The 8th generation arrived.....last year.

[teebeeohh]

When did console generations begin being defined by tech specs?

Last gen apparently.There was such a clear difference in power between the Wii and 360/PS3 that people began to say that Nintendo weren't in the same generation as their competitors and that has carried over into this gen.It's all nonsense especially as generation refers to a period of time not power.Anyone who talks about "next-gen" in relation to power is making about as much sense as Han Solo when he uses parsecs as a unit of time

part of the Kessel run moves you close to a cluster of black holes, the closer you fly to that the shorter the route you have to take.

OT: because the WiiU wont be able to run most multiplatform games and nintendo hardware makes most of its money on first party titles and monster hunter anyway

 

[Maze1125]

part of the Kessel run moves you close to a cluster of black holes, the closer you fly to that the shorter the route you have to take.

Yep, that's exactly the bullshit George Lucas came up with in retrospect to justify his completely lack of understanding of technical terms.

 

[wulfy42]

In most ways you compare current consoles to each other, and determine which of those current consoles are the best during any period of time.

In this case the three primary consoles available right now are the Wii U, PS3 and Xbox 360. They are all fairly close in power and can play the same games pretty much. 3rd party games can be played on all 3 systems, so I would say they are all part of the same generation.

Now when the Ps4 and Xbox Bone come out....things will change again. I would not put the Wii U in the same generation as them if it can not run the same games (3rd party games). In theory at least, it won't have the power to run the newer games so...you might as well call it part of the 7th generation basically.

In reality...it will be part of the 8th generation of games....but not until another generation actually starts. It doesn't push the envelope of power enough to start a new generation on it's own....it just pretty much catches up to the rest. That being said, once a new generation starts, the Wii U will still be in contention and will still get people to buy both systems and new games...so it will still be a viable system in the 8th generation.

It just can't start a new generation itself because it's not capable of running games that other systems (from the 7th gen) can not run. If it's not better then other systems in the current generation, it certainly can't start a new one.

So that is why the 8th generation hasn't started. It will start in november when the new systems start being sold, and I guess specifically once a game is sold that can not currently be run on current gen systems (which considering so many games are being made/sold for both Ps3 and PS4 etc...that may be awhile longer!!).

 

[Evonisia]

But the games haven't been made yet. Most of them haven't even been imagined. Unless you have the money to just buy all consoles, it's silly to just buy a WiiU on the strength of one or two decent games. What is it going to look like next year?

Tech specs, on the other hand, are known quantities. We don't know exactly what they'll look like once pushed to the limit, but it's safe to say that most cross platform games that target the WiiU will look much better on the PS4 or xbone. It's also likely that many impressive looking games won't target the WiiU at all, simply because it isn't powerful enough.

The same argument can be applied to pretty much any console. Why develop for the Xbox One when the PlayStation 4 version will look so much better? Tech specs basically tell us what the game is capable of looking like, not necessarily what it will be like or what is is capable of in terms of gameplay, world, story etc. Pushing the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii to their limits have brought us to what, exactly? Shiny games with mechanics which were more likely to be possible in 2006 or even the previous generation?

For the record, I don't intend on getting a Wii U until later on even if it does have one or two games I like the look of now.

Edit: Perhaps a better point would have been the fact that both the Wii and Wii U were overlooked because of how hard it is to develop games on them.

 

[CaptainMarvelous]

So this is really eating at me. Why can't people just admit that the 8th generation of games started last year with the Wii U? I mean seriously it seems that to me people said the Wii U doesn't count as an 8th gen consoles but rather a 7.5 gen consoles because its specs are maybe just barely better then the PS3 and 360's. Are tech specs really so important and vital to your gaming experience now that when one piece of hardware doesn't meet some arbitrary bar it is automatically excluded from current gen talk?

When did console generations begin being defined by tech specs? Also if those are so freaking important to everyone I kind of feel sad about gamings future. Oh sure the games will look phenomenal and such but when people start talking more about the processing power and less about the consoles mascots in terms who is better that just seems utterly soulless to me and that's the last thing I want gaming competition to turn into. Soulless arguements of which consoles has the biggest metaphorical dick. I'd like to see talk more along the lines of who is the bigger badass. Bayonetta or that guy from Ryse who is pretty much Kratos light.

