Originally Posted by
mvallas
See, the problem OP is you're not asking for examples of "innovation" - you're looking for "a 100% original ground-up video game". This is why you don't see the Mario sequels as "innovative", CLEARLY the Mario games are innovative - you're looking for outright "original brand-new game".
For your example... an innovative game is Dragon's Dogma. A game where you have an AI companion that fights with you... but when you log out you can "rent" him out to other players to join your group. That character will not only develop his skills, but also obtain new armor/ect through the battles... and players who "rent" him can actually equip him out any way they fit before sending him back to you.
The idea of having a character that's an AI controlled companion you equip stuff in a standard action RPG isn't original... the idea of having that companion be shared with others IS innovative...
Same thing with Portal. Portal is an FPS, but it takes the idea and builds in an interesting physics toy... THAT'S innovative!
Innovative does NOT mean original. That's not what people mean by they wanted D3 to be more "innovative". What they meant by D3 being more innovative is to have something that EXPANDS the gameplay dramatically, particularly a game engine that's 12 years old. Collectibles in-game where you can trade them for special items, trophies you could collect and place in a small cottage of your own, weapons that have special procs that do massive effects (Fire bomb AoE, random heals, chain lightning, ect), a town where you and all other players could gather and meet, an overworld with extra stuff to do on it, Character customization for your looks, ect...
You can still have ALL of those things, hell even a hub-city where everybody can meet in, and STILL call it Diablo.
A game I like to showcase is Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. I find it absolutely fascinating that C:SotN is regarded as the best of the series by many, and yet that game was the one that slaughtered the MOST sacred iconic cows of the series. It was the game that completely removed standard on-rails straight-plodding level design, removed a Belmont from being the primary character, and even replaced the MOST ICONIC GAMEPLAY ELEMENT of the series... the Whip. Hell, none of the original music came back as remixes (a staple trademark of the series). It also introduced serious RPG leveling elements, item drops, familiars, metroid-style secret items hidden throughout the map, ect... That series has completely changed FOREVER when C:SotN Came out. Ironically very LITTLE of it was innovative, but it was innovative for THAT SERIES and helped re-define the gameplay experience for the series forever.
As a friend of mine said... "Diablo III doesn't feel like a game... it feels like a content patch to Diablo II." and I have to agree with him. His problem isn't that he wanted a radical new game... he wanted Diablo gameplay that EXPANDS to meet today's game standards.
Again, "innovative" doesn't mean "original".