Baconsammy
Banned
There certainly is, although that doesn't mean Nintendo capitalizes on it particularly well for my tastes.
But yes, there very much is a reason why graphics can interfere with fun.
Fair warning: that GIF is approaching bannable status. I'd start slowing down with it.
That wasn't my point. The point is both can (and do) exist. And when it does exist, it's better than a game that's merely just fun, or merely just has great graphics. To your point, though, yes a good game can be hurt by a developer's quest to have amazing graphics (framerate etc). I was just saying that having one doesn't automatically mean you can't have the other, which is an odd argument some people seem to still make.
So what about the things you listed above are innovations exactly? Nintendo maybe behind the curve on many things, but I struggle to see where innovation is one of them. Online infrastructure, sure, but even that I see as just a natural progression of the industry rather than innovation.
Third party support is not innovation...
Current tech is not innovation...
Third party support isn't innovation, but the developer tools that generated that support sure are. XBL - huge innovation. Achievements also a huge innovation. An e-shop that features smaller, cheaper, downloadable games that all come with a demo to try out before buying is a wonderful innovation. Cross-game chat. The list goes on and on.