While the technology does seem awesome, I don't see this replacing consoles anytime soon. We still don't know how this service will run when millions of people are trying to stream the same game. We DO know that much of the world doesn't have the internet speed to stream video games without some sort of lag. Then there's pricing which hasn't even been announced but it appears as though it will be subscription based, which doesn't appeal to some. This might very well be the future of gaming, but I think it'll be awhile before consoles die.

i doubt it the next gen will start in 2011 or so. M$ will strike first and try to make sony bleed bacause they will still be trying to recover their money on the PS3. Digital distribution is the future but not for many years still

Not so. Computational power is not nearly as important as the interfaces we use to play games.

Yeah I don't see it happening soon either but eventually quite possible. 

Unfortunately, some gamers won't agree with you. Even more unfortunate is when developers don't agree with you.

Some gamers and developers are just wrong, then. People don't even consider...

Tell you what I'm just going to write an editorial on this.

I agree with the fact next gen will be a while before coming but for different reasons.
In the past one of the reasons a new gen would come is that console games felt outdated compared to PC ones. However the market for high budget PC games has vastly been reduced and as a result most consoles do not feel threatened anymore by the PC and that probably won't be a factor in pushing them to upgrade.
Another thing is last gen Microsoft had clear reasons to start a new gen, they were last and clearly thought they could do better if they were given a blank slate and they didn't mind throwing money at it at all.

This gen Microsoft is probably happy with where they are and for financial reasons Sony is a no rush to work on new hardware.
And with the current recession even Microsoft has no icentive to start a new gen when the 360 is doing so good...

The only unknown is Nintendo but the Wii is selling well so they have no reason to rush things ( but they are the only one making money selling hardware so they are actually the one that benefits the most from a new gen launching).

The one thing that could change the equation would be a new company entering the hardware market but it's doubtfull before any of the current 3 drops..

Hmm I don't get the "not so", since your statement doesn't contradict mine.  I was referring to a console generation in the same manner that Pachter was -- a technological generation.

I believe you are implying that new lines of consoles will come out -- not much more powerful than the current gen, but with better interfaces and developer tools.  I totally agree on that front.

Do they really qualify as "next gen", in the traditional sense, though?  If Nintendo announces a "Wii HD" at E3 this year, with a 1.5 GHz CPU and 400 MHz GPU, 128MB main memory, 64MB video memory, etc... does that qualify as the beginning of the next generation, in your book?  Or is it just more of the same, with a new face?  How about Sony releasing a PS4, say in 2012, that is basically identical to the PS3, except with all 8 SPUs enabled, a 850MHz RSX with some architectural improvments, and maybe 512/512MB of memory, all in a slim new box.  Is that "next gen"?

Pretend that the guts of the DS are the same as those of the N64. Just humor me, for a moment.

I am saying that it has the potential to be as different as the N64 and the DS. Pachter is talking about new pieces of hardware, but it's these pieces of hardware that allow us to experience different forms of input, with or without grreater amounts of technological muscle. The tech specs are not relevant.

I guess I disagree with your assessment of what Pachter is saying.  I don't think he would mention rising dev costs, if he was referring to interface changes, as opposed to technological advancement.

If he is, then he's a chucklehead, just like everyone thinks. =)