If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Look how many Crash Bandicoot games Sony pumped out over the lifespan of both Playstations. Ratchet & Clank, by the end of this year most likely, will have seen four entries in five years. Same with Jak and Daxter. GTA has been pumping out sequels, special editions and so forth since 2001. Resident Evil has seen an unbelievable number of sequels since it's inception in the mid-90's. And, of course, let's not forget SEGA and their undying servitude to Sonic and his arsenal of titles.

Again, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Nintendo keeps making Mario, Zelda, Metroid and Star Fox games because they sell. However, what you ignore about each franchise is the fact that no game is a carbon-copy doppleganger of the entry before it. The 2D Mario games single handedly resurrected the console videogame industry from the brink of death, while the 3D entries have both given birth to the realm of true 3D gaming (Mario 64) and have refined and tailored what a 3D platformer should be (Mario Sunshine). The Zelda games as well have done their fair share of innovating. Ocarina of Time brought with it the lock-on camera, auto-jump, and many of the 3D action/adventure standards still used by current-day games. Metroid Prime did what many thought was impossible, by transferring the near-perfect experience of a game like Super Metroid not only into 3D, but into first person as well.

Yes, Nintendo continues to rely on franchises that are 20 years old. However, give GTA, Metal Gear Solid, Halo and Resident Evil another ten years and just see if they're not still around. On top of that, regardless of the fact that you can be guaranteed Mario will star in at least one game every single year, it's never the same game as last time. His definition as a videogame character is pushed, altered and refined with each new title he stars in. Sonic cannot say the same.

To criticize Nintendo for doing something that both of their competitors are also actively engaged in, and will no doubt continue to do as long as they dominate the market, is asinine. Nintendo continues making Mario, Zelda and Metroid games because they sell. It's ridiculous to criticize them for doing exactly what Sony and Microsoft do and will continue to do just because Nintendo has been doing it longer.