Next-Gen Consoles. Where are they?

NOTE: IM THINKING ALOUD. IM NOT WISHING FOR A NEW CONSOLE ANYTIME SOON EITHER.
 
The N64 and Playstation lasted for about 4-5 years. The gamecube, PS2, and XBOX lasted 4-5 years. Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, 4-5 years. It's been the same trend since NES era. We heard about the 360 in 2004. It's been almost 5 years since the 360 launch, and almost 4 years since the wii and PS3 launch, and we haven't even heard a rumor of any next-gen consoles, or when we could expect them. What's up? There have been plenty of newer processors, and we've seen 2 new pcs (Vista and 7), so I don't think it's technology. Maybe it's sales. Why stop producing consoles that continue to make money, constantly. That is probably the reason. Have the maximum technological powers of the current consoles not been realised yet? Is that why no one is making anything, they still have more up their sleeve and don't want to waste their current console? I don't know. It just seems weird that we haven't heard anything.

NOTE: IM THINKING ALOUD. IM NOT WISHING FOR A NEW CONSOLE ANYTIME SOON EITHER.
 
The N64 and Playstation lasted for about 4-5 years. The gamecube, PS2, and XBOX lasted 4-5 years. Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, 4-5 years. It's been the same trend since NES era. We heard about the 360 in 2004. It's been almost 5 years since the 360 launch, and almost 4 years since the wii and PS3 launch, and we haven't even heard a rumor of any next-gen consoles, or when we could expect them. What's up? There have been plenty of newer processors, and we've seen 2 new pcs (Vista and 7), so I don't think it's technology. Maybe it's sales. Why stop producing consoles that continue to make money, constantly. That is probably the reason. Have the maximum technological powers of the current consoles not been realised yet? Is that why no one is making anything, they still have more up their sleeve and don't want to waste their current console? I don't know. It just seems weird that we haven't heard anything.

It's called Kinect and Move. 
 
From the beginning, everyone predicted this to be a long generation. We're in an age were 1st parties can reinvent a console through updates. The 360 is a totally different machine it is today than it was in 2005. Trust me, they're making new systems. It's a long process. Typically production on the next system begins immediately after the release of current hardware.

Where are the rules on how long console generations should last?

It's a longer generation.  PS3 and 360 were a bit further up the tech curve and cost more at launch.  Games development takes more time, and games development is utilizing high end tech less.  People are satisfied with the 360 and PS3.  360 and PS3 sales are still growing.  Wii is selling less than it was but is still selling very well.  It can cost billions of dollars to develop a proper console.  That's a big initial investment when the current ones are going strong.

They're stuck in a recession.

" The N64 and Playstation lasted for about 4-5 years. The gamecube, PS2, and XBOX lasted 4-5 years. We heard about the 360 in 2004. It's been almost 5 years since the 360 launch, and almost 4 years since the wii and PS3 launch, and we haven't even heard a rumor of any next-gen consoles, or when we could expect them. What's up? There have been plenty of newer processors, and we've seen 2 new pcs (Vista and 7), so I don't think it's technology. Maybe it's sales. Why stop producing consoles that continue to make money, constantly. That is probably the reason. Have the maximum technological powers of the current consoles not been realised yet? Is that why no one is making anything, they still have more up their sleeve and don't want to waste their current console? I don't know. It just seems weird that we haven't heard anything. "

As far off as possible, hopefully.

" As far off as possible, hopefully. "

I'd be happier with a 10 year cycle over a 4-5 year one.

Surely the 3DS will be the first 'next generation' consoles in it's handheld line. For home consoles you'll have to wait a while. If you get in to PC gaming you don't wait for generations. Things improve every year, or within the year.

" Surely the 3DS will be the first 'next generation' consoles in it's handheld line. For home consoles you'll have to wait a while. If you get in to PC gaming you don't wait for generations. Things improve every year, or within the year. "

I'm glad this generation is still going--I'm not exactly Mr. Moneybags.

