Sega’s Saturn and Dreamcast were unique, the PlayStation and PS2 just happened to clone them and have more usable features, a better price, and better marketing and third party relations.

Nintendo tends to be at its best when it’s not trying to align with other console manufacturers (particularly Gamecube) - because they end up coming off like the kiddy/junior version of the original. NES, Gameboy, DS, Wii, and Switch all went against the current and discovered new oceans. Of course, once in a while they accidentally land in a smaller lake (N64), or travel up shit creek (Virtual Boy and Wii U).

Regardless, I buy every Nintendo console. But most Nintendo fans don’t, and will be fine skipping whole generations. Look at guys like Mike Matei who is still a fanatical NES/SNES guy.

Sega’s Saturn and Dreamcast were unique, the PlayStation and PS2 just happened to clone them and have more usable features, a better price, and better marketing and third party relations.

Nintendo tends to be at its best when it’s not trying to align with other console manufacturers (particularly Gamecube) - because they end up coming off like the kiddy/junior version of the original. NES, Gameboy, DS, Wii, and Switch all went against the current and discovered new oceans. Of course, once in a while they accidentally land in a smaller lake (N64), or travel up shit creek (Virtual Boy and Wii U).

Regardless, I buy every Nintendo console. But most Nintendo fans don’t, and will be fine skipping whole generations. Look at guys like Mike Matei who is still a fanatical NES/SNES guy.

There was one gen when owning all three was very worthwhile; PS1, Saturn and N64. All consoles now are just crappy bog standard parts off the shelve, all similar to one another.

You don't think it would've been worth owning 3-4 during Gen 6?

That was a pretty unique generation. Xbox 360 and PS3 had more overlap than Xbox and PS2. 

The industry will completely collapse if console manufacturers cannot come up with unique gimmicks for systems. Furthering this graphical war will only lead to longer dev times, bigger deficits, and priced-out consumers. 

I don't think consoles need gimmicks so much as software needs innovation. That is where the industry is failing... hard. At least when it comes to the big mainstream games, anyway. Indie games have been doing well in that area for years, so they're fine. But if we want the console industry to flourish like it did in the past, you have to bring the types of games that we had in the past, games like SMB, OOT and Halo CE; games that change what we think about gaming and blow our minds the first time we see/play them. If the industry can't do that anymore, then, imo, it's only a matter of time before it all crumbles. 

I don't think consoles need gimmicks so much as software needs innovation. That is where the industry is failing... hard. At least when it comes to the big mainstream games, anyway. Indie games have been doing well in that area for years, so they're fine. But if we want the console industry to flourish like it did in the past, you have to bring the types of games that we had in the past, games like SMB, OOT and Halo CE; games that change what we think about gaming and blow our minds the first time we see/play them. If the industry can't do that anymore, then, imo, it's only a matter of time before it all crumbles. 

To an extent but not completely. The phone market is a good example of what happens once an industry reaches a point where there's no point in upgrading or innovating further. They either do it anyways or try to convince people they do so they can keep on selling.