"Time is required before the next generation console cycle begins in earnest"

Capcom has released its annual report, in which it outlines the current state of its business and its predictions and aims for the future.

The company has stated that it wishes to move away from the current development model - which involves big budget games with long production periods - to a setup which will see smaller teams working on more titles, and consequently 'more sequels'.

However, the most interesting comment from a Nintendo perspective relates to Capcom's view on the next generation of gaming hardware:

Although Nintendo will release the new game console Wii U and the market will be continue to be invigorated by the increase of DLC, time is required before the next generation console cycle begins in earnest.

It would appear that the creator of Monster Hunter, Street Fighter and Resident Evil doesn't see the Wii U as a true next gen platform - something that many other developers are likely to agree with, given the system's technological parity with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think that the Wii U could end up being marginalised by developers and treated as a second-class console, as the Wii was? Or is Capcom's wording just a little off?

Source:

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/09/capcom_the_next_gen_doesnt_start_with_wii_u

That's weird - I logged out for some strange reason without doing it myself!!

Well, if you wanna know who's to blame for this copy and paste act, it's me =)

Of course not. Sony is still deciding on that.

In that case, here's my copy and paste.

Sometimes I really, really hate my industry.  This is nothing but an author that either doesn't understand what the hell "begins in earnest" means or is just looking for hits.

Morons, I tell you.

Capcom said no such thing.

I've posted this before and got shat on all over by Rol and Viper. The Wii was not even considered next gen by its own leader (Hiroshi Yamauchi), so this is no surprise to me.

Gens are rooted in the concept of technical advancements requiring changes to a console, things that could not be done before. That isn't the case for the WiiU, wasn't the case for the Wii.

I got to play Wii U about a week or so ago and while it was really cool and Im sure will sell well in terns of hardware it isnt next-gen at all. Graphically it looked just like a 360.

That being said its still "next-gen" as its the beginning of the next set of home consoles. PS4 / 720 are going to be vastly more powerful consoles though

So what does "in earnest" mean to you in this context? I understand it to mean "fa realz", just to keep things simple.

They said time is required, not a different console. I don't think this gen started the day the 360 launched.

A gen is defined by machines that compete in some way in the same market over the most time of their life. The most important factor is, that the machines are released in the same timeframe.

Console generations are not defined, nor have they ever been, by the changes in spec increases but by the chronological relationship between successor and predecessor flagship consoles.  Increases in tech specs have only historically coincided with new generations but were never a requirement not a means to categorize as which generation a console belonged to.

He's simply stating that their main market focus will remain as it is until the next generation becomes the dominant market segment.