The plateau is still a lot further away then where we are now.
http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=146412&page=1#

The price will come down, the first plasma tv was launched in 1997, 852x480 resolution for 15k, that could never be the future right?
You don't have to buy a new tv every 2 years, you're allowed to skip a few innovations...

There is plenty room for improvement in desktop cpu's too.
My Intel quadcore I7 feels damn slow already. Editting 1080p video takes up huge amounts of cpu cycles. Faster memory, bigger ssd drives, more cores would all be welcome.
Demand plateau reached for video game graphics? really? Why is pc gaming becoming more popular then?

As for future proofing: my 13 year old amplifier still works perfectly fine. It was future proofed with DTS ES, DD EX, 96khz, optical and coaxical inputs, component video inputs. Only HDMI is missing.

Yes, I do.

Why wouldn't it be able to generate 4K. Todays graphics cards can generate 4K. If the max render resolution of the gpu is 4K then it can easily generate 4K for simpler games. The ps3 can already push 4k for images.

The ps3 was future proofed. It can play 3D blu-rays can't it? Unheard of in 2006.

I guess you can only future proof to a certain point....and in that sense yes you can future proof.

No one is going to mention the OP has nothing to do with "future proofing"?

He is talking durability and quality of products but future proofing is providing features or functions that will allow a device to be useful years down the road. An example we all hear is the PS3 having Blu-ray. That was a future proofing attempt because Blu-rays have larger storage capacity and the industry was expected to start using Blu-rays as the default disc format. It has nothing to do with build quality or how long the physical product will last. If PS3 didn't have Blu-ray from the start it would have been a bad decision to add it later as a measure of modernizing its console. Image if the 360 switched to Blu-ray when the Slim came out, even if it could play DVDs still the old 360s would be obsolete and wouldn't be able to play new games that are on Blu-rays.

Now Blu-ray might not be the greatest example since it is not a necessity that would force current systems to update but future proofing is also used in terms of hardware power for gaming devices. By creating a powerful computer you are able to "future proof" your device to run games that will come out years from your original purchase as opposed to using a computer that runs the current available games.

The same goes with Hard Drive space. The larger the HDD the more future proof it is as games advance and increase in size.

For a lot of technology future-proofing seems pretty... obsolete...

The Wii didn't future proof and that made it difficult for it to compete.

That's aside from 3rd parties being morons, see this thread for the capabilities of the Wii/Cube -> http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=146580&page=1#

Dear Galaki, you're referring to two different topics on your OP.

As a Industrial Designer, I'm supposed to support the idea of building and designing stuff made to break, because this is good for business. But I'm strongly against that, even when in the end that would mean less money for me. Have you seen the amount of e-waste in our World? It's absolutely terrible. And the worst part is: It's not e-waste because it broke thanks to continuous use, or because it was used until the materials used to build them reached their physical limits. It is because planned obsolescence, because it was designed to become e-waster after not many years. Take the iPhones for example. People dispose them like they are trash after the new edition comes out, even when they already have a good phone. And if that fails, Apple uses manufacturing processes that ensure the phone will not last long after that.

And on future-proofing, people really need to know the difference between "what they need" and "what they want". They are not forced to buy everything that comes out anyway, right?

Depends how far into the future you want your electronics to keep up. The ps3 is doing pretty well for its 10 year life cycle.
The ps4 will be selling at its prime around 2020, 4k is going to be relevant by then.

The only way to make something future proof is to make every component replaceable as new technology becomes available.