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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - The Nintendo Switch is generation...

 

What generation is the Nintendo Switch?

Generation 8 (PS4, XBoxOne) 71 44.94%
 
Generation 9 57 36.08%
 
Generation 1 (of the hybrid era) 14 8.86%
 
I don't care...I come to VGC for the chicks 16 10.13%
 
Total:158

Gen 8.

It's only about the market timeline. Consoles releases in the same window = same generation.



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The_Liquid_Laser said:

It's definitely generation 9.  It is behaving just like every other "next gen" console that released early.

In 1989, the Genesis launched in North America.  It got trounced by the NES.  Then in 1991, the SNES finally launched and the two consoles were fairly competitive for several years.  Genesis was created to compete with the generation 3 NES, the Nintendo.  "Genesis does what Nintendon't."  However, history has always considered it generation 4, because it competed with the SNES for most of its life and also it succeeded the Master System which launched around the same time as the NES.

In 1995, the Playstation 1 released in North America.  It got outsold by the SNES that first year.  If the PS1 couldn't outsell the SNES for the first year, then what hope did it have against the much more powerful N64?  It had a lot of hope in fact.  It went on to dominate the market, destroying the N64, and becoming the best selling console ever (at the time).  Worldwide sales of the PS1 exceeded the previous record holder, the NES, by over 40 million consoles.  This little console that struggled out of the gate managed to far exceed everyone's expectations.

In 2005, the XBox360 launched.  It was far outsold by the PS2 for that first year.  If it couldn't stand a chance against the much weaker PS2, then how could it possibly ever compete with the more powerful PS3?  It turns out that it competed quite well.  For most of the generation the XBox360 hardware was selling ahead of the PS3, although the two did end up in a virtual tie at the end.

These are the sorts of things that happen almost every generation.  A console releases early, but it's performance against established consoles has no effect on its lifetime sales.  The established consoles are really "last gen" consoles.  Instead, the early release seems to help it's performance against the competitors that are going to come out.  The first console to market gets a head start and it seems to help.  It doesn't guarantee victory or anything, but it helps especially if the console is performing decently to begin with.  (Although, some consoles like the Saturn or Wii U do so badly that the head start really doesn't help at all.)

Switch is following this same pattern.  It released several years after the PS4, XB1 and Vita.  It's selling well, but it's still getting outsold by the PS4.  Doesn't this mean the Switch is doomed?  Nope.  It means it has a head start.  It's real competition is the PS5 and Scarlett.  People see the Switch competing against the PS4 now and assume it will compete again the PS4 forever?  That's just nonsense.  The Genesis competed against the NES for 2 years and got its ass kicked.  That doesn't change the fact that it was a generation 4 system that was really competing against the SNES.  The Switch is really competing against the PS5 and Scarlett and it already has a huge head start.

This.



0D0 said:
SpokenTruth said:
8.

Generations are more than just the predecessor/successor relationships of flagship consoles but are linked to a market timeline that competes for the same market share and revenue. This has been the accepted definition since the beginning. It's why we have had several instances of multiple consoles by the same company being considered part of the same generation since the very first generation.

Exactly, why can't we accept that two devices from the same company can't fit on one generation?

Wii U and NSW are on the same generation as PS4 and XB1.

The have also been several cases of more then one generation of consoles active at the same time as well, NES/Megadrive, SNES/Saturn/PS1, Dreamcast/PS1/N64.



The answer to this is quite simple in my opinion.
We need to think about the nature of the switch and the actual context.
Being it an hybrid console, we have to see it from two point of view.

Switch is an handheld console, absolutely a successor to the 3ds which makes it the next portable gen.
However, as an home console it still compete with the same competitor consoles the Wii U did, so it is in the same gen 8th.
The successor of the switch will be same gen as ps5 and xbox 4 as an home console, and next gen portable.



