DivineAvenger said:
hahahaha, two imaginary new models of existing consoles aren't a new generation no matter what their hardware. NX is a new console, from a new gen no matter it's hardware but we don't know about the hardware of any of the 3 machines. |
It's a little difficult to say with authority that the Nx should be in any one place, but here's some precedential reasons to consider:
Neo/Xbox1 upgrade in Gen 8:
-Many times, from newer models to improvements via peripherals (such as the CD addons or the 32x) there have been upgrades to existing consoles, so these should (in my mind) undeniably fall within generation 8, especially given how short of a span the originals have been out and that as far as we know the changes are rather minor
Why Wii U should be Gen 8:
-The best precedent and comparison would be the Dreamcast. The Dreamcast released earlier than the PS2/GC/Xbox a mere two years or so after the last major release of the previous gen (n64). While it was loaded with features and had hardware that was superior to the previous generation, it was not a huge leap and would soon be quite outclassed by the other main three (people seem to agree that either the Xbox or GC were the strongest, but both and the PS2 were superior to the Dreamcast).
Despite being somewhat out of sync in regards to timing and hardware, it was still a step up from the previous gen, had features that would closer reflect gen 6 than gen 5, and was a definite improvement over their gen 5 console (the Saturn). It fits best into gen 6 for those reasons, and I feel the same argument can be applied to say that the Wii U fits best within gen 8.
Why the Nx should be Gen 8:
-This would not be the first time that a successor to a console wound up grouped with it in the same generation (Atari 2600 and Atari 5200)
-Even though the hardware will be stronger than the original model PS4 and Xbox1, timing has caused stronger consoles to be grouped with weaker ones in the past (the Neo Geo with Turbo/Snes/Gen or the Sega Nomad with Gameboy Color)
-While the Nx is stronger than the base PS4 and Xbox1, it sounds like it will mostly be just on par or perhaps slightly better than their upgrades
Why the Nx should be Gen 9:
-In some ways the perceived "generations" of consoles has been tied to Nintendo releases (both console and handheld) ever since they stabilized the NA market back in the mid 80's
-Nintendo has never had two consoles feature in the same generation, even when their hardware wasn't an enormous upgrade (GC to the Wii)
-The gap between the N64 and Dreamcast's releases is smaller than the planned gap between the Nx and the PS4/Xbox 1, so it's not too early for the next gen to start
-If past existing consoles had received similar upgrades they too may have closed most of the difference in hardware strength between it and the first entry in the following generation (such as if the PS1 had an upgraded version prior to the PS2, it would likely have been almost on par with the Dreamcast, or if Sega had followed through on releasing the 32x as a standalone).
Sooo, I really don't know that it's fair to say the answer is an easy one here. Perhaps we'll have a better idea once we see what the Nx actually is, but precedents support multiple views on the matter. The other problem, of course, is that there's no real signs that any PS5 or Xbox362 will be releasing for at least a few years to come, so Nintendo may wind up all alone in their own gen 9.
Really, it seems like the Nx/Neo/Xbox+ all fit better together than any group of consoles have in a while, but only one of those three is an original, new design. I have no definite answer for you, but a new handheld entry might help establish the idea that the gens have moved forward (Gen 8 began with the 3DS and Vita in 2011 after all). If the Nx is indeed a hybrid of some kind and has unique features like a different kind of medium than the optical drive (memory cards for instance), that may be considered enough to put it in a group all its own.
