Eigth Generation of Gaming

We already know Wii U is already on the market & is made by Nintendo. Nintendo got ahead start on HDMI era(8th generation video gaming) the same way Sega got ahead start in Sixth Generation with the Dreamcast. What about Nintendo Wii U's competitors? No competitors have been officially revealed yet despite news of next gen consoles competing with Nintendo such as Sony Playstation 4, Microsoft Xbox 720, & Valve Steambox. I will list manufacturers that have already revealed their consoles, have yet to reveal, & have yet to even jump in.

Already revealed/released
Nintendo
Wii U
Released in November 2012, the Wii U became the first gaming console to require HDMI input. The Wii U also came with it's Gamepad which could be used for many different functions which tops out Xbox 360 & Playstation 3 on that. There's a good reason why Wii U is HDMI because it's graphics are as crisp as they can be at this present time. You can see the difference between Wii U & Xbox 360/PS3/Wii. The Wii U for some games may require the Wii remote but Wii remotes are compatable with Wii U as the console is also backwards compatable with all Wii games once Wii U first update is installed. Patience is a virtue here so just wait a couple hours for download. To play Wii games, go to Wii menu where you must use Wii controllers/peripherals. Notable Wii U hits include New Super Mario Bros U, Nintendo Land, & Sonic All Star Racing. Wii U is the most advanced console at the present time but will be outmatched by competitors within a year or two. For now, Wii U has the best graphics to date.

Ouya
An android based console set for $99, the Ouya will be able to play android games at home. It also utilizes the OnLive games which are around 300 in amount but I don't know how much punishment the Ouya will take. It could fit into a hollowed out Nintendo Gamecube. Sadly, it has only 1 GB ram memory. It does require HDMI input & there are some free to play stuff here. I presume you could play many of the games you could normally play on PS3/Xbox 360 on Ouya. It doesn't get released until March-April 2013. If Driver San Francisco, Saints Row The Third, Sleeping Dogs, & LA Noire can be played on Ouya, I guess I could consider. This console is alien from other consoles but after reading more about it Ouya will play similar to home consoles but just in Android style.

Semi-Confirmed but not revealed
Sony
Playstation 4/Orbis
Sony has always been one step ahead of the game most of the time in terms of technology considering their controller & disc capacity. Blu-Ray was the drive for Playstation 3 & yet alongside Xbox 360 & Wii is getting old now but PS3 is looking younger than 360. If you think DualShock Controller was cutting edge at the time it first came for Playstation One, then Sony has a suprise for you. It's alleged new controller will include two Playstation Move balls on top of it & can be detached in half like something you would snap on & off. It would also work as a PS Move remote when it is only half. I wounder if the controller will have symetric controls like the Virtual Boy. Hopefully, PS4 controller will have symetrical control functions like when snapped together the left side would function like a d pad but will have the same button textures as regular buttons placed to it's right. Or maybe place D-Pad seperately with one for each side while the same button functionalities as PS3 are intact. What makes PS3 better is it's controller doesn't require AAA batteries & it can be charged by plugging it to the console. Back to PS4/Orbis, the input will obvious require HDMI since it is HDMI like Wii U. But, PS4 will possibly have bluetooth wireless input like the ones with wireless computer mouses as well as wireless controllers. However, you will still need to plug the console into an electrical outlet for power. It could even have it's own touch screen @ motion control sensors on front as well as the first console to have good virtual reality gaming, unlike the crappy Virtual Boy which gave ya headaches. You maybe able to hook up to 4 different screens & could even support 4K resolution which Sony seems to be pioneering for home theatres. You maybe able to create your own console covers. PS4 could be outmatched by Xbox 720 & that is a high possibility.

Microsoft
Xbox 720
The grandchild console of the very first Xbox(2001-8) will swamp PS4 & Wii U on a large scale in terms of sales though the Playstation 4 might be the least successful in sales. The 720 will most likely support blu-ray(like Sony consoles), have a built in Kinect 2.0 sensor, have 1.6 GHZ, possibility of a touchscreen controller, & like PS4 may even support terrabyte data. The 720 maybe downloadable only but PS4 will not. The 720 is predicted to definitely outsell Playstation 4 & Wii U but the question of Valve's Steambox remains a mystery. While the Xbox 720 may not be able to everything the PS4 can do, both will certainly be able to do almost everything Wii U can do. For a controller, Microsoft should have their own gamepad with a touchscreen which will make it's controller identical or even better than Wii U Gamepad. Microsoft should save Smart Glass for it's next generation system & make a touchscreen controller.

Valve
Steambox
Valve owns Steam which is responsible for PC gaming accounts & downloading for PC games & I must say it has to be the most reliable & the best game download accounting program to date. Now Valve shall release it's PC/Home Console within a year from now. Will it be just another PC or a home console as well. Valve says it's for the living room but it functions a lot like a PC & home console. That's better than a PS4 & Xbox 720. Shall Steambox outsell the Xbox 720? A home console that's also a home computer will be great for doing mods.

unconfirms but potential for entry:
Apple
Apple is renouned for it's line of Mac computers. Wonder how well they would do if competing with Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, & Valve? Their failure with the Pippin console in the mid 1990's decided that Apple will never see another console in their line of products. Games have been released for Mac computers & Mac computers have been praised for better technology than Microsoft. Could Apple outmatch Microsoft's Xbox consoles? Today, games for Mac computers are becoming more competitive with Microsoft Windows but not by a whole lot given that many games come later than their Windows counterparts. Apple has released games on their IOS ipads & what would be a great idea is for them to make their own home console & even have a touchscreen like controller like their ipad but with buttons as well like the Wii U Gamepad & make it so controls could also be like the Wii Remote. Apple would also be identical to what valve is doing. It could have a Mac computer hardware & home console capabilities combined the same as what Valve is doing with Steambox. An Apple console would spice the console wars in the 8th generation. If Apple is porting games on their computers, then how about doing what Valve & Microsoft are doing? I figure the console would be called iPlay. What about Apple making the first Tribrid console which could be a PC(Mac), home console, & android combined?