I think 2013 we will see, or know about the new consoles. 

Its kind of a, "if it aint broke, don't fix it" sort of thing. This generation of consoles are still making huge amounts of money so there is no real need to replace the systems. Also it is a lot cheaper to upgrade systems then it is to build entirely new ones, the Playstation 3's development costed Sony millions and millions of dollars so they might as well wring it out for all they can.  

Wait for 2014 this gen consoles were planed for a ten years cycle.

" I'm glad this generation is still going--I'm not exactly Mr. Moneybags. "

Five words, it's a recession.

I would be happy to not see new consoles until 2012, or maybe even 2013. I don't need them.
 
Do you?

" Five words, it's a recession. "

Upgrade your PC. Considering how often 360s continue to overheat I don't know why you're in a rush to pressure MS to put something out 3 times as powerful that fucks up even more.

I dont know but console makers need to keep up this stagnation its awesome /sarcasm 
 
at least PC hardware has superseded game requirements exponentially at this point. 

They are not interested in making a new console. If you want more graphics or the next best thing, just build a pc and get some really high def 30" monitor. I belive this might be the very last set of consoles, kinect and ps move is sort of the next step. After that, we will have things like onlive or streamed based gaming without disc media. It's too expensive to launch another set of consoles right now, they will delay it as much as possible.

Depending on how successful Kinect and PS Move are, this generation will go for another 5 years, then a new console will come out, then the xbox 360 will stop getting games five years after that. I think Microsoft are trying to do what Sony has done with the PS2, only better, and a shitload more technologically advanced.

" Five words : Five words, it's a recession. "

Fuck your thinking out loud 
There is not a single point to at all to a new Gen of consoles.

I personally believe it's because we have currently reached the apex of graphical fidelity (i think it's fidelity, I don't know).  Because if you looked at each generation of the console over the last few years it was MOSTLY a graphics update.  Now that we've reached this apex, what do we do the console makers do now?  That's where Kinect and Move come in, it's a testing ground for something new.  Something that's irrelevant to graphics. 
 
I'd wager that that Kinect and Move will at least stall the next generation for about 2-3 years before we see new consoles (insert foot in mouth here).  Until then I'm happy to have a long console generation right now, we need to see what else we can do outside of graphics.

Ah, silly console users and they're glacial-paced platforms. Come to the PC! We have constant improvements, warm milk and cookies.

Like the internets, making games is expensive, and people would like to get the most out of their technology in this economic climate.

Also, I don't think the big companies really know where to go with their next consoles.
They will probably be pretty different in terms of online connectivity and controls (depending on the success of Move and Kinect).
I'm liking this current generation, graphics are fine on my 720p display, I like the controls and because of a few updates here and there, it doesn't feel too old yet.

" Where are the rules on how long console generations should last? "

You'll probably see new consoles starting to pop up Q4 2012, at which point the support for the currently platforms will start to slowly taper off to the end of the 10 year support cycle.

There are too many new technologies being adopted too quickly for the old system of "console generation" to be efficient. Not four years ago, if Sony wanted to allow Netflix streaming on a device, they would have to plan ahead and release new hardware for it. If you look at a PS3 now compared to when it launched, it has a completely different set of features. Same goes for the 360. 
However, both systems have pathetic RAM, even by the standards of their launch dates. 
If anything forces a new console generation on us sooner rather than later, I would guess it'd be on developers needing a realistic amount of memory to play with. 
I would bet that in two years you'll be able to buy a console that is only slightly more graphically capable, but has a standard 4 gigs of RAM.
 
While I'm feeling psychic....................Bears lose tomorrow. 
Oh yes......I feel it.......

They're probably spending about a billion or 2 billion in research
for the next gen console, so I don't expect them to produce a new
one so quickly. In fact, it seems they could be churning them out
a lot more slowly in future generations.