Everyone on these forums would more likely than not buy the game immediately, but that doesn't mean a stealth release is a good idea. To ensure solid sales, especially early on, you gotta build that hype machine, get people talking about the game, make sure it tops the charts.
I don't think I'll ever buy another Smash game. I owned Melee and bought Brawl, but never really got much out of them. I appreciate the fan service but the actual game part has never appealed to me. I don't enjoy Kirby platformers, I don't enjoy Smash, and I don't enjoy Uprising. I guess I just don't appreciate Sakurai as a designer.
You are correct though. Nintendo need to build the hype around Smash, not so much to ensure solid sales for the game itself, but rather to push sales of Wii U. If Smash and Mario Kart can't get it done, then nothing will.
I am kind of with you, I only had the first two, N64 and Melee and that was enough for me. Brawl was a rental and I got all I needed out of it that weekend. I think the fact these games keep getting made is part of what is wrong with Nintendo, it's all fan service lately but they stopped trying to get the stuff out we keep begging for.
Also I agree if this game can't move systems nothing can, but I lean towards nothing can at this point because Brawl didn't sell me on a Wii, that was built in, Melee didn't sell me on a Game Cube the N64 did that, so far nothing has sold me on Wii U and this isn't going to do the trick and I know I am not alone in this. Mario Kart is another one I lost interest in, Double Dash was the last console one I played and that was not my favorite. I know there is an audience for these games but I think many of them have moved on, so this could just be signs of Nintendo knowing they are done for.
As for a surprise release six months early goes, ask Sega how well that one works. If they did that then the comparisons to Nintendo being in Sega's shoes would never stop, so no a surprise out of the blue release would be a desperate move that only seals their fate.
The only way a Smash Bros. game will get me back is if they do another single player campaign like Melee had but cater it to each character, and again that only worked because there were too few full games on the Game Cube so it was for many characters the best we could get.
A nintendo fan and a marvel movie fan? In a just society we would be the best of friends but you went and said making a new Smash is whats wrong with Nintendo?! How dare you?!
No one makes games like Smash Bros that have caught on. Not Playstation All Stars, Jump Super Stars, Ninja Turtles, or that vapor ware Microsoft Smash. With so much fan service in a single title that celebrates all things Nintendo only once a generation is blasted blessing! It's style of gameplay is basically no where else to be found, it comes once a generation and it's part of Nintendo's problem...
You go and not like Smash Bros, thats fine, but don't come in here saying it's part of the problem. If I saw you in real life i'd give you the frowning of a life time!!! The one fighting game Nintendo makes and you don't want them to make it. You are a villain and a knave.
Let me clarify to give you peace of mind, my issue and the problem I speak of is Nintendo makes these kinds of games, Mario Party, Smash Bros. as like these nods to the fans, but the games fans keep asking for are ignored and all we get are mini games inside these bigger games. I wasn't saying stop making Smash Bros. I was saying stop putting Fox in Smash Bros. and use that as an excuse not to make another Star Fox game, or putting some side quest in the game that features race cars and use that as an excuse not to make another F-Zero. Or any number of game that deserves a sequel but all we get is a Smash bros. cameo. Or a console Pokemon game people keep begging for. The best we get is an assortment of Pokemon in Smash and the Stadium so you can kind of pretend your playing Pokemon if you try real hard.
Ah I see. Forgive my misunderstanding.
With that being said I do agree with you a bit. As a matter of fact I think the whole antigravity of Mario Kart along with the new ability to attack other racers is basically them saying here is a bit of F-Zero without the real F-Zero.
At the same time how can I truly blame Nintendo for that? GX was like the best futuristic racer ever and no one paid it any mind when they had the chance. And Star Fox was just experimented on far too many times for anyone to care any more.
I do think a massive online multiplayer over haul would really propel Star Fox and F-Zero forward but I can't imagine Nintendo ever seeing that as something to shoot for.