Rol releasing 2 2D Mario titles each generation plus at least one 3D and MarioKart, Paper Mario, Mario Party and Mario sports titles. Its way to much saturation. Saturation does not work often the more Mario titles Nintendo releases the further they stretch the brand. Mario might be the strongest gaming franchise on earth but even it if used to much could fail.

Just like annual releases releasing 2 or more 2D games alongside 3D and spin offs. Its not a huge weapon if you release them constantly. If their was a new Mario Kart three times a generation would it sell 20+ million copies?

No Mario is not a franchise that you just use every time you feel like. Mario is not the only franchise that can sell hardware. If you launch with two games from franchises that sell around 4-million+ copies you do not need Mario. Nintendo will not be able to survive multiple generations with just Mario.

Nintendo needs to lead the next generation with new amazing titles in other franchises. Launching Mario in the sixth month is more then good enough.

Sorry to break into this discussion but frankly, not it's not. They released 2 3D Mario's and 1 2D Mario for the Wii. Instead they should have 2 Mario Bros. titles: One for launch and one around 4-5 years after the launch of the platform with 3D Mario releasing inbetween. Nintendo was fine with releasing just one 3D Mario on N64 and Gamecube. And there would still be a two years break between the second 2D Mario and the launch of the next console. 

Yep, Nintendo couldn't evolve into the digital age and instead decided to be creative with their system. Mario really hurt them.

No. Mario is part Nintendo's food supply. Mario can't be blamed for anything.

I know it's stating the obvious but the answer lies with how Nintendo can keep the Mario breadbasket and at the same time move far beyond him, which is what this thread is about.

Would MS or Sony turn down a Mario? Hell no. So why should Nintendo push him in the background?

To maintain future success Nintendo needs it's home console to become like the x360 (in a gaming capacity) BUT WITH MARIO. The answer to accomplish this must be out there somewhere.

When or if they accomplish this, they would be the huge winners.

And we're all hoping that that will be accomplished by the Wii U =)

Would be great for nintendo if it did but I won't pin any hopes on wii u achieving this.

Hell, who knows? They might just find that magic formula.

Well, the outspoken third party support last E3 is what's keeping my hopes up.

Let's hope that wasn't all just empty words...

To add to this: a lot of people who make similar arguments tend to forget that Nintendo had in fact annualized the Mario platformer series durings the 80's and 90's. In America, Super Mario Bros. 2 came out in 1988. Super Mario Land came out in 1989, Bros. 3 in 1990, World in 1991, Land 2 in 1992, and All-Stars in 1993. This list excludes the myriad of Mario spin-off games.

I think the problem this author has is that his nose is a little too deep in the industry. Taking a quick step back, looking at it from a business POV, the market is gobbling up Mario, whether it's 3D or 2D, or even in spin-off Mario franchises such as Mario Kart, Strickers, itadaki street, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic games, or Mario Tennis to name a few.

What the author fails to realize is threefold:
1) Mario and new Nintendo IPs are not mutually exclusive.
2) Nintendo actually released a plethora of new IPs this generation. Only, they were mostly casual IPs, such as Brain Age, Nintendogs, Wii Series, Endless Ocean and many many more.
3) Core IPs rarely pass the 3Mil sales mark, unless they become hits (which is very rare). In other words, they don't sell all that much.

If this is about the financial perspective, Mario plays a fundamental role in Nintendo's success. However, there is a considerable share of non-Nintendo systems sold to audiences to which Nintendo is not catering.

For those 20Mil-some users, as well as the potential sales of peer software targeting that non-Nintendo core, Nintendo needs to either bring in 3rd parties (which it currently is), and maybe create non-Nintendo catering IPs in house (not necessary since 3rd parties can do the job). Whether it's in-house or from 3rd parties or partners, to obtain full Nintendomination, Nintendo needs to cater to the non-Nintendo core.

But other than that, Mario is anything but to blame. Rather, he is one of the very reasons for Nintendo's success this gen.

We'll see. It's relevant to consider though the report that Nintendo's going through the effort "to revive other publisher's titles on the 3DS as part of a strategy to bring new strong titles to the system". 

They then point to the upcoming 3DS Seaman game.