Mr. Stick -- I think you are right -- the level of quality in games in the PS3/360/Wii generation are, for the most part, really stepping it up. I think this primarily has to do with the PS3 and 360 each trying harder than any company before to destroy each other. In the process, they are bringing 1st party games that are un-freaking-believable and are pushing 3rd parties to be better and better through a myriad of ways: cash, developer support, cash, better tools, cash, and other marketing support.
As evidence that the competitive money is really what's driving it this time, just look at what's happening to MS and Sony. I don't think it can continue without one or both finally blinking. Sony and MS have both hemorrhaged money this round. Microsoft's corporate losses in gaming are quite big now and they have a ways to go to even get back to even. I suspect between R&D on the PS3 plus their first year losses on sales of the hardware, Sony will ultimately be in pretty darn deep, too. The extraordinary push by both console makers has clearly benefit the consumer this go round like no generation before. Sure, the loss leader approach has always been there but nothing even remotely close to the current scale...
I hate trolls.
Systems I currently own: 360, PS3, Wii, DS Lite (2)
Systems I've owned: PS2, PS1, Dreamcast, Saturn, 3DO, Genesis, Gamecube, N64, SNES, NES, GBA, GB, C64, Amiga, Atari 2600 and 5200, Sega Game Gear, Vectrex, Intellivision, Pong. Yes, Pong.
