Next Gen/Current Gen/Last Gen

[superballs]

OK everyone. Not sure about all of you guys but one thing about the 360/PS3 generation was that almost 2years into it the 360 and PS3 were referred to as "next gen" while the previous generation being called "current gen".

This is my call to action for our community because I like to think that even the dumbest person here is smarter than the average net citizen.

Quite frankly, as soon as the new consoles drop...they become current gen and our current current gen becomes last gen while next gen is the ps5/xboxπr^2.

I think that for the posterity of the universe, we need to adhere to this nomenclature standard...even of only to make ourselves feel even more enlightened as a community than we already rightfully do simply by being fans of the wonderful activity that we refer to as pinball.

What say you? Can I get a what what?

 

[Jeff Strong]

Yeah! The "next gen" tag always seemed weird to me.

 

[brakel]

About a year after the PS3 came out I saw some kid wrote a letter to the editor that was published in game informer and he asked what the generation after the PS3/360 would be referred to as since the PS3/360 was the "next gen". Would it be the "next-next gen" was what he asked. It probably blew his mind that the next generation would also be referred to as "next gen"!

 

[Jeff Strong]

Ha, sort of reminds of the "new" iPad...

 

[superballs]

Given how far this thread is in the whats new search I fear we have an up hill battle.

 

[Kemetman72]

As soon as the next version, let's say the ipad, is released it might as well be called obsolete or at least it's days are numbered. Companies are always working on the "next gen" of products. I remember when Ken Kuteragi creator of the PS2 and PS3 said that the PS3 would be a console which people would work two jobs for. Well let's say in Japan if something real big doesn't go their way they step down and so did he. Now flash forward to today. If I read in another article that Mark Cerny has said "The PS4 is a high-end PC" I'll puke. I know it's just hype, because if it were really that high-end we'd be able to play 4k games in ultramax settings. My son has an AMD 8 core that stock is rated at 4.0 ghz. He has it overclocked close to 5 ghz. So either Cerny is nuts or Sony themsleves NEEDS to win this time around. R&D can take quite some time as all of you know, but it's weird how both Sony and M$ used the same company. I am only commenting on the PS4 because they're the ones who seem to be more aggressive on the ad side and in interviews.
So if our Xbox 360/PS3 are current gen what the heck is the WII U? Catch up current gen? Nintendo got lucky with the Wii and I knew it. The Vita can remote play all it wants but who wants to see severely down-graded graphics. Yeah I know about the Vita TV, but until the price of their memory sticks go down, you could give me 1 for free and I wouldn't use it. It's kind of ironic on a monthly basis the 3DS, which can't even emualte a pinball rom, it totally whooping everyone's butt. They will overtake the PS3/Xbox360 if they haven't already in units sold through. Yet the Vita is far more powerful. It's called good 3rd party support which no console that doesn't have it is going to win. I mean the PSP is still supported in Japan. I have always wondered why Sony won't make the PS3 compatible with the PSP. I am quite sure it could be done. They might actually sell some real figure that way.
So like in the PC world where your PC depending in its specs can be constantly upgraded, there's the closed architecture of the consoles. So guess what technically whether it's current-gen or next gen you can bet that probably in a year or 2 they will begin work on its succcessor. To me it doesn't matter whether it's a next gen console or tablet I go where ever the games I like are.

 

[kimkom]

About a year after the PS3 came out I saw some kid wrote a letter to the editor that was published in game informer and he asked what the generation after the PS3/360 would be referred to as since the PS3/360 was the "next gen". Would it be the "next-next gen" was what he asked. It probably blew his mind that the next generation would also be referred to as "next gen"!

Ha ha, nice one

 

[Mark W**a]

I remember this and I don't think well have the same problems.

360 is 8 years old, not 4 years old like the Xbox was when. 360 launched. Plus there's no overlap. PS2 was still relevant a good year since ps3 released in 06.

It will drive me crazy if people call 360/PS3 current in 2 months. They're ancient!!