Because it didnt have a tech jump since Nintendo has been steadily tinkering with mechanic ideas for years now. They're kind of running a different race now, least to my eyes.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

...I fail to see why defining which "generation" a console is part of matters

Same. If you don't think specs matter in determining what a "gen" is the why do you care in the first place? It hardly matters, its just a title and Nintendo obviously doesn't care about comparing to other companies

As for graphics vs games, I don't see where all the butt hurt is coming from. We judge games by their content, not their graphics and we judge devices by their specs because that's what we buy them for. With the unique case of consoles, we can also judge by their games due to exclusives which is the only reason Nintendo is still relevant. Its a fine reason, I don't hate exclusives but it basically shows the console probably won't offer anything better than the ps4, XB1, and pc's other than their games which I stopped caring about a while ago. Sure Watch Dogs and all that are being ported to it now, but I remember that Call of Duty World at War also launched on the Wii when it first came out

Its the equivalent of Nintendo finally coming out with a 720p tv when Microsoft and Sony are moving onto 1080p and arguing "its not about the picture quality, its the shows on them that matter!" Uh yeah, but I'd still rather watch them in HD

 

[Soxafloppin]

Probably because most people will be getting a PS4 or a Xbone...thats it really.

 

[Hero of Lime]

I consider the Wii U as "next gen" because it's Nintendo's next gen. If it was a matter of graphical power, why was the Wii lumped in with the PS3 and 360?

I agree Nintendo operates much differently compared to the other two, but whether they like it or not, Sony and Microsoft are still competition. There wouldn't be this discussion if the PS4 was 2x stronger than the Xbox One, it would still be the next gen, but one would be stronger than the other two. Just because one is found lacking and the other two are around the same power level, it doesn't change the fact that it's Nintendo's "next gen."

We also don't seem to have this discussion when it comes to handhelds, the Vita is a lot stronger than the 3DS like the PSP compared to the DS before. Yet they are considered being in the same generation of handhelds, couldn't that logic extend to consoles?

 

[stroopwafel]

'Next gen' is where the focus of (third party) developers will be when new consoles come out. And unfortunately that is not in favor of the WiiU. Had the WiiU surprised us with amazing and exclusive software that you couldn't experience anywhere else than sure, WiiU would have been next gen. Why not. Next gen is the next big thing, not just in terms of processing power but also in terms of innovation, creativity and production values. Even if there was an amazing HD Zelda or Metroid on the WiiU it would have something to compete with but as it stands now it just has....nothing.

 

[NiPah]

Generations are meaningful, the Wii-U isn't, outside of Nintendo fans it's mostly been ignored.
Now that game designers aren't limited to the paltry specs of the PS3 and 360 we can finally see new growth across the board in graphics, design, space, sure some people say specs don't matter but they just do.
With the Wii-U we get more Mario and company, a few good games still constrained to the shitty specs of last generation, and some shovelware, hardly something to care about least of which call a generation.

 

[2HF]

Who gives a fuck about when and where it started and who's included in it? You want to love your Wii u, love it. Fuck what anyone else says. Stop looking for others to justify your choices and just let it be.

 

[Doom972]

I consider the Wii U as "next gen" because it's Nintendo's next gen. If it was a matter of graphical power, why was the Wii lumped in with the PS3 and 360?

I agree Nintendo operates much differently compared to the other two, but whether they like it or not, Sony and Microsoft are still competition. There wouldn't be this discussion if the PS4 was 2x stronger than the Xbox One, it would still be the next gen, but one would be stronger than the other two. Just because one is found lacking and the other two are around the same power level, it doesn't change the fact that it's Nintendo's "next gen."

We also don't seem to have this discussion when it comes to handhelds, the Vita is a lot stronger than the 3DS like the PSP compared to the DS before. Yet they are considered being in the same generation of handhelds, couldn't that logic extend to consoles?

