IGN: Super Mario Galaxy, Zack & Wiki To See Boost from Smash Bros. Delay

In light of Nintendo's announcement that Super Smash Bros. Brawl has been delayed until 2008, IGN's GamerMetrics analyzed the implications that this delay will have on the holiday sales of other upcoming games available for the Nintendo Wii. According to GamerMetrics analyst Nick Williams, the resulting findings put Super Mario Galaxy at the top of the most anticipated games list. Rounding out the top three are Capcom's Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. "While it might not have the same brand recognition of Super Mario Bros. or The Legend of Zelda, the Super Smash Bros. franchise has been a phenomenal success," says Williams. According to GamerMetrics, the previous installment in the series, Super Smash Bros. Melee, currently stands as the best selling GameCube title of all time with over 3.5 million units sold in the U.S. since December 2001. Recent data collected from across IGN Entertainment suggests that interest in the franchise remains as strong as ever. In fact, in the latest issue of GamerMetrics' The Industry Record, Super Smash Bros. Brawl ranked as the most anticipated unreleased video game, placing ahead of titles like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Super Mario Galaxy. GamerMetrics analyzed Super Smash Bros. Brawl enthusiasts from its proprietary Gamer Panel to pinpoint ten titles poised to capitalize on the delay. At the top of the list is Super Mario Galaxy, with more than four out of five respondents expressing interest. As for Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure and Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, Williams comments, "The former should appeal to the younger, casual segment of Super Smash Bros fans, while the latter will command the attention of the older, more mature Nintendo enthusiasts." Notably, GamerMetrics also found three Xbox 360 titles in the top ten affinities, which reflects the popularity of the Xbox 360 and Wii hardware combination. The following titles are shown in order of strength of affinity to Super Smash Bros. Brawl and are limited to titles releasing between October 15, 2007 and the end of the year. 1. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) - 82% overlap 2. Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (Wii) - 54% 3. Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (Wii) - 51% 4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (X360) - 48% 5. Assassin's Creed (X360) - 42% 6. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii) - 41% 7. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii) - 40% 8. Soul Calibur Legends (Wii) - 40% 9. Mass Effect (X360) - 36% 10.Trauma Center: New Blood (Wii) - 35% Concludes Williams, "While the delay of Super Smash. Bros Brawl will have a significant impact on these title affinities, the impact on holiday hardware sales should be marginal at best. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime has already stated that Nintendo is going to struggle to meet holiday demand, and it's unlikely that any software releases will change that. Furthermore, the Super Smash Bros. audience is made up of a more enthusiast crowd, the majority of whom already own a Wii."