 

[Mark W**a]

As soon as the next version, let's say the ipad, is released it might as well be called obsolete or at least it's days are numbered. Companies are always working on the "next gen" of products. I remember when Ken Kuteragi creator of the PS2 and PS3 said that the PS3 would be a console which people would work two jobs for. Well let's say in Japan if something real big doesn't go their way they step down and so did he. Now flash forward to today. If I read in another article that Mark Cerny has said "The PS4 is a high-end PC" I'll puke. I know it's just hype, because if it were really that high-end we'd be able to play 4k games in ultramax settings. My son has an AMD 8 core that stock is rated at 4.0 ghz. He has it overclocked close to 5 ghz. So either Cerny is nuts or Sony themsleves NEEDS to win this time around. R&D can take quite some time as all of you know, but it's weird how both Sony and M$ used the same company. I am only commenting on the PS4 because they're the ones who seem to be more aggressive on the ad side and in interviews.
So if our Xbox 360/PS3 are current gen what the heck is the WII U? Catch up current gen? Nintendo got lucky with the Wii and I knew it. The Vita can remote play all it wants but who wants to see severely down-graded graphics. Yeah I know about the Vita TV, but until the price of their memory sticks go down, you could give me 1 for free and I wouldn't use it. It's kind of ironic on a monthly basis the 3DS, which can't even emualte a pinball rom, it totally whooping everyone's butt. They will overtake the PS3/Xbox360 if they haven't already in units sold through. Yet the Vita is far more powerful. It's called good 3rd party support which no console that doesn't have it is going to win. I mean the PSP is still supported in Japan. I have always wondered why Sony won't make the PS3 compatible with the PSP. I am quite sure it could be done. They might actually sell some real figure that way.
So like in the PC world where your PC depending in its specs can be constantly upgraded, there's the closed architecture of the consoles. So guess what technically whether it's current-gen or next gen you can bet that probably in a year or 2 they will begin work on its succcessor. To me it doesn't matter whether it's a next gen console or tablet I go where ever the games I like are.

Except that's not the case here.

iPad 1 isn't even 8 or 7 years old. Consoles refresh every 5-7 years or so, unlike mobile devices.

Personally I find this yearly refresh appalling. Both from an environmental standpoint, anti consumerism standpoint, it's really out of hand and really stupid. Fact is my iPhone 4S is only. 2 years old and thanks to ios7 it's "obsolete".

 

[Nightwing]

Except that's not the case here.

iPad 1 isn't even 8 or 7 years old. Consoles refresh every 5-7 years or so, unlike mobile devices.

Personally I find this yearly refresh appalling. Both from an environmental standpoint, anti consumerism standpoint, it's really out of hand and really stupid. Fact is my iPhone 4S is only. 2 years old and thanks to ios7 it's "obsolete".

Completely agree. The whole cell phone "upgrade" craze is completely ridiculous. But more & more people are doing it,it seems. And when the PS4/XBOne launch, they will be the "current" gen. Although,look at all the Android-based systems out,or coming out, What do you call those???

 

[Sean DonCarlos]

Well, considering I went from the original BlackBerry Storm straight to an iPhone 5, I figure I won't be upgrading until the iPhone 12 comes out.

 

[Sexton Hardcastle]

In general, the mobile market never ceases to amaze me with its ability to get customers to purchase new hardware at a near-constant rate. People will plop down $600 without thinking twice, but then complain bitterly about the price of a $5 app.

 

[Mark W**a]

Well, considering I went from the original BlackBerry Storm straight to an iPhone 5, I figure I won't be upgrading until the iPhone 12 comes out.

Good man.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how they exploit us. iPhone 4S on ios6: butter smooth, no glitches or issues that I can see. On iOS 7 it's stuttery and laggy. Meaning, "geee wiz, I better upgrade!" Nope. Not gunna happen.

The same thing will happen to you Sean when ios8 drops. Your 5 will be "obsolete". Just don't upgrade and you're good.

And yeah I did similar went from ghetto flip phone to iPhone 4S.

 

[netizen]

In general, the mobile market never ceases to amaze me with its ability to get customers to purchase new hardware at a near-constant rate. People will plop down $600 without thinking twice, but then complain bitterly about the price of a $5 app.

http://theoatmeal.com/blog/apps

 

[shoelacious]

As the dumbest person here , I have to disagree.

Hardware is "current gen" if the MFs (manufacturers, naughty reader) are still selling & supporting it. To mistake "current" for "newest" is very good for the MFs but not very good for the poor CSs (consumers).

"Next gen" is best left for things those MFs aren't yet selling. On that count I agree. Upon release, "next" joins the ranks of "current gen"... whereas "last gen" is more like "unsupported," "out of print," etc.

So, my opinion, they can hype their wares, but I won't give them the language. "Current" already means something (active now). So does "generation" (a group of contemporaries). Let us not so readily slide on the grease of promotional prose, nor join them in using the wrong word for everything.