that would have already spawned two sequels and a DS version.

That's why Nintendo doesn't focus on the core gamers. They'll never meet their defination of success with a core title. Only GTA:SA is in the top thirty to represent the modern defination of core and a lot of casuals got that one too. (I'm not counting GT as I'm sure a lot of it's base are casual racing fans) Halo never hit double digits. Final Fantasy never hit double digits. CoD never did (unless you combine user bases) although MW2 on 360 just might. Not Resident Evil, Prince of Persia, nor any other major core franchise.

Makes me realize that Nintendo really knows and views the industry like no other developer out there.

I'm just playing around with PSRock!

@PSrock

kay!

You guys may be right. Epic Mickey drops in September. It releases a little too early to catch the wave of higher software sales, but Wii Sports pulled that of lovely (exception to the rule)

Disney is supposedly putting this as more than a game; a Mickey resurgence. Mickey Mouse is one of the only IPs in any medium that matches Mario (unbelievable for a vg character) in popularity. If any one thing can drop 3 million on the Wii, it could be Epic Mickey (if it is good, accessible, and properly marketed.)

Epic Mickey will do one or two million at best. I just don't see it having what it takes to sell like Mario and Sonic.

I can't wait for Epic Mickey. It's my own personal most anticipated game of this year.

Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid are going to be outstanding as a given, and there is a slew of other great titles, but Epic Mickey is just a wild card with the potential to be a true surprise.

There was a flurry of excitement about it for a couple of weeks in 2009 while Specter was regularly releasing tidbits and interviews, but it's mostly died down now. But I look forward to the excitement slowly mounting up again later this year.

(Of course if Zelda Wii came out this year...)

I think Epic Mickey will flop.   I could be wrong and may change my mind as new info and videos become available but who's going to be interested in this game?   Mickey is too kiddy for core and the game is too dark and core for kids.   I have no idea who the target market is.

The Wii core will likely buy it but that's 300-500k.  Big deal.

And although KH has Mickey there's no other comparison so it's no basis.

Red Steel 2 sales will all depend on how good it is and how well it's marketed.   It's too different from the first to depend on that base, and also too late for it.   So it's basically a new IP.   If it's intuitive, fun and -easy- enough for anyone to play and given lots of TV ads like the first it might be a break-out success.

Monster Hunter Tri??  That's a big wild card IMO.   If they just crap it out it'll do crap sales.   If Nintendo/Capcom can sell people on the online social aspect (a big IF on Wii) then it might do well.  It IS the best looking Wii game ever made.

If there's a 3rd party breakout hit I think it'll be something a lot different than these.   Like EA Sport Active or M&SatWOG

Disney pushing it is what makes me believe it'll get a million at least, but it'll need more than that to sell many millions. I just don't see the game having anything about it that will make it sell gangbusters. Specter is famous for Deus Ex, a classic, but that only sold a bit more than a million, his games don't tend to be that big.

He's said himself it's very much an 'evolution' game. It's taking strong elements from various games and mashing them together, which is a good way to satisfy core gamers but it's not the broad appeal approach that brings many-million sellers on the Wii. It doesn't look like it's appealing to young kids like Mickey traditionally would, instead teenage males, which is one of the weakest demographics for the Wii. Nintendo core games that have succeeded tended to appeal to wider groups than I think this will.

Dude if Epic Mickey sells 2 milion its going to be a huge success, Mickey is big but i dont know how popularity of this character will transform to video game.

I guess from now on anything Nintendo releases is a FLOP if it doesn't pass 4M copies sold. Thats the best praise I can think of to give them aside from worshiping the Nintendo Wii in my lounge with my head pressed to the floor.

Halo 3 did.