The entire problem is as i say numerous times, Nintendo can be successful regardless of them, they actually don't need them and this is actually problem.

They control platform holders, they can extort them BUT there is one platform holder whose success didn't depend on their good will and this is dangerous, it creates dangerous precedents.

OP basically says, Nintendo should copy the strategy of Sony and Microsoft and abandon the fanbase they have. That might work - or not. Nintendo at the moment caters to gamers that Sony and Microsoft ignore or are unable to get to them. You say Nintendo should give up on these gamers (so that they have no platform to play on). Because seemingly the market of Sony and MS doesn't give a shit about mature games on Nintendo-platforms like Zelda:TP at Wii-launch, as long as this is poisoned by a game for the other group: Wii Sports. So to get to Microsonys market Nintendo have to completely abandon the gamers that prefer Just Dance over Battlefield.

Third-party companies want or wanted (now Kyoto's company has become irrelevant) Nintendo out of the video game industry. They said Nintendo only would get their support if they release a Wii HD, now they have their Wii HD yet they keep refusing to develop for it. The reality is that they hoped Nintendo would abandon their disruptive way, and that's what Nintendo did.

I wasn't being serious, in case that wasn't obvious. But aren't there tons and tons of platformers on Wii because Nintendo is and always has been the "platformer console" thanks to Mario?

Anyway, I'm not saying that just because Nintendo makes, say, Metroid, third parties will flock to make Metroid-alikes. For one thing, even the real deal didn't sell all that many copies, and if Nintendo's Metroid can't crack 2 million copies, then that's not going to instill much hope in would-be copycats

Meanwhile, Nintendo's expanded audience stuff sold a fucking buttload. So did garbage that aped those games, like Carnival Games. The Wii's reputation as "that minigame console" was set very, very early in life, and Nintendo laughed all the way to the bank, at least for a while. Don't forget that this was more than okay with them, and it went to their heads in a big way. I can't be the only one who remembers them talking loads of trash and basically telling core gamers (and even their very own customers) to go fuck themselves. "Only nerds want a storage solution" and crap like that. Then everyone decided that rubbing their telephones was even more fun than spasmodically gyrating across the living room, and the Wii fad passed. And here we are.

It isn't third parties' responsibility to help create a particular situation on a particular console, or to do anything else but make money for themselves. The first parties have a bird's eye view of the situation, and it is their responsibility to make sure that the software is there on their console to appeal to every slice of the gaming audience they want to appeal to. They should have the support lined up well in advance of ever rolling the thing out the door. So when Sony and Nintendo suffer through horrible launches because they have no games, they are the only ones to blame.

IMO Nintendo needs:

No less than an instant bundling of games with $299 system (Nintendo land and $50 credit for downloadable Nintendo published wii games), and a variety of bundled games with the $350 system (Nintendo land, Mario, $50 credit for download of Nintendo published wii games). Eat the loss on software for install base without lowering cost of system ASAP.

An offering of 3rd party 'players choice bundles' (partner with 3rd parties to make games exclusive in exchange for bundles and publishing/marketing arrangements) ASAP!!

More cross branding of family style games. Partner with 3rd parties to make a wide variety of games with mix of Nintendo branded characters and third party franchises (a la Mario sonic Olympics). Actually make this a branded thing. Like Nintendo characters escaping into other games or something! "angry birds Mario", "skylanders mario", etc whatever is popular and marketable.

Announce a 'mature line' brand for 'mature' players. Partner with developers to bring these types of games, no less than x2-3 a years should be released. All exclusive and bundled! Will help widen system base to include 'mature' players.

just some ideas...

Whatever the OP says the author abandoned Nintendo long ago, because the company and their products was not good enough for him, and this is certainly OK, but why he care?

My favorite music band from my early teen years, became unimportant for me, well i find new music band better appropriate to my tastes, and then i go to some music forum, advising what the band may play to sell more, to be more like my personal favorites, hell no i personally wish them good luck and that is all

I agree with the last point, although we should all be able to agree that third parties should have a bit more foresight and in general get their heads out of their asses (because their strategies on PS3/360 aren't the greatest thing in the world on the whole, either).

In Nintendo's case, though, it just really seems like they aren't big enough for their own market. I mean, it's not like Nintendo has studios that just sit around and twiddle their thumbs (except possibly Nintendo Software Technology), and if they're working at capacity and its insufficient, it means they need to expand, but as we've seen time and again in the game industry, while there are lots and lots of really talented individuals out there, forging them into an efficacious unit is hard, and there's nothing stopping the talent from walking out of a studio that you've bought out.

I didn't say that at all.  Not even close.  Honestly, I have no idea where you got that from.  I said absolutely nothing about abandoning anything.  You don't have to abandon when you expand.

Did Microsoft abandon Halo when they launched Kinect?  Did Sony abandon God of War when they launched Little Big Planet?

Did Nintendo drop Kirby when they picked up Bayonetta 2?

All I'm saying is that Nintendo ignoring other genres makes it more likely that those who like those other genres will pick up another console.  There is nothing revolutionary in that.

This is where it's good that they're doing things like having Namco make Smash Brothers. They get one of their tentpole titles out while not having to do all the work themselves, Namco gets a good payday out of it, and if all goes well, they've strengthened their relationship with a top publisher. Win/win/win.

They need to do more of that and generally become more of a publisher themselves, finding and backing interesting third party projects (like they've done with Platinum) instead of just pushing out their own titles. There's no doubting the quality of Nintendo's internally developed games, but to anyone who isn't taken with the relatively few IPs they like to focus on, they just seem to be a very navel-gazing bunch. NoA being the worst at this, by far.

I like the OP's thinking. I agree that games will mirror those of the first party studios. Now I'm not saying Nintendo should ditch their more light hearted IP's, because those are still great, but I do have a few idea's.

They should promote their 2nd tier IP's more. Fire Emblem is a very "core" franchise. It's difficult, rewarding, deep, and had incredible production values and usually very good stories. With Awakening, Nintendo really did hype it up, and to top it off, the game is arguably the best in the series. So now FE:A is selling much better than expected, and people are generally excited about it. Nintendo did a similar approach with Metroid Prime. Amazing game, with tons of marketing, and hype.

I feel like they brush their second tier franchises to the side, but it has been shown that people want these more core IP's, and will pay for them.

Nintendo should:

Revive F-Zero and give it a heavy marketing push. This isn't just some fan's pipe dream, as I have not played the series. Rather, the time is right, people want it, and Wipeout is now dead so it would launch as the only futuristic racer on the market. If they gave it a good marketing push, it could do well.

New Zelda should have TP-ish graphics. I love Celda more than anything, but the time is right. HD console with the Zelda that many fans have been waiting for since OOT? It would really set a tone for a system. Zelda is a big player in all Nintendo consoles.

Metroid- Prime 4 is the game I want more than anything else. If retro returned to the exploration aspects of the first two, and expanded on the series, it could be amazing. Metroid Prime was a system seller for the Gamecube, and a title that did just what the OP said: Set a tone.

Nintendo has IP's that have a core appeal, they just tend to brush them to the side. That can't be the way it is. I love Mario, and Pikmin, and all their lighthearted affairs, but don't bring that vibe into your core titles.