With almost everybody saying that a PS4 Neo would be another 8th Gen console, and Nintendo NX a 9th gen console, Im kind of confuse... What defines a generation?

Nintendo launched an underpowered 8th gen device uncapable of most 3rd party games, and now will launch a machine that will compete with PS4 Neo, and it will be 9th gen just because of new games that the old underpowered machine couldn´t handle.

On the other side, PS4 Neo will be 2x faster than PS4, but its still an 8th gen machine because the library will be the same? What happens if sony anounces in 3 years a PS5 and say that the PS5 games will run on PS4 Neo but no on PS4? that suddenly makes the PS4 Neo a 9th gen overnight because it will have games that PS4  can´t run?

Some others may say that there are no Generations any more, but let say Microsoft also makes a new machine and a new console war start between the 3 makers. What that will be ? the console war between the 9th gen with 8 plus gen??? I mean , they would be contemporary machines fighting as always for the sales. It would be fair to consider it a new gen console war all over again.  

What if Sony and Microsoft Stores become like Steam where the games can run depending on what machines do you have from now on.  

Example.On Steam some games show requirements like Core 2 Duo and GeForce 6600 GT, others Core i7 and Geforce  9800 GT, modern AAA games Core i7, Geforce GTX 970. 

In the future Sony could go like X game runs on PS4 and up. Y game runs on PS4 neo and up and Z game runs on PS5 and up.

Still as they are Generation of graphic cards or processors, there will be Generations of Consoles.  

Anyway, I think us,console gamers, are having trouble defining what a generation is at this point or the definition most of us made doesnt make a lot of sense any more.  

For me, a change of performance like PS4 neo defines a new generation, Maybe is a new generation with just a little step forward or a new generation crippled for now by sony´s marketing decisions trying to keep customers happy.  

Anyway, What defines a Generation for you?

Simple answer to your question.

If you can play NX games on a WiiU, then the NX is an 8th gen console.

A generation is simply hardware that comes with its own exclusive games and accessories over any period of time.

Neo plays every PS4 game and is compatible with every PS4 accessory and every Game made under the Playstation 4 banner or accessory will work on both skus. So it's still an 8th gen console. not that complicated.

And if consoles become hardware agnostic like how PC stuff is, then like the PC we will cease to have "generations" in the console space. Which I think is what this is all really about. 

Why sell 100M consoles. then toss all that away and start all over again investing billions in R&D and marketing when you can spend a fraction of that cost and just iterate on the hardware and keep going and selling to the exact same install base. 

In the end, it's an artificial concept that people put way too much emphasis on.

Oooor... Games?... Its that simple really.

The only reason people argue about Generations is because of the stupid Atari 5200 and Colecovision being lumped into Gen 2.

What people fail to see is that both those were starting a new generation, which died VERY QUICKLY within 2 years due to the video game crash, so it was swept under the carpet and lumped as part of Gen 2.

Gen 3 basically was the rebirth of gaming.

As I stated in the other thread, Realistically Gen 3 should be Atari 5200 and Colecovision which died in the ass and Gen 4 should have been the gen post the game crash so NES etc..

I define it.

Seriously, that line has become far less meaningful with ports and cross-gen releases and PC versions.  It really doesn't matter to someone who just likes playing quality games.

Fanboys in gaming forums. They define it.

Exactley, this

Basically this.

People usually atribute the category of being a new generation to better graphics or hardware power, but it actually what he just described.Its the ability to have its ownexclusives and said games not being available on the older hardware.