Stop listen to companies and fanboys! They will downplay their competitors!
It obvious that a new generation isn't defined by power, better graphics, gameplay mechanics or innovation!

the next generation of gaming startet 7 months ago with the release of the Wii U!

Generations are defined by time! Otherwise its like saying you son isn't next gen because its weaker than you!
There is no thing such as a specific definition of generations for video-game consoles!

PS4 - Wii U - XBone - Ouya - Nvidia's Project Shield -> Gen 8 of gaming because of their release dates!

Lol!

The voices.

Taking a Wii, make it run on HD and slapping a tablet into it is also not very next gen, as Sony and MS are looking into doing similar things with the PSVita and smartglass (?) They may not be as high-end as the WiiU tablet but it will essentially do similar things.

That illumiroom that MS is suppose to have, now that can grow to be next gen hardware. Kinect 2 also looks impressive but I get the feeling it will get mistreated this gen once more.

Well, Nintendo hate is ruled out, what's next? :)

Sony nor Microsoft are doing NOTHING different than this generation when they preached "Ohh! look More power, HDMI, hardrives and still wont catch up to the 100 million machines sold by Nintendo FAMILY FUN weaker machine Wii, now that they annouced their Next Gen systems. The early adopters (Free commercial machine beta testers) will work out the kinks just in time for wait for it....... more updates and newer machine design for you gaming inconvienence Thanks Chuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.............mps. And why show me games I'm already gonna purchase?  Got NEWER, Stronger Tech and they go and show me the ol'e Nintendo way of doing things, just make sequals or rehashes.  With GREAT POWER comes GREATER Games one would think...Call of duty and Battle field and those game that are regularly purchase are good to put out when system sales are low.  Show me the NEW Games, new I.P.s The "Got to get that system now to play that New kind of game," games.  Nope, 140 millione customers gotta go an purchase new tech to do what again?  My mind drifts when I'm already playinga game I have.  Impress me. This Gen was Gears, Uncharted, Call of duty (modernized) Mario and Sonic at the Olympics all different Ips, all new. So, whats new next Gen?

You can't please everyone, so just please the ones the are relevant. To each their own; meaning that you'll do what you want based on your own logic, and the companies will do what they want too. Lets see if your complaining + purchasing power can get them to change their practices.

Are the next generation console truly "Next Gen...?" That all depends on perspective. I don't like paying for online for gameplay, and if that is the wave of the future, I'll probably just learn to grow up and stop playing games.

If i buy a ps4 it is to play ps4 game not ps3 games.
I don t have a problem with multimedia fonctions if they don t affect games

OUYA looks good? well their goes your credibility.

The Wii U is crap right now. A game will speak for the console. I think that the Wii U has more "next gen" guts than Xbox or PS because it is truly different in design, innovation, and the thing will, like wine, get better with time.