Why did Samus underperform?

Metroid: Other M divided gamers: many loved its combination of action, exploration and conversation, whilst others hated the new portrayal of traditionally less vocal heroine Samus Aran, amongst other things. All this equated to disappointing sales for Nintendo, the title sitting at around the half-million mark in the US since launch. Nintendo of America's president Reggie Fils-Aime thinks the title deserved better:

We believe that it could be, should be a million unit title. We're not going to get there, not through the holiday. And we are doing a lot of thinking as to why, because it's a great game. The consumer reaction because of the quality has been strong. I think the marketing was strong, advertising was very good, the social media we did was very positive.

Do you agree with Reggie's assessment? What are your thoughts on why Metroid: Other M didn't sell as well as hoped?

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