In one respect, I think the next generation is premature. I think the optical drive choices and their consequences from both Microsoft and Sony are rather telling if you think that 2006 was just too soon to be releasing either of these units. Consider what Microsoft needed to do to release the console at the end of 2005; not only were they taking losses, which is normal, but they opened themselves up to that Dreamcast 2.0 argument because they had to say no to any next-generation disc format. In the longer run, more space is always better no matter how good at compression someone is; the last big jump from one format to another had developers making the jump too, and leaving the more intransignent one at a disadvantage. DVDs work now for 360 games, but can anyone easily make the guarantee in two years' time? The price was somewhat kept in line compared to the PS3, but the console is compromised even though it's an increasingly worthy purchase for games.
Sony is setting itself up to release an uncompromised console in 2006, and look at the sacrifices they and we would have to make to support it. SCE is taking tremendous losses without the overall corporate health that would lessen the shock. And you're all going to pay at least $500 US before a price drop, which will occur at a time we can't predict with certainty. So in 2007 maybe we'd see a more reasonable launch price, but releasing a better next-generation console now means high prices and gimped consoles if you're getting the $500 version. Both seem like bad choices to me; Microsoft compromising their console and forcing high accessory prices to get out in front. Sony abusing gamers' wallets to launch a console forced to push a new console instead of taking advantage of it like the PS2 did.
And the state of current consoles doesn't easily justify their premature ends. The PS2 is selling strongly and has great titles that people here want badly. The Xbox was becoming more legitimate with every passing month; some have argued that the system was prematurely killed off when it was finally in its stride. Internal political reasons were the big reasons for them to depart us so soon; the PS3 is meant to push a new format in the upcoming war and the Xbox group had a console they couldn't profit from, which says something about their choices more than it says something about the need for a new generation in 2006.
