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     blehman's Blog
Randomtoid: Can We Stop Using the N-Word?
 by blehman on 05.06.2008      35 comments




Pre-emptive disclaimer/writer's note: This is just a small rant based off of a pet peeve of mine. DON'T TAKE IT THE WRONG WAY. I'm just throwing it out there. You can catch it if you want, or you could let it just go right by. I want to be on top of you. Wait, what? Anyway.

I hate the term "next-gen". It doesn't make sense in it's current context anymore, and I don't know what to do about it. Yes, it WAS the correct word to use a few years ago, when these fancy-pants new machines came out, but it's now an outdated word. On top of that, when the NEXT generation of platforms come out, what are we going to call them? It's going to be pandemonium. It'll be like a friggin Japanese cartoon, with the flashy lights, and the uncontrollable seziures, and odd names for things. Super-happy-advanced-plethora-of-adjectives-kitteh-fun-time-wonderful-gen? That doesn't roll off the tongue very easily. Future-gen? That just sounds silly.



Another thing that "next-gen" implies is that the "current-gen" is still up and running strong, which is really not the case. Yes, a few gems are still out there, and they are still currently releasing games, but with two of the three "last-gen" consoles dead and buried (I'm not counting Dreamcast), why are we still using this archaic term to describe the consoles that we're currently playing on? Also, commas.

Also, why aren't we referring to the handhelds as "next-gen", huh? The DS and PSP were both released around the time this mythical next-generation of gaming started. Now, I know the psp didn't have anything prior to it per se, but the technology in it makes it a newer generation of handheld. And the DS? It's the next-generation of Gameboy. Or GBA, whichever way you wanna go with that. But wouldn't you feel odd saying something about the "next-gen" Phoenix Wright game, as opposed to the "next" Phoenix Wright game?

I mean, can we just bury this stupid buzz phrase for a few years? That's all I'm asking for, because if we don't bury it now, then in the next cycle, when they introduce the new consoles and start beating us around the head and neck area with the same damn phrase, we won't have had a chance to forget it and suddenly remember how "kewl" and "fresh" it is. At least we've moved past how many bits the consoles have.


Note: The National Alliance of Advanced Console Pushers have already done this.


Now I know this was a stupid rant, and I know that it won't accomplish anything, but dammit, I needed to get it off my chest before the "next-next-gen" starts coming around. I'ma need a damn chart before all this is over. And typing "next gen is stupid" into GIS results in an....odd first picture.

There are 35 comments about this post:
dephect's Destructoid Blog
And here I thought I was going to reading about some racism... instead you waste my time NEXT GEN!
MaxVest's Destructoid Blog
I tend to go with 7th gen, but lumping these consoles into one category makes less sense than it has with previous generations.
VWGTI's Destructoid Blog
Your blog title grabbed my attention. Your blog captivated me.

Well done.
Kryptinite's Destructoid Blog
NAACP...I always wondered what that stood for.
shipero's Destructoid Blog
Stop using it? Next-gen please.
Reaprar's Destructoid Blog
Nigga what?
Kif 's Destructoid Blog
But what about the next generation of consoles? We'll have nothing to call them if we abolish the n-word.
Kryptinite's Destructoid Blog
Gawd this is going to get bad :(
blehman's Destructoid Blog
Kryp, if it gets bad I hide it.
ZombiePlatypus's Destructoid Blog
I only use the term "next gen" when none of the "new" systems have come out. As soon as the first one of 'em hits in any given cycle it becomes "current gen", like it's been since the 360 came out a few years ago...
EternalDeathSlayer's Destructoid Blog
Can we just stop it for now? At least until some new consoles come out in 5 to 10 years. I agree, it's overdone.
NihonTiger90's Destructoid Blog
Agreed whole heartedly. It's the current generation now. 2008 isn't next year right now simply because it was in 2007.
king3vbo's Destructoid Blog
NEXT GEN
AngelsDontBurn's Destructoid Blog
I always thought the term was pretty stupid.
MINOR THREAT's Destructoid Blog
Semantics. That is all.
BlackSheep's Destructoid Blog
this blog is like the next-gen of blogs.
Ascythopicism's Destructoid Blog
MINOR THREAT is wise.
Topher Cantler's Destructoid Blog
The term is fucking stupid. We're 2 years in, people. C'mon.
TheDespised's Destructoid Blog
That was a well written blog by a Gen Next person.
mix's Destructoid Blog
This blog was Next-Gen, then you posted it.
Samit Sarkar's Destructoid Blog
LOL @ “National Alliance of Advanced Console Pushers”.

