I read somewhere that Nintendo sells as much software as the next top 4 publishers combined! Vgchartz' numbers seem to support the claim.

How can this be, Nintendo has been making the same type of games since the NES days you say?

That's exactly the reason why Nintendo is so dominant software wise (aside from making quality software). Over the past 15 years or so developers have been shifting more towards the male power I'm-a-bad-ass type games with a darker and more serious tone. Those type of games have a very limited appeal to the broader market.

What about the gamers that just want to have fun and don't take gaming so seriously? What about the gamer that likes lightheartedness and not keen on realistic violence? Nintendo's game catalog provides gamers with such elements and since Nintendo has less competition in that area it is much easier to be successful. And hence that is why the Wii and DS are so successful.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii has already sold 10 million and mostly likely reach at least 20 million. Yes it is pretty much the same Mario Bros. game you played when you were a youngster with added multiplayer, but there are hardly any other games like this in the market that are simple yet really fun and thus it sales like candy. The super hardcore gamer may have grown out of Mario Bros. but what about the next generation?

Kids make up a large part of the gaming market. Do publishers expect them to play Call of Duty or Left 4 Dead with complex controls, realistic violence and mature themes? When they do come out with kid friendly or broad market friendly games they are typically shovelware made by their third rate developer teams. They are leaving a lot of money on the table with their focus.

If developers or publishers were as half as smart they should take some notes from Nintendo.

Just my two cents.

This is a good theory one that seems to have some truth to it.

I noticed that a large majority of the 3rd parties seem to be absolutely clueless about what the masses want, or at least they don't care. Not saying they make bad games, just not usually games that have a wide appeal. Nintendo is one of the few devs that "gets it" in terms of what the market demands, well at least for some of their games.

Nintendo attracts a MUCH broader audience with there titles ... why are we actin like its rocket science?

It's not just that they attract a much broader audience, they are successful because they are only major publisher doing so as their focus - they have no heavy competition in that area. Their top teams are making such games as opposed to other publishers its their 2nd or 3rd rate developer teams making such games.

There are lots of people that are tired of violent shooting games with complex controls or long, boring stories. I'm one of them.

I find games on the Wii to be a breath of fresh air.

Imagine if 90% of the movie industry was focused on making action/scifi movies. That's essentially what exists in the video game industry.

Everybody likes Nintendo games, even the hardest of the hardcore HD fanboys.

Everyone throws out words like Core, Hardcore, Casual, Expanded Audience etc. I'm actually against the whole Casual and Hardcore talk, as I feel its all marketing buzzwords. But I think Expanded Audience and Core games are or can be one of the same.

All of Wii's games that have hit 10m+ or 20m+ Are truly bridge games that anybody can play. But just because this is the case it does not diminish its "core" appeal as well. At least to me. Gears of War or God of War are no more Core than NSMB or MKWii.

At least as far as I'm concerned.