Or right on time?

Right on time.. In fact I think Microsoft is the only one trying to enter the next-gen on time... Nintendo and Sony are kinda late as far as I' m concerned.

I disagree with Terry a little. I think that 2006 for the most part is right on time. 2005 would have been the right time for sony, It' s typically been around a 5 year window, with M$ doing it at only the 4 year mark(and depending on the release date it could be even 3 years and x months) it feels just a little rushed on their behalf. Who knows though, maybe it' ll have huge payoffs. I actually hope not, or else Sony and Nintendo will learn from that and rush out their PS4 and Nintendo Unbelievable in 2009.

US Elections are every 4 years, Olympics every 4 years..why not consoles then? I dunno it seems like a reasonable amount of time. They also continuing work on the xbox so its not a total jump.

Consoles used to have a longer life span, but since we now have three viable competitors instead of the usual two, they' re just going to get smaller and smaller.

I would not be shocked if we get a three-year next gen life span unless Nintendo decides to leave the console market place, but I doubt it.

It' s all part of Microsoft' s plan to make us buy a new system update every year! It' s coming! Brace your wallets, peons!

US Elections are every 4 years, Olympics every 4 years

Those are already a big enough waste of money!!! Seriously, some of the best games in a consoles life come out in their 4th and 5th years, and I don' t want to have more money sucked out of me earlier than I need to.

Like I also said they will continue to work on the xbox so once ppl feel they are finally doen with the it they can move onto the next gen where itll be already set in motion meaning games will possibly be in the sophmore year for some and the consoles price may have dropped by then.

If they were to stop work on the current Xbox then I could see why ppl would hate the early change.

I really don' t know... I mean, as last generation came to an end, all titles (no matter how good they really were) looked kind of dated, actually working PC emulators started appearing left and right, it felt like a good time to introduce the new blood.

This time, most new games still look gobsmacking no matter what platform they come on and all machines look like they still have more to offer. I' ll welcome the next generation with open arms, it' s just like I don' t feel it' s due yet.

i think they are on time, frankly i am getting sick of this current generation [probley due to me only having a ps2!] but looking at those next gen pics makes me want it to come quicker! but still its not like the consoles are coming out as soon as they are unvleled, as it ussaly takes about a year for the consoles to get realsed around the world, look at the psp and ds. Was that a year allready?, time sure flys by!.