Google
Android
Android is an operating system & competitor to Apple in terms of tablets & smartphones. Other than Ouya, what if there was another android console for home that weighed as much as a Wii U? There have already been games released for android devices & IOS but have not been much in quantity as home consoles. What if Google made an Android home console to be more competitive? The console could be called Android Homeplay. Ouya might be too limited & Google has the opportunity to enhance their gaming market by releasing a home android console that also uses an android based controller but has as many button functionalities as Wii U Gamepad. Some motion controls should be like the Wii Remote.

Dell
Alienware Home
Alienware currently is a PC product. However, Dell could really compete with Valve by releasing it's own hybrid console. It could be huge & could also function like a PC. The Steambox & Alienware Home consoles could be the first hybrid consoles to hit the video gaming market the same way Sony's Playstation in 1994-95 was the first CD console not to be an add-on nor a commercial failure. Alienware is a gaming style computer that could really be more of a success if they took their computer technology & made a hybrid out of it.

Amazon
Kindle Fire
If Apple & Google get into the console business, Amazon could have the same potential. However, Amazon is the least likely on this list to come out with their own console. It might follow in Ouya's footsteps & create an android based home console that can do more or as much as the Wii U. I'm not sure Amazon will jump into making a home console since Kindle is mostly for e-books.

The eight generation of gaming will be the most revolutionary generation of gaming since the Fifth Generation saw the rise of CD-ROM based gaming consoles, drifting away from cartridge based consoles. The Eighth Generation will see the rise of Hybrid & Android consoles like the Valve Steambox & the decline of regular consoles like Wii U, Playstation 4 Orbis, & Xbox 720.

Nintendo has been behind it's competitors in terms of hardware & technology & I presume the successor to the Wii U will be android based since Nintendo's top priority is not hardware but software.

The Sixth Generation was the last one to see CD-ROM based consoles(Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Xbox) while Nintendo has had their own optical disks foriegn to that of most competitors. Nintendo 64 was the last home console to utilize cartridges. The Seventh Generation's Xbox 360 will likely be the last console to utilize DVD's. The Seventh Generation WILL be the last generation to have VHS style inputs.

Wii U is the first HDMI home console to hit markets & all other consoles will follow suit. Xbox 720 will have Blu-Ray discs just like the PS3 had though PS4 will have Blu-Ray DEUCE, which holds 3x more than regular Blu-Ray discs. HVD technology is a possibility in the future & this generation of gaming will see Terabyte(TB) hardware, processing, storage, & memory. Traditional consoles will probably last one or two more generations as Android & Hybrid consoles will soon dominate the console market the same way the CD based consoles dominated the market during the Fifth Generation. Could Xbox 720, Playstation 4, & Wii U be the Nintendo 64s of the Eighth Generation?

Consoles will also be integrated with Smart TV as it will soon replace the old fashioned TV's that use VHS input. Playstation 4 Orbis might have a wireless, bluetooth like HDMI input & could even have multiplayer mode where you can have several TV screens at once. How cool is that? Expensive though & may require more space but it sure is awesome for multiplayer & co-op.

You'll know the difference between VHS & HDMI inputs in terms of more crisp graphics. Compare the Wii U vs. Xbox 360/Playstation 3 versions Call of Duty Black Ops II & if you really are into HDMI, then the Wii U is the best version due to crisp graphics compared to Xbox 360 & PS3 versions which still need more polish on graphics in order to reach HDMI levels.

Discs could be in decline thanks to cloud computing & android gaming. Steam is pioneering download games & even has a system where if your computer is gone, you still have your downloaded games due to an account being there.

Main controllers will also be a big leap with touchscreen gamepads, symetric splitable controllers, & swappable part controllers.

8-9 home console available on market would be a big leap from only 3 from the previous generation.

What will make the 8th generation the most revolutionary is the advanced controllers unseen in previous generations, first hybrid consoles from(Valve, Dell, Apple) as well as Android based consoles & cloud computing.

Game Consoles & the internet have been made since Sega Dreamcast of the 6th generation & updates have been applicable since the Xbox 360 of the 7th generation. The 6th generation starting with Sega Dreamcast & moving onto Sony Playstation 2, Microsoft Xbox, & Nintendo Gamecube saw the birth of online gaming & the 7th generation starting with Microsoft Xbox 360 & moving onto Sony Playstation 3 & Nintendo Wii had the ability to receive updates on both their hardware & software including certain games. This came in handy as Microsoft has most frequently more than Sony & Nintendo updated it's console while also redecorating it's menus which is something unheard of  even after menu screens for consoles were even introduced, starting with Philips CD-I & Playstation One.

From Pong of the 1970's to Grand Theft Auto IV of 2008, video games have gone a long way & the 8th generation will bring more advancements to video games more than 7th generation consoles could.

I'd like to see Playstation 4 Orbis, Xbox 720, & Steambox join the market by Christmas 2013 as well as have Apple, Google, Dell, & Amazon make either hybrid and/or android based consoles by 2015.