When you should wait for the ninth generation of gaming consoles?

Any self-respecting gamer knows that all, without exception, gaming console is divided into the generation. At the moment, for example, the available game consoles eighth generation, which began in 2012, which includes Nintendo Wii U, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (as well as their pumped configuration — Pro PS4 and Xbox One X). Many are asking: when can we expect the ninth console generation? Let's hear what they think about the leading analysts of the gaming industry, heads of major game publishers, and simply reflect on this topic.

The Nintendo Wii U came to light in late 2012 and was very unusual from a technical point of view. Hefty controller with an inbuilt screen made the gameplay very fresh feel. I remember family members and friends spent a wonderful evening in virtual worlds Nintendo. However, this enthusiasm is not shared by all gamers. It turned out that the Japanese publisher save much on hardware, why released a year after PlayStation 4 greatly surpassed the Wii U in terms of graphics quality and special effects. And the game lineup Nintendo has been quite poor, though, and included some great games. But the cruel joke with this console was the fact that the unsuccessful advertising campaign confused buyers who thought that the Wii U is — it's just an accessory for the previous console the Wii. In the end a few years of existence, the console has sold a ridiculous run of 15 million boxes, after which it was removed from production.

Sony didn't have a very good for seventh generation, which began for her failure, with the result that the company suffered huge losses right for a mistake simply did not have. The competent advertising campaign, a good starting lineup of video games, an elaborate iron PS4 that meets at that time all the requirements of the market, and also the low price of 399 dollars did the trick. After entering the sale in November 2013, the console began to buy up like hotcakes. Into the hands of the Japanese was played by the fact that Microsoft "lost his way" and tried to turn their next console into a media center with built-in TV tuner.

Microsoft not only paid off with the TV functions of the console, and was planning to ban the resale of video games, trying to defeat unwanted "secondary market", and to force all their users around the clock to be connected to the Internet, to eliminate the possibility of piracy in the case of a break-Xbox One hackers. The cost of the console was $ 100 higher than the PS4, as the included Kinect 2.0 (now dead and forgotten, like many other Microsoft projects). In addition, Sony strongly ahead of the Redmond company to develop its new console and games for it, so to present the Xbox One the audience had in a hurry: the starting lineup of games was still simply not ready.

Since then has flowed away a lot of water. The market has put everything in its place. Nintendo Wii U with all its advantages were not wanted, the Xbox One won the race in second place, and the clear leader of the industry again became Sony. The eighth generation was extremely unusual, because it was born the first intermediate model of gaming consoles. I mean PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Pro X. the Producers decided to design a more powerful set-top boxes, capable of delivering 4K resolution in the color range of HDR, as well as more spectacular special effects in the already released games of the current generation. Previously, such attempts to mitigate the shortcomings of the aging of iron in the gaming industry was not. Except that I remember the Sega company, which produced for its Sega Mega Drive first disk drive with the Sega CD and then the Sega 32X extension.

But everyone understands that sooner or later it should happen: the light will be a full-fledged game console, a new ninth generation. In principle, the first sign can be called Switch Nintendo, however, Nintendo is positioning their creation as something outside of generations (many attribute the Switch to the current eighth generation). We already told you about this wonderful hybrid the console . Now in this console are just fine and the manufacturer struggles to cope with growing demand. But we all know that most gamers are waiting for the next move from Microsoft and Sony. So historically, what between these two giants comes the main confrontation within the console gaming industry.

A well-Known analyst Matt Piscatella with NPD for many years, exploring trends in the gaming industry and the state of the market, believes that Sony will release its PlayStation 5 not before 2020. But Matt also does not exclude that the Japanese can make a knight's move, as it happened in 2013, when quite unexpectedly, they presented the PS4, ahead of its us rivals and catching them by surprise. In fact, sales of the current model PlayStation are just wonderful, and today around the world sold more than 80 million consoles PS4. Console Microsoft sold about twice as worse and the company had long since ceased to publish data on sales. Apparently, shy.

Another analyst Lewis ward from IDC is betting on 2021. It was then, in his opinion, Microsoft and Sony will present their new gaming console world. There are more speculations. For example, some experts suggest that at the end of this year or early 2019, the Sony can show us what will be their new console. The more that work on it has been going on for several years, and it started almost after the release of the PS4 in 2013. This was confirmed officially by representatives of the Japanese company. If so, then it is foolish to assume that Microsoft engineers sitting idly by. Losing to nil in the current generation, Redmond will do everything that depends on them to win in the next.

Now Microsoft is trying to create for the future for its new console. But if Sony does this with the opening of new studios, create new IP and existing franchises, as well as focusing on developing exclusive games like the Death of Stranding, Detroit: Become Human, God of War, Spider Man, the Last of Us: Part II, Days Gone and others, Microsoft chose a typical for the American business way. The Redmond company began to buy up ready-made franchise and redeem the exclusive projects of other studios. It happened with Minecraft and PUBG, it is not excluded that in the near future we'll hear that Microsoft has acquired the guts of any major developer that is gaining success. However, how effective will such a way to win the love of the gaming community — only time will tell.

Representatives of major game publishers clearly know something that we don't know, mere mortals. For example, the President of Ubisoft, Yves gilmo in his February interview, said that the new consoles from Sony and Microsoft should not be expected earlier than in two years. This, again, confirms assumptions of analysts regarding the release of the consoles in 2020-2021 years. We hope that this will evolve is completely unpredictable, it is difficult to say. We offer you to debate and discuss this topic in the comments to this material.