Hardcore gamers have their problem with Nintendo and the Wii/WiiU. There’s been talk that for Nintendo to survive they need to drop hardware like Sega did. This would leave home consoles in the hands of the Playstation and XBox empires, with Valve hoping to cut their way in with their Steam Machine.

Not so fast, though. Forbes contributor Erik Kain says that Nintendo, despite their missteps, needs to stay active in the console market because of something they do that most of the video game industry doesn’t. I do disagree with Kain on one mark, however. I don’t think gamers are so much sick of Mario as much as wanting something new from the plumber and his friends, like Super Mario Galaxy or Paper Mario did, while still making something for the retro gamers. Yes, a new Metroid (to wash out the memory of Other M) or a new voyage with Starfox and friends is a good idea, but Mario and Link should never go away. Their fanbase is way too strong.