And that's exactly the big joke in game development these days :) Microsoft being the biggest example of them all, with them always following and never leading.
As a quick side note, Viva Pinata wasn't a launch title. They're 'not ruined' if you see them as a factory to churn out games and turn a profit. In that way the isn't true. They are ruined if you see them as a former creative driving force in the industry responsible for a large number of some of the most influential…