Ok time for me to throw my 2 cents into things.

@Obeng - you have a point, Nintendo's unique franchises do indeed drive its console and game sales. Clearly Mario is the strongest example with Zelda trailing as a close second (oh and up until the disaster that is Donkey Congo, Donkey Kong & co.). But honestly, are Microsoft/Xbox and the Playstation really cranking out unique titles that rake in the cash? Let's look at the 11 bestselling Xbox 360 games (numbers as of 2008 per Wikipedia):

1) Halo 3 (8.1 mil copies)
2) Gears of War (5 mil)
3) Gears of War 2 (5 mil)
4) Grand Theft Auto 4 (4 mil)
5) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (3.7 mil)
6) Call of Duty: World at War (3.3 mil)
7) Forza Motorsport 2 (2.7)
8) Fable 2 (2.6 mil)
9) Assassin's Creed (2.3 mil)
10) Marvel Ultimate Alliance (2.1 mil)
11) Guitar Hero II (2 mil)

If my calculations are correct....I see quite the number of recurring titles (I mean come on - GoW and CoD were on the list twice each!). And with Rock Band & Guitar Hero this is going to continute perpetuating.

Let's look at the Wii:
1) Wii Sports (45 mil - but we can even exclude this since it did come with the console)
2) Wii Play (23 mil)
3) Wii Fit (18.2 mil)
4) Mario Kart Wii (15.4 mil)
5) Super Smash Bros (8.4 mil)
6) Super Mario Galaxy (8 mil)
7) Mario Party 8 (6.7 mil)
8) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (4.5 mil)
9) Link's Crossbow Training (3.8 mil)
10) Mario & Sonic Olympics (3.4 mil)

Now, clearly Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Mario, Mario Party, and Zelda are all repeat offenders. But I cannot help but think that the success of Wii Play & Wii Fit - titles exclusive to the Wii that changed gameplay and the overall concept of what a "game" really is, in the Wii Fit's case, point to the fact that there is some originality and some credit due to the innovation of the Wii.

My point is this - across the board there are numerous recurring titles/franchise that pop up across all consoles/devices and spanning the lifecycle thus far of video games. Is this a bad thing? I would tend to lean towards yes, but honestly let's no knock just one company for doing that. All parties are guilty.

I relate this to the movie industry - we time and again as consumers question the need for a Rush Hour 3 or a 5th iteration of Bring it On or yet another "new" rebranding of a superhero franchise - but the reality is people go see those movies. Thousands or millions of people see these recycled ideas every year, particularly in the summer, as it's entertainment that, well, can be sort of mindless fun.

Is there harm in Harvest Moon #20? Probably not. Should we as video game consumers be looking for something innovative and fresh? I think so! Hence why the Wii is being touted as unique and original - when else have we changed the way in which we play (button mashing to standing up and using more than your thumbs)?

But, who's to say that just because a "hardcore gamer" isn't interested in shaking a wiimote that the Wii is just a passing fad? I say, it has in some ways been even more critical in changing the video game industry and its consumer base in a permanent way because it attracts a gamer beyond just a typical FPS player. Why not celebrate the fact that your grandma can play some Wii Tennis just as easily as you can? Is that not a success in and of itself? Certainly a different end of the spectrum but at the end of the day, the Wii did something gaming hasn't been able to do since the era of Pacman - attract all people regardless of their "gaming ability".

But there is a cautionary component to this tale. @neoeon - Nintendo has had a history of changing gaming as we see it, and as I've argued I don't think the Wii is any different. Where they are losing is in being able to continue to provide quality games that leverage their innovation take on gameplay - there are countless crappy games out there on the Wii (Wii Cheer? Littlest Pet Shop? Wii Music?) that threaten the overall creative value perceived by consumers. I'd rather see another Zelda that rocks everyone's world than 5 new titles that, honestly, suck.

Point is - video games are changing. Video game players are changing. Innovation in gaming is no longer constrained to graphic quality or storyline. Recurring titles aside, the real thing to keep focused on is the strategy each of the gaming giants will take on to continue innovating and providing better and better games, whether in the form of Fall Out #8 or some brand new franchise.