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Agente42 on 10 November 2019
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The_Liquid_Laser said:
Pemalite said:

Every console generation is defined by the technology of the day.

The 4th generation is defined by parallax effects and Mode 7.
The 5th generation is defined by 3D Graphics, FMV, CD quality Audio.
The 6th generation is defined by TnL (Fixed function vertex processing) DVD.
The 7th generation is defined by programmable pixel shaders, online gaming.
The 8th generation is defined by Tessellation, Deferred Rendering, Dynamic Lighting and Shadowing.
The 9th generation will be defined by Ray Tracing and Physics.

Obviously there are some overlaps here and there... I.E. 6th generation Xbox had programmable pixel shaders and online gaming like the 7th gen. - But it released later in the cycle and thus was able to take advantage of newer hardware developments brought forth by the PC.

Or the 7th gen Wii having a hardware feature set similar to the 6th gens Gamecube. - But Nintendo was shifting gears and opted to no longer chase newer hardware developments and opted to use outdated hardware designs whilst focusing on other aspects such as motion controls.

But in short, you can bet that every console generation is defined by technology to a very large extent as it generally takes years for there to be large shifts in hardware feature sets.

It is ok to say that technology defines a generation, but you have to pick the right technologies.  Many of the technologies that you listed are not really things that the average consumer would know about or care about.  What technologies did people care about?  In generation 5 people cared about the CD ROM.  That was the technology that defined that generation, and it was the reason Playstation won over the previously undefeated Nintendo.  3D graphics is also something people legitimately cared about (which you did list).  In generation 4, people generically cared about improved graphics and a six button controller.  Sega even admitted the importance of the six button controller by releasing one of their own later on.  The six button controller was important to fighting games, and that is why it was important technology to generation 4.

What was the important technology to generation 7?  Motion controls.  The Wii was the best selling console of generation 7.  Additionally, Microsoft and Sony admitted this was the important technology by releasing their own motion controls.  Motion controls is what defined generation 7 as well as online gaming (the latter of which you did list).

Technology can definitely define a generation as long as you identify the relevant technology.  And the technology doesn't necessarily have to make the hardware more powerful.  The Playstation had a weaker CPU than the N64, but at the time people cared far more about the CD ROM. 

First, is not technology because u forget the portable scene. More than 50% of market don't follow what you advocate. 

Gen 7 is about three things: Motions controls, touch generation and online gaming. But is not determinated by that. PSP don't have any of that, and belong  7th generation. The core tech defines only the winner don't all consoles and portables. 

Videogame generation is  majority determined by time, because videogame is all about games and don't high specs. If technology were crucial to video game generations, the most advanced console would normally be the most successful console. Which offers the best technology considering the trade-off. However, it is not about technology, but about games. Technology is just a tool for developing new games, only it doesn't define a generation but the time when consoles compete for consumers. And the winning console technology will be something that may be adopted in the future by competitors, often adopted in the same generation, but by simulating the successful games of the winner.