Well, sure. Almost by definition being mainstream means taking little to no risks and I'd say we're at a point where mainstream games tend to fall in a few sclerotic genres, same as movies.

Also: Scribblenauts.

Journey.

Better hardware will in itself cause for innovation!

No, and your threads are generally banal.

Even in writing it's commonly stated that there are no new ideas, just new twists on old ideas.

For the most part this is true of gaming. I can't think of any game - console or mobile - that can't be traced back to a previous game design, except for maybe Peter Molyneux's curiousity.

Due to high development cost/risk there is vertually no new game designs in the console space. Anything new would be from independants using Steam/PSN/XBL/mobile.

I think Wii Music tried (and failed) to do something new. It wasn't a rhythym based game like previous 'music' games like DDR/GH/RB.

New interfaces breed new variations on older designs - Wii Sports, Angry Birds. But power doesn't appear to open new gameplay options anymore (just prettier).

I don't view either Heavy Rain or Pikmin as 'new' just twists on long existing genres (adventure/RTS)

Are richardhutnik threads today merely updated versions of richardhutnik "gaming is doomed because..." threads of the past?

Havn't you used that line before?

Probably. Even in writing it's commonly stated that there are no new ideas, just new twists on telling richard that he always seems to be moaning about the same subjects.