When does Next Gen start?

Its truly a question at the end of each generation.  As the life force of the NES draw near to an end, there was the dawn of a new age in the SNES.  The Sega Genesis was already on the market so did the next gen start with the SNES?  The comparisons between the SNES and Sega Genesis are ingrained within the minds of gamers for that decade.  So which system was next gen?

Next Gen -> 16 bit processors, intricate controller layouts w/ ergonomic design.

Chronologically, we have the Sega CD and 32X but lets forget about them.  If anything is truly next gen at that time ... was the inclusion of the CD ROM format for Sega.  Truly pioneering at that point but poorly executed.

As the SNES faded away into the sunset, along came the N64.  With the N64 launching, what did Sega and Sony do?  Both launched CD-ROM based consoles and arguably at the prime time.  Nintendo kept to their catridge format but all three consoles touted 3D graphics powered by an improved architecture (more RAM, CPU clock speed, etc).  Sega and Sony progressed, Nintendo didn't.  So which system was next gen?

Next Gen -> 3D graphics, 32 and 64 bit processors, acceptance of CD-ROM as standard format, analogue control.

As the N64, PSOne, and Saturn (early death) generation came to a close, enter PS2, Sega Dreamcast, and the Nintendo Gamecube, and a fourth entry, the Microsoft Xbox.  Sony spoke of unparalleled power in the Emotion Engine.  We all saw the tech demoes and were completely floored by them.  The Dreamcast entered onto the scene with a format called GD-ROM (a gigabyte disc) and boasting an online infrastructe called SegaNet. 

Next Gen -> 128 bit processors, acceptance of DVD-ROM as standard format, HD drive, and Xbox live.

Note that this is Next Gen in my eyes.  Graphically, there is a pretty huge leap with PSOne/ versus the PS2/Xbox/Gamecube/Dreamcast when it came to 3D graphics.  What Dreamcast started on the online front, Microsoft transcended with Xbox Live.  Xbox Live was next gen to the console world although not being conceptually new to PC gamers.  Games started to creep closer to the realism line like Gran Turismo 3: A-spec.  Words such as AI (Artificial Intelligence) and aliasing became buzz words for this generation (and still is).  Halo for Xbox solidifed the need for more online games in the console realm.  Microsoft thought ahead this generation with the inclusion of a hard disc drive.  Who would have thought it?  Rip music to the HDD and play it during gameplay.  Xbox was the only system that included a HDD on every system sold.

Now, enter the current generation.  As you can see from the previous generations, you can see a natural evolution of hardware and format.  In this generation, there are 3 consoles; the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii.  The 360 is still a 128 bit machine with a faster core processor.  It still has the widely accepted DVD format (DVD9).  It still has a HDD drive (bigger), and Xbox live (more unified service).  One can argue that the Xbox Live is just the de facto standard in what an online service should be and I tend to agree with that comment.  Is Xbox Live (for 360) next gen?  The PS3 is also a 128 bit machine with more processors.  It is trying to adopt and standardize a format called Blue Ray.  It has a bigger HDD and an online service called the Playstation network (an unrealized concept introduced on the PS2).  What is so different about the two?  Three things that I think will define this generation.

1.  Distributed Computing
2.  Blu Ray
3.  User developed content

OK, lets forget about single processors and dual/quad cores.  Imagine the power of 10 processors working concurrently.  PS3 owners saw a preview of this with the Folding @ Home project.  Imagine a true online world powered by a community of PS3 consoles.  One console is limited by the contraints of components that make up the system.  If there are N number of consoles, the limit is a moving target.  Since N is undefined, the power used to create this world is also undefined.  Is this the vision for PS Home or is Home just the first step to the vision of Ken Kutaragi.

Why is Blu Ray a generation defining concept?  Look at the history of consoles.  Catridges to CD-ROM to DVD-ROM to ...  What format is going to fill in the next gap?  As games become more complex and closer to bridging the reality gap, size will matter.  Until then, the constant argument of DVD9 versus Blue Ray will always be a hot topic.  High definition gaming goes beyond a game with high definition graphics.  What about the sound?  What about the extra content?  It is certainly not for the casual gamer today but it will become standard in my opinion.

One of the best concepts to be realized is user developed/generated content.  This type of content should be controlled in my opinion in the way that Little Big Planet is suggesting.  User developed content can also be in the ways of what XNA offers to future 360 developers but it doesn't hit the spectrum of users as enabled content creation within the application.  Content creation isn't something new.  It is however new to console gaming where the creation can be shared within a community.  This goes with the philosophy that the best game designers are the gamers themselves.

Now, I am NOT saying that PS3 is the start of next generation.  I think that the 360 is the start of the next generation for this gen.  However, I do not think the title of 'next generation' can come to full fruition with the 360.  The next gen might have started with the 360, but it will end on a good note with the PS3.