Generally I think its been a really good generation. Great to see new IP's like Dead Space, and of course fantastic to see the Metal Gear Solid franchise continue and end as well as it started. I think this generation was a really interesting one. Whilst initially it was all about HD games, and the spectacle that brought. Then clearly the emphasis changed, more towards the online potential etc, and expansion of the consoles use to music, video services.

I thought it was particularly apt how Blu-ray really took a back seat, and whilst many would argue it was essential for many PS3 games, many Xbox players did not mind multiple disks.

However...the biggest update and development for me was downloadable titles. With the Xbox Marketplace and PSN Store we some really good, strong titles that really defined the importance of the 'indie' scene. It was really fantastic to see games such as Braid, Super Meat Boy, Castle Crashers, Journey (the list could go on) really come and take centre stage as 'important titles' than merely being 'the cheap alternative'.

I think this generation was generally definitive. As I'm sure you'll notice I have not included the Wii in much of this, and that is because (at least for me) it did trail behind. Whilst titles such as Mario and Zelda might have stayed strong, so did Metal Gear, Gears of War (insert important games that continued/originated on the preceding hardware) on the Playstation and Xbox system. However, those systems also added fundamentally to the 'gaming' platform, and really made video games/interactive entertainment finally take centre stage (where it rightly belongs) with films and music.

I think this was the generation that coined the iteration of 'blockbuster titles' with games such as GTA with development costs nearing $100 million. These are huge sums of money which show the importance of these games. As I referred to earlier, what is even more telling is how games such as Super Meat Boy (which only had 2 developers) was able to come to fruition and be played by millions of people worldwide. That is the power of this generation, and that is what is so exciting.

I'm not sure what the next generation has to offer. As terrible as this may sound, I don't think I shall be purchasing another console, as my interest in actually playing games has diminished. However, thanks to this generation games have taken, and will remain at the forefront of all entertainment, and that is something that all who work in the medium should be very proud of.