I give Nintendo credit for finally looking around at what people were having fun playing elsewhere and understanding that they can borrow something from that while still being creative.
However, it did take longer than it should have. I've been saying for a long time that Nintendo should pay attention to the rest of the gaming world and I've had people tell me that I was wrong. I doubt anyone who likes Splatoon will tell me that I'm wrong now.
If Nintendo tries to roll into next generation solely on the backs of Mario and company then they will once again have trouble attracting new users. Right now, with the Wii U, they should be trying to find new talent inside their studios. They need to build as many new IP as possible that offer something new while still providing proven game-play experiences.
This is a great chance, to be honest. Throw stuff out, do some brainstorming, see if anything sticks. Explore other games, see if there is anything they can learn. It's not like they're going to harm the Wii U by using it as an experimental platform.
