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

[Mazty]

MDMAlliance said:

Mazty said:

MDMAlliance said:

Xbox would be 1st generation of Microsoft consoles and born within the 6th generation timeframe of console gaming.

But to determine it's within the 6th generation you have to look at hardware, no? Or would it be 6th gen even if it was 1khz cpu and 12 bit RAM?

Yes, it would.  It would have been irrelevant to the peoples' interest if it were like that, but it still takes the title of being within the 6th generation.

Okay then what stops the 360 elite being next gen compared to the 360?