It would be a very different situation if one was more powerful than the other two. In that case, that console would be the odd one out and third-party developers would rather make games that all 3 could run, rather than the one powerful console (unless it becomes extremely popular).

In this case, you have two console of pretty much equal hardware, and one console that lags behind one generation in terms of technology. Sure, developers could just make games of 7th generation quality for all 3 consoles and not make use of the extra processing power, but there's competition to think about.

 

[Phrozenflame500]

Wii U didn't have as big of leap in hardware and it lacked a ton of new games (at launch, that has changed since then).

Both of which are irrelevant because Generations are a measure of time, not tech level.

 

[WeepingAngels]

When did console generations begin being defined by tech specs?

What's wrong with looking at tech specs? We are buying hardware. We want to know what that hardware is capable of. We'll worry about which games are good when we are buying games.

So you buy game consoles because of their hardware? I would dare say most people buy game consoles because of their games.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I for one have yet to see a single Wii U on sale in Argentina. On the other hand, you bet you life PS4s and Xbones will be all over the market once they come out. So not a lot of people give a fuck about the Wii U. I think its target audience is very marginal.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

You know what, I do get sick of the idea that a system has to have "multi-platform AAA titles" to be considered a "real" system. Fuck that, I say good show Nintendo, keep doing things differently than everyone else. Whether it works or not at least you're not being led around by the AAA marketeers. Sure there "are" some multi-platform releases, but what does it matter? No one buys Nintendo for their *ahem* "great 3rd party games".

 

[XX Y XY]

The WiiU doesn't count as an 8th gen console because most if not all 8th gen games, that aren't Nintendo 1st party software, that I care about can't be run on the thing. Nothing against the WiiU, it is what it is and it's good at being that. However it's not by any means a competitor for the PS4 or Xbone.

 

[WeepingAngels]

The WiiU doesn't count as an 8th gen console because most if not all 8th gen games, that aren't Nintendo 1st party software, that I care about can't be run on the thing. Nothing against the WiiU, it is what it is and it's good at being that. However it's not by any means a competitor for the PS4 or Xbone.

Third party multiplat games aren't what defines competition. Exclusives come closer to defining competition than third party multiplat games but Call of Duty 35 will be the same on both the PS4 and the One whereas exclusives are different by nature.

I'm sorry if that didn't make sense, I am having trouble translating my thought into words.

 

[Maze1125]

This whole thread is moronic. Console "generations" aren't a question of time, AAA games that exist on all of them nor technical specifications. They're a question of which consoles compete against each other for sales.

The only question to ask, when deciding if the Wii U is 8th generation or not, is to ask if the Wii U is going to be competing for sales against the PS4 and XBone. Which it very clearly is. You may argue that it's not going to be very successful, but that doesn't change the fact that it is trying to compete.

Edit: Although, in turn, that does mean it can be argued that the 8th generation doesn't start until at least one of the XBone or PS4 arrives, as there can be no competition until there are at least two competitors.

 

[Angelous Wang]

When did console generations begin being defined by tech specs?

What's wrong with looking at tech specs? We are buying hardware. We want to know what that hardware is capable of. We'll worry about which games are good when we are buying games.

So you buy game consoles because of their hardware? I would dare say most people buy game consoles because of their games.

Tech specs = games = generation.

PS4 & XBOne are more or less equally powerful and therefore they can play all any 8th generation designed games (though games will be exclusive and stuff, but ether console is technically powerful enough to play any game).

And obviously the PC will be able to play all 8th generation designed games too, and PC games will also upgrade to 8th generation games themselves now that the consoles have started.

The Wii U on the other hand is still on 360 and PS3 comparable level of tach spec, therefore it cannot play the general 8th generation of games. All they can play is their own custom games and lesser/downgraded versions of 8th generation of games.

Technically speaking Nintendo is a generation behind the Wii was more on par with PS2/Xbox and the Wii U is on par with 360/PS3. However that said with their gimmicks and their own games they have gotten their kiddy/mommy market locked down and are doing OK regardless.