SpokenTruth said:
Wyrdness said:

The have also been several cases of more then one generation of consoles active at the same time as well, NES/Megadrive, SNES/Saturn/PS1, Dreamcast/PS1/N64.

NES and Mega Drive/Genesis/Mark III are the same generation.

SNES was replaced by the N64 as the flagship Nintendo console during the Saturn/PS1 era.   The continuation of selling after replacement is irrelevant. PS2 was discontinued in 2013 but is not considered part of the PS3/X360/Wii (Gen 7) era.

Dreamcast is certainly a borderline case as it spent an equal amount of market time competing with Gen 5 as Gen 6 but that's only because of Sega's abrupt exit from the market.  Otherwise, it would have spent the majority of its life during Gen 6.

To you maybe ironically you can't even use your "Industry argument" here.

SNES was replaced in 96 which means for two years it competed with the PS1 and Saturn meaning two gens were active at the same time which is something you can't argue here, the fact you don't know were to class DC highlights how wonky your logic is here.



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SpokenTruth said:
Wyrdness said:

To you maybe ironically you can't even use your "Industry argument" here.

SNES was replaced in 96 which means for two years it competed with the PS1 and Saturn meaning two gens were active at the same time which is something you can't argue here, the fact you don't know were to class DC highlights how wonky your logic is here.

And for the first 4 years the SNES competed against the rest of the 4th generation.  Why are you only looking at the last 2 years?

Further, I never said 2 generations cannot be active at the same time.  You're welcome to track down a quote of me saying such.

And for the last time, it's not my logic.  It's the definition the industry has been using for decades.  Bitch to them and everybody that has worked in it now and since the beginning when they established such delineations.  I don't get why you are so angered by this.  You told me to "get over it" in the other thread as though you alone dictate how the industry should classify generations. I'm just telling you how they've done it since the start.  Take it up with them.

Here I'll break it down for you, 0d0 said the have been times with a few platforms from the same gen and I pointed out the are also times when platforms from different gens can be active at the same time and that's an example.

Why are you even replying then as that's the point? You're trying to debunk the point which wasn't even replying to you either, in other words you have no real point in replying.

Funny how the industry classes Megadrive as the same gen as SNES which contradicts your initial reply, as someone pointed out in another thread the industry doesn't use a definition like you claim forum goers do, you're the one constantly bringing up this logic so as such you become a vassal for it as well as where you got it from.



WiiU, Switch and their next one will all be gen 8.



8 + 1 = 9



Nov 2016 - NES outsells PS1 (JP)

Don't Play Stationary 4 ever. Switch!

SpokenTruth said:
Pyro as Bill said:
8 + 1 = 9

If we are going that route, it's Gen 7.

 

NES - 1
SNES - 2
N64 - 3
GC - 4
Wii - 5
Wii U - 6 (I remember people hoping they would call the console the N6 before the name was announced).
Switch - 7

And the Virtual Boy? :P

So yeah, Switch is Gen 7 Nintendo. PS4 is Gen 4 Sony, and the X1 is Gen 3 Microsoft. Sounds good.



0D0 said:
SpokenTruth said:
8.

Generations are more than just the predecessor/successor relationships of flagship consoles but are linked to a market timeline that competes for the same market share and revenue. This has been the accepted definition since the beginning. It's why we have had several instances of multiple consoles by the same company being considered part of the same generation since the very first generation.

Exactly, why can't we accept that two devices from the same company can't fit on one generation?

Wii U and NSW are on the same generation as PS4 and XB1.

I agree that multiple devices of one manufacturer can be in the same gen. For reference, look at Atari in the second gen. And I do not even touch the mess, that was the first gen.

I might add though, that I don't rule out, that the Switch will become also a 9th gen device. We don't know yet, 9th gen isn't here yet. But it might be possible Switch is still competing with PS5 and Scarlett, which would make it also a 9th gen device. And that I would also declare: I see it as possible, that one device stretches about more than one gen.



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