It looks like, to a lot of the segments of the video-game fanbase, that there's a significant divide, not between consoles, but between mindsets. In particular, it seems that gamers are either excited about the possibilities of the new technologies, or jaded by the lack of innovation from developers. Both viewpoints have their merits, and, neither is really wrong in any concrete way. That's the way of opinions, but I'd like to give my view on the subject.

Despite being only 19, I've been playing games for 14 years. I remember the development all the way from polgons to bumpmaps, to the improved shaders, bloom, and so on, not to mention the less categorisable gameplay improvements. There certainly has been a trend for AAA titles to longer development times, bigger costs, and simplification for the common denominator. However, this isn't a herald of doom.

The most popular works have *always* been substandard. Video games just avoided this because of their obscurity until recently. There are still gems out there, and each tries to bring the industry forward in new ways. There certainly aren't as many of them, and they certainly aren't making the splash they ought to, but continual development isn't always possible. Similar to an economy, there are ups and downs in the innovation of a market. Once consumers get tired of these bland-name products, they'll move on, and the industry will have to innovate again.

As for where that leaves us now, it's pretty simple. Some of you may already be entertained by what you have. That's fine, despite what some other gamers may say. Just take care to develop your tastes, and remember, that, if you get bored, there's more out there. And for the jaded among you, you simply have to look! Try looking at the bustling indie scene, or several fine developers still plugging out good titles, like CDProjekt or Bioware. Both of you are right in a way, and I don't see the need for all the yelling. =)