Each generation of the Console Wars had its own innovations, each console its own personality and fan base. The second saw the birth of affordable 3D graphics and some of the most critically-acclaimed games of all time, such as Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII. The third was dominated by Sony’s PlayStation 2 (don’t blame me, I had a Dreamcast) but also saw the beginnings of online play and the rise of Xbox megabrand Halo. We’re now at the tail end of the fourth generation, which has brought consoles mostly up to speed with PCs through high-definition graphics and digital distribution of games.

The war has reached a stalemate: Sony and Microsoft still rule in their home countries, while a Nintendo Wii gathers dust in every living room of the developed world. As a consequence of the global recession, game publishers have tried to extract even more revenue from a squeezed market. Witness the rise and demise of the loathed ‘online pass’, now replaced by the euphemistic ‘season pass’; paid downloads on day one that unlock content already on the disc; pre-order bonuses; and free to play games - or as I like to call them, pay to play games. History will show this generation as one that expanded the monetisation of games as much as the experiences themselves, often to the detriment of fun and artistic merit.

So here we go again with two new omnipotent wonderboxes, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The games look much the same as the old ones: of course, similar criticisms were levelled at the Xbox 360, but even a layman could appreciate the beauty of Project Gotham Racing 3 compared to its predecessor. Perhaps it was the somewhat-sweaty razzmatazz of Earl’s Court at Eurogamer Expo in September, but I just couldn’t tell the difference between Forza Motorsport 5 and Forza 4, and I’ve played over fifty hours of Forza 4. With big franchises like Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed launching on both consoles, as well as their predecessors, the choice is based more on ideology and available funds rather than real quantifiable differences. In fact, with so few games available, it makes less sense to buy a PS4 than a PS3.

Games journalists are in a difficult position. Those who haven’t been invited to New York for a complimentary gold-plated PS4 (I’m writing on a train travelling through Slough, but thanks for asking) will have pre-ordered the expensive new consoles to support their job, adding buyer’s remorse to an increasingly-dominant business model of offering their words online for free, funded by advertising. This model relies on hyperbole: every month a new ‘best game ever’, every day an announcement of something on the horizon, every minute a constant stream of rumour posts. It focuses on sensationalising games and the machines that play them, rather than criticising them. It encourages critics to follow the zeitgeist rather than dwelling on the games that linger in our minds. It blurs the lines between editorial and advertorial: after all, what is a news post about a PlayStation TV commercial if not advertising?