By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Sales - When does a generation end?

d21lewis on 13 December 2012

We're in the 8th gen but the 7th gen is still going on. Why does it have to end so suddenly? Anything that the Xbox and Playstation do as far as sales, games, innovations, etc. still count. Hell, the Gameboy lived for like a decade while "next gen" portables came and went (including its own successor, the Gameboy Color) and it still sold, broke records, and kicked ass.

As long as the 7th gen remains relevant, it's still alive.



Around the Network
arcelonious on 13 December 2012

Generations dealing with the video game consoles overlap, so I don't think that there is a universally agreed upon point at which a generation begins and ends. I personally think that when all the major players (i.e., console competitors) release their new hardware, and the majority of developers have left the current generation for the next, is when it's easier to say that we're in the next generation.



TheShape31 on 13 December 2012

When all new consoles are out.



Veknoid_Outcast on 13 December 2012
d21lewis said:
We're in the 8th gen but the 7th gen is still going on. Why does it have to end so suddenly? Anything that the Xbox and Playstation do as far as sales, games, innovations, etc. still count. Hell, the Gameboy lived for like a decade while "next gen" portables came and went (including its own successor, the Gameboy Color) and it still sold, broke records, and kicked ass.

As long as the 7th gen remains relevant, it's still alive.

I agree with this.

If Xbox 360 or PS3 somehow pass Wii in lifetime sales, that still counts. And it would be an extraordinary achievement worth noting.

Right now we have overlapping generations, which is bad news for the Nintendo faithful since they have to endure comparisons to last generation consoles AND current generation consoles that don't even exist yet :P

Kind of like a kid constantly being compared to his overachieving brother and sister, and also to the twins who have yet to be born ;)



Wonktonodi on 13 December 2012

Generations aren't horse races where one come to a stop before another begins. They also aren't like human generation where although multiple can be alive at a time they have cut off dates.

Do people refer to the count of sales of a generation as a the total? or just the total up to when the next console was released?

When the hardware and software of the last gen are still significantly outselling the new one. It's pretty clear that there is not some cut off but time for the transition to take place.





Around the Network
enditall727 on 13 December 2012

usually when that specific Sony Home console ends its cycle of being on the market

4th gen didn't end until Nintendo(snes) said so
5th gen didn't end until Sony(ps1) said so
6th gen wont end until Sony(ps2) says so
7th gen as you can clearly see wont end until Sony(ps3) says so



Michael-5 on 13 December 2012
MARCUSDJACKSON said:
Michael-5 said:
MARCUSDJACKSON said:
Michael-5 said:

Generations don't end/start abruptly, there is overlap. 

To me a Generation ends, when the last 1st party exclusive is released for that generation, and the new generation begins when the replacement console is released, AND no more 1st party exclusives are in the works for previous generations. For for Nintendo, the 8th generation has started, since no more DS and Wii games are in development from Nintendo. However Sony and MS are still in the 7th generation, so right now we're in a 7/8th generation overlap, where Nintendo and Sony handhelds have clearly transitioned to the 8th gen, while HD consoles remain on the 7th gen, which is ending.

After The Last of Us and Gears of War: Judgement release, to me, the 7th generation will be over. While the 8th generation will be official to me, Sony and MS will still have yet to enter a console to compete. However the focus will have permanently switched to the 8th gen.

i can get with this, but i'm in doubt of when exclusives will no longer be available for PS3.

Sony usually don't release 1st party exclusives more then 1 year after a successor is released. PS1's last 1st party exclusive was Twisted Metal: Small Brawl which released only a few months after PS2 did in Americas. PS2's last 1st party exclusive was God of War 2 which released 5 months after the PS3, and I'm not sure if we will see anything after The Last of Us for PS3.

PS2: wasn't twisted metal black released after GOW2? 

PS3: when does beyond 2 souls come out? i'm sure Agent is being re-tooled for PS4. hmmm maybe not. yea that deal with Rockstar for 3 exclusives is beyond dead am i right lol.

and then there's the last guardian, and the puppeteer. Media Molecule, Suckerpunch, and Guerrilla games are said to still be working on PS3 games.

OP: i'm with badgenome and superchunk. Sony rules all. Sony will tell us when all gen.'s end.

Twisted Metal Black released in the first your the PS2 released, it was the first game I bought for PS2 lol. Twisted Metal Head On was ported to PS2 from PSP in 2008, but that's not an exclusive, that's a PSP port. Motorstorm: Artic Edge was also a port.