I agree 100%, blehman. It’s a pet peeve of mine, too, especially now that publishers have made it standard to say that something about their game (graphics, gameplay, multiplayer, etc.) is “next-gen”. Fucking morons.

I like calling current stuff “new-gen”, because the PS2 is still around, and as you said, the DS and PSP are here as well. What do you think about that term?
DaedHead8's Destructoid Blog
I miss bits. If we would have kept going this would be the 254 bit generation. And thats what I call it. Fuck next gen.
blehman's Destructoid Blog
@samit

A. I'm glad you actually read through the blog.
B. I don't know about "new-gen"...makes me think of candy bars, or southern rockers with two good songs, or something.

I still current-gen, with last-gen for the PS2, but MINOR THREAT is right, it is all semantics. Just drives me fucking nuts, that's all. And I still have no idea what mix's comment means.
mix's Destructoid Blog
@blehman

Lol

I was taking the whole "tomorrow is the future, but it will just be today...tomorrow" route.

As the next set of consoles in the works will be "next-gen" then once they hit the shevles they will become "current-gen" so your post was next-gen (or from the future) unil you posted it....

I'm just crazy like that.
MechaMonkey's Destructoid Blog
I heartily agree. Plus, it offends black people.
NegFactor's Destructoid Blog
You know...the next-gen consoles will simply be called nnnnnnneeeeeeexxxxxxxttttttt-ggggggggeeeeeeennnnnnn in reference to how far they've evolved from the old-gen (!) consoles we've come to know. You just emphasize it by elongating the word's utterance in the slowest way possible so as to further bastardize an already bastard language and generally piss people off with your slowness at the same time.

Also, handhelds don't get the next-gen treatment because they'd have to be called "next-mini-gens". Seriously, nextminigen sounds like some kind of treatment for a disease related to a vagina.

Otherwise, I applaud your defiance in the face of the dreaded N-word.
TrailerParkJesus's Destructoid Blog
I don't mind the term next-gen so much. Yes it translates to "next generation," but the way people use it, they usually mean "latest/newest technology."

Until somebody coins a better phrase than "next-gen" it's probably not gonna go away.

Current-gen? Now-gen? Doesn't sound quite right to me.

N-gen?... Nü-gen... Nugent?

...

Ted Nugent it is.
Ascythopicism's Destructoid Blog
No, the correct answer is Scotty Nguyen.
The-Excel's Destructoid Blog
"Ne*t-gen" is just one of those buzzwords people keep throwing around to sound smart, like "paradigm" and "world-class" and "initiative".
aborto thefetus's Destructoid Blog
Now I'm just going to call them next-gen just to spite you.
PaperBowser0's Destructoid Blog
yeah I thought I was gonna here about racism too, but anyhow, I do think that the term "next-gen" is being used out of context right now, and should be used in a couple of years when people are speculating and getting excited for new consoles.
Gantz's Destructoid Blog
Yes i'm so exstatic that we've moved from counting bits to counting pixels "ZOMG NOT FULL 720P!1!1!1!"
Mxyzptlk's Destructoid Blog
This bugs me too. Like ZombiePlatypus I just use "current-gen".
Ron  NSFWorkman's Destructoid Blog
I put my hand down my pants and it smells like... nevermind
GeneralWong's Destructoid Blog
I didn't read the post but the words seemed spread out nicely and i liked the flow of the paragraphs. Well done.

In other news, check this out!

Not there.. THERE!

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Real name: Mike



bleh, man

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