^^
Yeah, it's really sad when you think of it.
Nintendo is relying too much on brand power to sell GameCubes. While the hardcore gamers will rush out and pick up their brand name titles(including "big projects" like ED), the casual gamers really aren't like that.
They, for the most part, don't really care too much about what Nintendo(or any other company for that matter) did in that pervious gen or any gens before that, they care about here and now, and the only way the capture their attentions is through the use of clever and/or aggressive marketing. Both MS and Sony seemed to grasp the concept, why can't Nintendo?
I've watched Nintendo for the majority of this year release a game, show commercials for about 2 weeks then abruptly cut them off air as though they think the games reached maximum sales and can't sell not even ONE more copy. Look at Animal Crossing -- the first, and probably only game they really backed well. If a game like this that's pretty much unknown to casual gamers(read: not a familar franchise) can hit sales close to 500,000(in the US), is their any reason why Mario -- times more popular, AND came out a month before -- shouldn't already sold 1 million in the US? I mean, they have the software... when you got it, flaunt it!
That just goes to show how more aggressive marketing can pay off. It would appear that they are catching on slowly, but they'll have so show a significant and faster effort if they don't want their butt handed to them.
It's sad that a company of their legacy, caliber, and experience isn't going considerable better. Even worst when you realise that the fault is not the quality of their games or console, but revolves around problems that can be easily fixed/solved/rectify.