The GI Editors recently asked the GI Community to have a discussion about whether WiiU is the same generation as Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
WiiU definitely IS in Generation 8. But it's NOT the same console generation as Xbox One and PS4.
In terms of traditional Console Generations (which is what everyone is using as the framework for the original discussion), the just-released systems are actually Generation 9. Read on to see why.
The main debate on the GI editor's post revolved around whether it was timing or hardware that define a "console generation." I think this is too simple an argument and misses the real issue.
One user gave the definition that a "console generation" is defined by the consoles' timing, technology and new ideas - I think this is a far more comprehensive take. So using that definition, the evidence shows that Generation 8 already came and is well underway. Let's look at those three criteria one by one.
1. Timing
The normal timing for a new "console generation" to release is about 4-6 years. You can reference the Nintendo timeline above to look at the years yourself - having been around longer than Sony or Microsoft they give us the longest, unbroken history to look at.
How long exactly a console manufacturer waits usually depends on how well it is selling/doing compared to its direct competitors. If you are 'winning' the console generation, you have less incentive to want to start the next generation (new consoles tend to be expensive for the manufacturers, games/accessory sales are where their money is made).
Look at the Nintendo timeline, again, as reference. The original NES was dominant at the time, and enjoyed a full 6 year reign. Pressure from Sega increased through the 90s, so we saw a 5-year span before N64, which experienced similar pressure from the original PlayStation (another 5-year span). GameCube, however, started losing significant market share to Sony and newcomer Microsoft, so we saw the shortest time span of only 4 years. With the Wii's massive financial success, it again enjoyed a lengthy 6-year span.
Not only does success/failure compared to the competition determine the length of a console's life, but also when the next systems release. The original Playstation did well vs. N64 thanks to its controller, games, and use of CDs, but it was still only a 32-bit system facing a 64-bit one. Which prompted Sony to move first for the next generation (releasing the 128-bit PS2).
The first Xbox made a solid name for itself and got Microsoft in the door, largely thanks to Halo, its online/LAN usage, and its powerful hardware. But despite that it still was losing heavily to PS2 in sales, so Microsoft moved first with the next generation to rectify that, with the 360 in 2005.
The three Generation 7 consoles.
So based on these "console generation" trends and numbers, when did (or should) Generation 8 have occurred?
Exactly when you could have expected it to! To be more precise, 3-6 years after the previous generation, based on success of the previous generation.
2009-2010- Sony jumps to "Generation 8" with the PS3 Slim and Move Support. Being 3-4 years after the original PlayStation 3, this is the shortest span. But PS3 had been last in sales by a decent margin, until this change (which was accompanied by a significant price drop as well).
2010 - Microsoft jumps to "Generation 8" with the Xbox 360 Slim and Kinect. This is 5 years after the original Xbox 360, a normal span since they were in the middle of the pack.
2012 - Nintendo jumps to "Generation 8" with WiiU. They could wait a full 6 years (despite many Nintendo fans asking for an update sooner) because they had dominated the sales charts through the first 4 years (losing some steam once Microsoft and Sony went Gen 8). This is the norm in the industry - your competitor jumps a generation, and you need to do so as well within a few years to stay relevant.
2. Technology & Hardware
Xbox across three console generations: 7, 8 & 9.
As with all console generations before it, the "Generation 8" consoles were partially a response to technological changes and to perceived drawbacks compared to their competitors. As technology in the rest of the world changes, the consoles need to keep pace. And if your competitor's system did something in the last gen that yours did not, your new system needs to remedy that.
It's about playing catch-up, or closing the gap, between the systems. And it happened in 2009-2012 with the true "Generation 8."
Motion Controls: Nintendo had this piece of tech in Generation 7, and it was commonly credited as the main reason they won the sales battle in that generation. So Microsoft added the tech in "Gen 8" by releasing Kinect and including it in new bundles. Sony added the tech by releasing Move and adding it to new bundles. Both these hardware additions came at the usual time for a new generation, and with the new 'slim' units.
2nd-Screens: It's harder to say who struck first with this one, but all 3 console manufacturers had to keep pace. Nintendo obviously made the biggest waves by announcing well in advance of launch that WiiU would have a tablet controller. Sony arguably had PSP/Vita integration for the PS3 before the other 2nd screen options - but this was not something they had (or pushed) at the launch of Generation 7, but was rather an addition later on in the "Generation 8" phase. Microsoft stayed in this race, and tried to take the wind out of Nintendo's sails with the release of SmartGlass.
High-Definition: Xbox and PS3 started with 720 support, something Nintendo thought unimportant at the time. Over the years, it became more standard for 360/PS3 to have 1080 games at higher frame-rates, and the 360 units without HDMI ports were phased out. By the time we entered the "Generation 8" phase, Sony was pushing 3D TV support as the new tech. Nintendo had to rectify this with their Generation 8 console, so WiiU has full HD support.
Hard-drives/memory: All 3 systems saw changes here as well, between Generation 7 and Generation 8. Nintendo had the most obvious, going from the tiny internal memory of Wii (requiring memory cards) to a small hard-drive for WiiU. Sony and Microsoft saw the changes as well. Microsoft's early systems had an option without a hard-drive that could not be played online, and the high-end version was 20 GB. By the time the Slim was releasing (Generation 8) it was normal to have 250 GB or even higher hard-drives built in. Sony followed a similar trend, something needed when mandatory game installs became the norm in the later years (in the "Generation 8" phase). We also saw the opening up of memory options in Generation 8, as PS3 allowed external hard-drives (or replacing the internal ones), Xbox "Gen 8" allowed flash-drives/externals to be formatted for storage, and WiiU allowing externals as well.
Controller Changes:Controller changes are a norm for new generations, and we saw these as well by the time "Generation 8" was in full swing. Not just the addition of motion, as mentioned above. Sony started with the Sixasis, but made the first move (again, not surprising based on their sales at the time) with DualShock 3. Nintendo waited until Microsoft and Sony announced their "Generation 8" tech before updating their Generation 7 controllers with the MotionPlus (then introducing brand new controllers with WiiU). Microsoft also updated their controller well in advance of the actual Xbox One announcements. The gold controller above is my favored one, and has contoured joysticks closer to the Xbox One controller as well as the new rotating D-pad (a response, like most tech changes, to Generation 7 controller criticism).
Compatibility:This is not a note about new technology, but rather one final point about distinguishing "console generations." Generally, all tech within a generation for a console is compatible, tech between generations is not. Try plugging a 360 Slim power cable into an original (Gen 7) Xbox 360 - doesn't work. A lot of the accessories we use and games we play now on Xbox 360 and PS3 would not be compatible the original "Gen 7 units," just as the original "Gen 7" unites featured backward compatibility to "Gen 6" that the latest "Gen 8" units do not.
