It’s recently become all the rage in the gaming industry to prognosticate about when the next batch of consoles will arrive. No sooner do we finally settle into a groove in the current generation than folks like id’s John Carmack, Crytek’s Cevat Yerli, and now analyst Colin Sebastian say that the next batch of hardware is already on the way. When asked about the possibility of a new generation of consoles, Sebastian had the following to say:

 

"One of the increasingly popular discussion in the industry is when to expect launches of a new generation of video game consoles. At this point, we believe the consensus opinion among industry professionals is is that the next significant hardware refresh is unlikely to occur before 2011, and more likely in 2012."

 

Sebastian didn’t stop there though, as he also floated the idea that Nintendo might release an upgraded Wii in the very near future. He claimed:

 

"One possible exception to console timing may be Nintendo, which could opt to upgrade the Wii with faster processing power, DVD capability, and/or greater storage."

 

So does Sebastian have a little inside information and know about the next generation of consoles, or he is simply guessing like the rest of us? Right now, a lot of signs are pointing to the next generation of consoles coming in 2012, but we’re all just watching and waiting until one of the Big Three breaks the silence with definitive news. Sony keeps reiterating their commitment to a ten-year lifespan for both the PS3 and PSP, but if Microsoft and Nintendo march onward, will Sony be able to afford lagging behind?