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Groucho on 17 November 2008
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Chrizum said:
Groucho said:

My question is, what defines the "next gen"?

(A) Does a "Wii HD", at 1.4 GHz CPU (same or slightly upgraded PowerPC architecture), 128MB main memory, 48MB graphics memory, and a 400-450 MHz GPU (still Hollywood, or slightly upgraded architecture) count as "next-gen", or not?  To date, no console, that I know of, from the "next gen" was less powerful than one (or more) from the "current gen".

(B) Does Microsoft releasing a "family friendly cutsy" XBox 360 in a new, little cute case, with a motion sensing "pointing mouse" count?

 

I say (A) No. (B) No.  ...and I voted 2013, of course. =)

(A) would obviously be "yes", because it's significantly more powerful than the Wii. As long as you can't play your new games on your old console, it's a "next-gen" console.

But it would be competing with the X360 and PS3... thus wouldn't it be a part of this gen, as well as the Wii?  I don't think Nintendo can define a generation all by itself.  And, like the Wii, it would be 100% BC... there's no reason for it not to be.  There's also no reason for Nintendo to not support two versions of the Wii, as long as the HD version fully supports everything the SD version does.  All new games could ship with the ability to play in HD or not -- quite easily, actually.

I hear what you're saying, but I think a generation is defined in terms of competition -- MS and Sony would have to follow suit in short order to really consider such a console as part of the "next gen".