What makes a console "next-gen"...?

[Mazty]

JayWood2010 said:

Mazty said:

JayWood2010 said:
Look i know the WiiU is going to take a lot of heat but if you guys are happy with the WiiU just ignore them. Honestly i dont see why Nintendo needs a lot of power for their games so im glad where it is. They brought innovation to the table so just ignore what people has to say about the wiiu. It is next generation. Will it be the most powerful? no but it doesnt matter. As long as it has good games that is all that matters.

...In the OP I stated that generation status was irrelevant to if you enjoy a console or not....You can't just claim it's next gen without stating why. Tis the point of this thread.

Why is it next generation?  because it is the next generation of nintendo hence next generation.  

Power and innovation does not make something next generation.  Moving forward makes next generation.

But you are ignoring rival machines. It may be moving forward for Nintendo, but not when compared to existing consoles. It seems absurd to say that a console which is technically similar to 7th gen machines is 8th gen just because it was released at a later date.