Topic: current gen or next gen

You were trying to be humorous? Honestly, I couldn't tell.

yeah, considering the internet, there is a worrisome amount of things that should be clearly ironic but are still said unironically

People are seriously stupid sometimes.

The Wii U is next gen. The reason for this is because it's the latest console from Nintendo. The Wii is last gen. "Next gen" has nothing to do with graphics etc. Even my younger brother who is a gamer and has a high-end PC knows this. Next gen just means that it's the newest console from whoever made it.

Example: If Samsung made a "beefy" console, it wouldn't be next gen because it's their first console in their "console cycle".

If the PS4/720 are "next generation" then by any definition this theoretical Samsung console would also be "next generation". It's also possible for two successive consoles from the same manufacturer to be of the "same" generation. Or at least considered to be. If the Wii U as it is had been released in 2009 and was just starting to wind down now it would have been of the Wii/PS3/360 generation. They would have just had two consoles in that cycle. However it was released at a time when all of the consoles of last generation are all winding down. It's life will mostly exist in competition with the PS4/720 and so it is of that generation.

It's very simple.

I don't think like how others think about this "next gen" wars. To me it's basically this:

Nintendo: NES (1st gen), SNES (2nd gen), N64 (3rd gen), GC (4th gen), Wii (5th gen), Wii U (6th gen).
Sony: PS (1st gen), PS2 (2nd gen), PS3 (3rd gen), PS4 (4th gen).
Microsoft: Xbox (1st gen), Xbox 360 (2nd gen), Xbox "Infinity/720" (3rd gen).

So I must admit, I take back what I said earlier. Wii U is current gen, just like how PS4/Xbox 720 will be current gen when released.

I also think a lot of people define generation by power and in that respect the Wii U is current gen, as the Next-Generation console are league's ahead in that respect and thats just fact.

I am more concerned about the massive twist of video games in general. From a lot of colourful platformers, to more and more grim, violent and Hollywood movie-like games. That's why i turn more and more into a retro boy.

On the other hand.....newer technologies are truly facinating to me, and i'm always curious to what's coming next (gen)

That's why Nintendo is the savior of video games, at least for me. They're staying away from the stupid M rating. Tbh, I think the M rating is just an excuse to make older "hardcore" gamers gain self-esteem and to not make them feel old for games But they're spoiled-minded by thinking everything else kiddy becase it doesn't have the usual gore, nudity and swearing, which add NOTHING to the gameplay or story. I mean, why not lower the rating by removing all that so all people can enjoy it? Games are meant to be enjoyed by everyone, no matter what the age, and all that wouldn't even affect gameplay at the slightest.

This, a thousand times.

The Wii U is next-gen. It's a new product. Therefore, it's next-gen. Why is this so hard for people to understand?

Oh that's right, because next-gen = MOAR POOOOOWWWWWEEEEERRRRRRRR!!!

...right?

NINTENDO NEEDS MORE MEDABOTS! 8D

All that matters is how the industry sees and defines it. Everyone else can call the Wii-U a potato if they wish. It doesn't mean anything.

Well you should because that's a pretty odd view. I think wikipedia has a pretty good view on what the generations are:
1: Magnavox Oddssey, Coleco Telstar, Nintendo Color TV Game
2: Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Intellivision, Magnavox Oddssey, ColecoVision, Game & Watch
3: NES, Master System, Atari 7800
4: TurboGrafx, Genesis, SNES, Neo Geo, Gameboy, Game Gear, Atari Lynx
5: 3DO, Atari Jaguar, Sega Saturn, PS, N64, Virtual Boy, Gameboy Color, Sega Nomad
6: Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, GBA, NGage
7: 360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP
8: Wii U, PS4, "720", 3DS, PSVita

I cut a lot of the consoles in some of the generations because some had a lot of competitors. It's interesting how there's a bit of a boom and bust cycle. After a very good console generation a whole bunch of new players come in and the vast majority fail. There's plenty of reason to think that this generation will be a bit like that.

........ but the above is pretty much the generally accepted view of which consoles are in which generations.

It`s current gen in power. Simple as that.

Honestly,this isn't about wether wii u is next gen,of corse its next gen.Its really about wether it can stand up to other next gen console in terms to third party content.Most devs are going more more powerful consoles not knowing what their missing with wii u.

Anyone who say's power is not necessary is talking rubbish, else the Wii would never evolve to become the Wii U with more power. But as consoles are frozen in-time for around 5years usually, you can only make one upgrade when your manufacturing a console. And why is it most people on here see's power as just graphics? when it's to do with console performance, smarter AI, better physic's etc. What is it don't you want your games to evolve with less loading times, bigger open worlds, smarter AI etc, or would you like to carry-on with the same old games.

Nope. As skywake mentioned, it uses more recent technology, technically making it a generation ahead of the PS3 and Xbox 360.

It's next gen, simply because of release dates. That's all generation means.

Its not really a debate. Officially its a 8th generation console. As is Ouya. What gen is not a question of performance, its about the period if time its being released in. 3DS and Vita is in the same gen, amarite?

There are really two ways to look at it, and one of them is irrelevant. One in noteworthy power and performance, and the other is time period related. They could release the equivalent of an Attari 2600 today, but what good would a 'next gen' label be for it? It would be irrelevant, and not considered seriously.

I suppose there is a third way to look at it. Next gen for Nintendo's line of product, specifically.

Same with DS and PSP.... or Gameboy anything and any of it's various non-Poketetris possessing competitors....