It has been proven before that multiple generations are relevant at the same time. So as Jay said above, a gen ends when it stops being relevant. Thus, if the PS3 overtakes the 360 or if the PS3 and 360 overtakes the Wii while their respective gen is still relevant, then it's a sound victory. However, if these events happen after the gen loses its relevancy, then it's a meaningless victory.

Someone's being a little bit defensive.

Who even mentioned sales?

When a new generation is born, usually the previous one doesn't suddenly die: so we can rightly say that when at least one console of new generation is released the previous one just isn't the latest anymore, but it one doesn't end, either, a generation ends when its sales become insignificant.

Edit: Aura7541 and I guess others too already wrote similar concepts before me.

Many have in this thread before me. Although sales wasn't the word used they still implied it. I'm just so sick of these threads lately. In the last few months this site has really gone down hill. It's all about damage control and doom treads wiht a few of this isn't worth $60 a year or Windows 8 selling below expectations, Forza tanking crap..... Just over it.

On a happier note I also see you're playing Crisis Core, it's up there for my game of the generation. It stomps everything else out for hand-held without a doubt.

I consider a generation over when all of the biggest hardware companies release their successors--or announce that they aren't going to. Likewise, I consider the beginning of the next generation to be when the first major "next gen" console comes out. It's not the most accurate way of looking at it, but it's the one I follow.

As far as I'm concerned, the PS360 became last gen consoles after the Wii U came out. The Wii came out alongside those and Nintendo's not focusing on that anymore.

We didn't say it died. As soon as the WiiU came out everyoes ps360's and Wii's didn't blow up. Comparing living things to gaming consoles is fairly odd.

Interesting link, and when was the last time an atari 2600 was made?

and it's good to know that and great to know that from your same reliable source of wikipediea that you are right the atari's gen is over, but the 6th and 7th aren't. :P

Generations aren't races. Just because one company decides to stop supporting their machine doesn't mean other companies can't keep supporting theirs.

If what you were saying was the standard I would love to see who actually won when a new console launched. I think that means the sega genesis beat the snes.vSince we have to get over the total sales and only go by the sales that took place before the next gen starts.

I'm not really sure on this one anymore. Previously, I had held that a generation ended when the first next gen system launched; however, despite the fact that the Wii U has launched, this generation still doesn't feel over to me.

I don't know that there really is one simple factor; rather, it is when there are a consensus of multiple factors. I think it is safe to say that until the next generation of consoles is selling more then the previous generation then the primary focus of the market is the current generation.

In this case, the PS3 and 360 are still selling strong and I think we should wait to see how it does after the holidays to deduce whether this generation is over.

As for determining whether PS3 outsold 360 or not, I say give it to the 360 fans if it is so important to them to bring up such a technicality; however, I do think 360 being passed at the end of the gen will have a greater effect on MS than everyone would believe since they have essentially lost the momentum. While Sony took an entire gen to catch up, going into the next gen the momentum may be in their favor again.

Just read my sig lol

Then let's not compare them. But if some consoles of the old gen keep on being produced and selling significant numbers it doesn't make any sense to say that gen ended, it makes sense to simply call them "last gen" or "previous gen" as opposed to "new gen" or "latest gen".
When a new gen is released, the previous one can either end, if it doesn't sell anymore, or if it's still produced and keeps on selling, just cease being the latest gen, plain and simple. Not to mention that if as soon as the new one begins, the previous gen is declared ended, what should we call the consoles belonging to it and still selling? "Undead gen"? OTOH, when production ends but they still sell until supplies run out, then I'm fine to declare the whole gen ended.

BTW, declaring a gen ended as soon as the first competitor releases a new one could lead to the paradox of a totally failed console, but launched early and replaced early, to be declared its gen's winner if competitors, even infinitely more successful lifetime, aren't launched in time to outsell the failed console before its successor is launched.