IThis has been the best generation by far for gaming. I use my PS Vita and PS4 every single day, and every once in a while I even fire up the PC. Driveclub, Ryse, Knack, Infamous SS, Titanfall, and Killzone Shadowfall have been great MS and Sony backed games. On Vita I am enjoying Freedom Wars, Grim Fandango, Resogun, and many great titles and applications via PlayStation Mobile. And this is just a select few things I have been playing over the last year.

So far, 2015 is looking like an amazing excitment filled year. The Order 1886 is kicking things off with a strong new IP, then we have PlayStation Vue finally allowing us to get rid of the Cable Box in the US, and Bloodebone brings another new IP to the table to round out the first quarter. The rest of the year we already know there is a Ratchet and Clank Reboot, a Crackdown Reboot, Until Dawn as a new horror experience, and Quantum Break a new IP trying something different. This is just the things we know about know that I can remember. There is surly stuff I missed from geners or consoles I am less interested in, and there is definitly more to come with all of the big game shows left.

And lets not forget the big franchises. Halo, Zelda, Star Fox, Uncharted, Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear Solid, The Witcher, Batman, Final Fantasy, and on and on. I don't see a thing missing in gaming. In that department I have never been happier. From 1st party, 3rd Party, and Indies there is the best mix of new, old, innovative, and rehashed stuff the indusrty has ever seen.

The only issue I see is the limitations of the hardware beyond gaming. PS4, XBO, and PS Vita all need to widen their scope. This is the one area where this gen is falling flat on last gen. PSP, PS3, and 360 all brought so many new things to consoles and portables. Sony and MS seem to be doing a good job with Live TV, and Sony was off to a good start with the 3G Vita, but there is a lot that can be done. PS4 and XBO need to open up to more fitness, productivity, financial, and utility applications. Bring the same versatility of a smartphone to the TV via these platforms. The Vita needs to have a rebirth as the PlayStation Phone, 4G access to all PSN services, Support from all Mobile Carriers, and a stonger focus on expanding PSM to compete with the App Store and Google Play. If Sony and Microsoft can achive the above, they will set a course for a beautiful future of gaming on Playstation and Xbox. The broader the consoles are, the more support they will gather, more money will enter the ecosystem, and more games will be made, and bigger bugets and innovation can thrive.

No JRPGs. Also it's the fact that nearly every major title so far is cross gen. once Fallout 4, ES6, FFXV, GT7, Halo. 5 come out the gen will gain some identity. I want to say AC Unity is the biggest selling gen 8 exclusive right now, need to double check that though.

And I can't speak for you, but some of it could be Nostalgia, you were younger and more impressionable then (I would assume). I tend to look highly on the N64, but in really it had a handful of great titles some decent ones and its library was REALLY sparce. I remember going months between major releases. But I was 11 when I got my N64 so it's impact on me was much higher than it would be if I was 29 back in 1996.

It was mostly because of "the massive power boost" that really does not exist now. You need specialized sites like Digital Foundry to decect the differences.

This generation has been a bit unexciting so far.. Hopefully that'll change soon enough!

New Ip's that will go on to become classics years from now. It's only been a year, I'm sure a lot of good games are sure to come..... that aren't just sequels or ports or indies or remasters.......

I don't feel that "it" factor from this generation yet. It just feels like everyone is playing it safe and testing any limits at all. It also doesn't have a Wii with motion controls or a PS2 introducing a DVD player to the market or any other thing that makes it stand out.

Magic.

Every form of entertainment tries to evoke emotions. How is this realized? Sometimes one thing works and if someone else tries the same it doesn't work. It has some air of magic. We can like games, that have gameplay, artstyle, music and so on we don't like, but somehow the combination works out great. It is magic. You can also find entertainment in the console-race as it is. You describe that a lot in the OP. For starters, the console-race isn't that exciting to begin with. WiiU as early starter disqualified itself in the race before the others released. PS4 has beaten from the beginning the X1. Back then it was more complicated. The Wii surprised everyone. With every title it was asked if PS3 can beat X360 or stays behind. That in itself was more exciting.
Also you have seen more and change. What was exciting before induces no longer the strong reaction as it did in the past. Think, that people that started gaming with this gen or in the end of the last gen probably think this race and the released titles are more exciting than you do. As the doctor explained in one episode: with his hundreds of years lifetime he has seen anything and the universe doesn't hold any wonder anymore. but through the eyes of his changing companions he still can experience the magic.

Peesonally I find that this is the best gen for me since the PS2. But people see what they want to see

Too many cross gen games and sequels.

I said it in another thread, but this generation is in desperate need for its own versions of Bioshock, Ass Creed, Mass Effect, Gears, Uncharted etc

I totally agree with the op but I can remember a time when people were blasting the 7th gen, too.