How would 50M sales of the next DS compare to smartphone sales? I was thinking nintendo could release a smart phone that plays their games like the DS does.

Either that or the next DS is the controller for the next Wii.

Some Nintendo Innovations, since the SNES

N64 - controller, z button as well as control stick. Rumble pack

Gamecube - Mini discs, power packed in a small, quiet package, dual stick controller, arguably one of the most comfortable of all time.

Wii - Motion controls (many say that it is the ONLY way to play shooters, as since the introduction of the motionplus, it mimicks the sensitivity and twitch reflex of a mouse). Also virtual console, something that had never been done before; innovation through retro gaming? Oh, and Miis, which caused the other console makers to create avatars as well, they also started using miis in games, new concept-ish.

Wii U - Gamepad, one of the most under-rated (and underused) features of all time, plenty of innovation here, off-screen play being a huge one, and then basically every other feature in a controller all rolled into one controller. They also created mii-verse this generation, one of the greatest social gaming creations of all time.

I'm sure I missed many, many things, but Nintendo is the industry leader in all innovation, and this list is only their television based consoles, not their handhelds, where they have innovated a ton as well. Not to mention the amazing games that they pump out year after year.

To be fair, almost everything you listed had very little impact on the industry as a whole. Which I believe is what one would consider innovative. The touch screen introduced on cell phones was innovative, it set a standard where nearly every phone made today has a touch screen of some sort. The Microwave was innovative, in terms of heating food it quickly became the most used way to do it. While some of these things were neat ideas, most haven't really made much of a splash outside of Nintendo which currently holds less than 25% market share in terms of home consoles.

The Wii was a magnificent beast that did extremely well last generation but the fact that motion gaming is almost dead outside of Nintendo goes to show that it's not something most people care for therefore it hasn't set a standard in the industry. I feel like good ideas are commonly mistaked for innovation in this industry.

Innovation, to me, is SETTING that industry standard. Doing something new that forces your competition to copy you. Almost all of the things listed are innovations to the videogame market started by Nintendo and copied by their competition, making it standard now. As I said, they are the innovators. Even the gamepad is indirectly being copied, as there are apps for games like battlefield 4 for PC as well as tablets that allow you to control some things for the game from a separate screen.

Breaking the quote tree to avoid moderation.

How exactly are the things you listed a standard? We're in the 8th generation of gaming and aside from Nintendo the competition is STILL using your basic controller and playing games almost the same way they would have 20 years ago. The only difference being that we now have online multiplayer, something that began on PC gaming and was later used by Microsoft and their Xbox leading to the Playstation Network, Xbox Live and so on. Second screen gaming is once again, a neat idea that I will admit is used here and there but to say it is the standard isn't very fitting.

[Citation Required]

It's not enough, by the way, to point out install bases, for two reasons. One, the DS sold 150 million units, about the same as the best-selling Sony platform. Two, company fans aren't the only ones that buy systems.

And there it is.  BOOM!

What makes you think they would give up control?  3rd party has power.  EA, Activision, Rockstar, Ubi, etc. have power over Sony & MS.

Costs as a platform holder >>>>>>> costs as a third party publisher.  The platform holder has to pay for developing the hardware, tools and libraries, OS and apps, and usually to sell the hardware at loss to compete.  They have to pay for developer support.  They have to pay 3rd parties for exclusive games or features.  They have to pay for 3rd parties marketing.  All that requires a large user base and lots of games sold to recoup.

I don't think being a platform owner is working for Nintendo, because the platform holder business needs large user base, and the game business needs large userbase.  Nintendo is both, and it doesn't have a large user base now.  Being a platform holder is hurting their game business.

It can not fix it's platform business by publishing on PS/XB, but it can fix it's game business.

Nintendo doesn't even need it's own platform to sell accessories.  Amiibo can sell on other platforms, just like Skylanders & Disney Infinity.  Wiimote or balance board? Sure, just need a USB driver.  Every game on Wii could've been made on PS3/360 if they wanted.

Innovation should also be moving forward, not devolution.

The costs of hardware development, at least in Nintendo's case are evenly met (or even exceeded) with hardware sales. So that isn't an issue. We are talking solely about developing software. As for control, as it is now Nintendo can make its games however it wants with no limitations from platform-holders. With Sony or Microsoft that wouldn't be the case. So the logical conclusion is that Nintendo loses control.