I have always been of the impression that this 8th generation will at least be as long as the 7th generation and last for 7 years. So new consoles in 2020 or 2019 at the soonest.

But that was all based reasoning that centred around the cost of HD game engine development and market share parity that looked very similar to the 7th generation. So the PS4 at say 100M and the XB1 and wiiU at around 60M each. A market base of 50-60M is nothing to be ashamed of and will ensure that both the WiiU/XB1 is finacially relevant this gen.

However, this doesn't seem to be what is going to happen. As it stands we could be seeing another 6th gen like market share split this gen. With the PS4 being at say 100M and the wiiU and XB1 being at under 35-40M respectively. Its hard to say if that is low enough to be considered a market failure but if it is, then the simple truth is that the only way MS remedies the situation is to jump start the 9th generation. They have done this before and I see them doing it again if they fail to be able to compete with the PS4.

This also depends on just how much of a gap the PS4 has in 2016. What do you guys think?

No, if MS kills off the XB1, that will mark the end of their making consoles.

Let's hope not. Longer gens make consoles more worth it

WiiU is not getting anywhere near 60m ...

Other than that, I forsee this gen ending sooner than the last one did.

Take a look at this

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=189900&page=1#55

Many reasons apply to 2017 just as good.

There seems to be talk about MS selling the XBOX divsion.
This would be the opposite.
Console and game development has to start this year already, latest early next year, for a 2017 launch.
So that would mean MS is already focused on their next console and will be sending out devkits to activision ea ubisoft capcom sega and square enix in the coming months.

You think those companies want that?
Of course not. No one has time to work on games for a next xbox coming in 2017. Including MS.

mmh..
Ps5/XboxTwo:  2019, maybe 2018.
Wii U 2: 2018, maybe 2017.

I can't imagine it. It would be too big of a loss. Not to mention, when / how would the work by MS and devs be ready for a release that soon? It isn't as if they knew the system was going to have such a rocky start in 2013/14 before it in fact happened. I think they will ride out a full gen timeframe. If they did discontinue support for the XB540 I think it would likely be their exit from console gaming.

and the games crappier and more boring and everything will look the same and the consumers feel fatigue and also PC hardware gets affected because noone needs to upgrade which results in less innovations in hardware and 10% boosts per PC-hardware-generation instead of 30+% boosts or whatever and as a result the next consoles will again be underpowered (compared to what could have been without the artificial slowdown that was caused by PS360 and noone upgrading hardware on PC etc)

Keep the consoles for 5 years and then kill them.

Nothing you have said has anything to do with better upgraded hardware. 

You seem to be of the school of thought that more power = more variety in game design and art.

You couldn't be more wrong if you tried.

You cannot just release a console whenever you fell like it lol, at these threads.....MS is not god..the market, devs, publishers have to be on board...MS would do even worse rushing out a console out of desperation in 2017...hell no, this is never going to happen.