PS3 - Good point about Beyond: Two Souls, but I still think that's also a 2013 game. Agent isn't 1st party (My rule was for 1st party exclusives only)

Sony could still announce more PS3 titles, typically Sony supports their older console for 1 year after it's replaced, so I wouldn't be surprised if we had something in 2014, but I doubt it'll be The Last Guardian.



What is with all the hate? Don't read GamrReview Articles. Contact me to ADD games to the Database
Vote for the March Most Wanted / February Results

MARCUSDJACKSON on 13 December 2012
Michael-5 said:
MARCUSDJACKSON said:
Michael-5 said:
MARCUSDJACKSON said:
Michael-5 said:

Generations don't end/start abruptly, there is overlap. 

To me a Generation ends, when the last 1st party exclusive is released for that generation, and the new generation begins when the replacement console is released, AND no more 1st party exclusives are in the works for previous generations. For for Nintendo, the 8th generation has started, since no more DS and Wii games are in development from Nintendo. However Sony and MS are still in the 7th generation, so right now we're in a 7/8th generation overlap, where Nintendo and Sony handhelds have clearly transitioned to the 8th gen, while HD consoles remain on the 7th gen, which is ending.

After The Last of Us and Gears of War: Judgement release, to me, the 7th generation will be over. While the 8th generation will be official to me, Sony and MS will still have yet to enter a console to compete. However the focus will have permanently switched to the 8th gen.

i can get with this, but i'm in doubt of when exclusives will no longer be available for PS3.

Sony usually don't release 1st party exclusives more then 1 year after a successor is released. PS1's last 1st party exclusive was Twisted Metal: Small Brawl which released only a few months after PS2 did in Americas. PS2's last 1st party exclusive was God of War 2 which released 5 months after the PS3, and I'm not sure if we will see anything after The Last of Us for PS3.

PS2: wasn't twisted metal black released after GOW2? 

PS3: when does beyond 2 souls come out? i'm sure Agent is being re-tooled for PS4. hmmm maybe not. yea that deal with Rockstar for 3 exclusives is beyond dead am i right lol.

and then there's the last guardian, and the puppeteer. Media Molecule, Suckerpunch, and Guerrilla games are said to still be working on PS3 games.

OP: i'm with badgenome and superchunk. Sony rules all. Sony will tell us when all gen.'s end.

Twisted Metal Black released in the first your the PS2 released, it was the first game I bought for PS2 lol. Twisted Metal Head On was ported to PS2 from PSP in 2008, but that's not an exclusive, that's a PSP port. Motorstorm: Artic Edge was also a port.

PS3 - Good point about Beyond: Two Souls, but I still think that's also a 2013 game. Agent isn't 1st party (My rule was for 1st party exclusives only)

Sony could still announce more PS3 titles, typically Sony supports their older console for 1 year after it's replaced, so I wouldn't be surprised if we had something in 2014, but I doubt it'll be The Last Guardian.

ok. clever. 2014 looks to be the yr. PS3 passes(still skeptical but it looks plausible)360



 Zarx's unofficial The Witcher 3    

Official Playstation Vita Thread!

write reveiws, articles, share thoughts, and expand on discussion like never before on gamewise.co/brainwaves

Chandler on 13 December 2012
VGKing said:

Next-Generation starts when there is competition.

For example with the handhelds, next-gen didn't truly start until the Vita launched.

A generation is defined by a bunch of competing products. If there is no competition, there is no new generation. If Sony and Microsoft were to let Wii U have 2 years on the market we could consider the Wii U an extension of 7th generation instead of part of the 8th.

Just my opinion, I'm sure many will disagree.


Damn, so the next handheld generation still didn't start. Sorry, I couldn't help myself ^^



Ongoing bet with think-man: He wins if MH4 releases in any shape or form on PSV in 2013, I win if it doesn't.

sales2099 on 13 December 2012

Lets apply this to people generations.

You can argue the baby boomer generation doesn't "end" until they all die off. Ok.

But which generation today is most relevant, the most marketed to? Young people. Gen Y is it?

So thats the point. You can keep selling, but after some time the younger crowd takes the spotlight and nobody will care anymore except the dedicated few.

Soooo if PS3 cant overtake 360 by the next Xbox release, it lost.



Xbox: Best hardware, Game Pass best value, best BC, more 1st party genres and multiplayer titles.