RPGs: Dialogue trees Action: Dodge offset (combo strings storing) from Bayonetta and every move being cancellable with dodge. Brawler: Sidestepping/ducking/backflip with analogue stick in God Hand (too bad we'll never see this back, because it'd only work with tank controls and behind the back view) Fighters: Special move gestures from Street fighter Shooters: Over the shoulder aim, also shoulder switching from uncharted made it even better.
I think the most useful innovation as of late has been the improvement of cover mechanics in third-person shooters. Dialogue trees are actually pretty old, though Bioware has been doing great things there. Open worlds still have some work to be done. Even a game like Fallout 3 that felt huge on first glance became a little small and cramped after awhile. But the freedom is definitely a plus compared to the standard linear games we've been so used to.
The plastic around game cases are soooo much easier to open now, no more biting and scratching and swearing at some stupid piece of plastic, its just pick it and bam its off.
Blast Processing or maybe the Power Button (even computers use this amazing innovation!) or perhaps the Start Button, cause it'd be impossible to start a lot of games where they say "Press Start to Play" without one of those..
I'm also going to go with the ability to save. Sure, some of the auto-savers have crappy checkpoints, but it's better than starting the entire game over.
Savegames and speech. Kind of depression that there are still today games that fail with the speech and fall back to stupid text boxes (mostly DLC games).
online multiplayer or at least its integration into home consoles and matchmaking for those moments when server lists that are never full start taking the fun out of a game.
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