>>1056529856th generation.
4th generation and 5th generation started it though, but 6th generation locked it in.
4th & 5th gen had consolewars and graphicsfagging, but it was relatively light and cute. Nintenbabs & sony & sega suckers going at it.
6th gen had consolewars and graphicsfagging over how PS2, xbox & gamecube games looked different, but budgets were still small enough that publishers could take risks. Massive libraries were still possible.
7th gen carried over the worst of everything.
Graphicsfags, check.
Consolewars, check.
AA budgets being decimated, check.
Creatives leaving studios, check.
Inflated budgets requiring safer game design, check.
Remakes and remasters, check.
GFC doing in the small studios, check.
Indie darlings, check.
So, look at the 6th gen and you'll see some hallmarks start up. Arguing over which console version of full spectrum warrior looks the best. FF XII's development ballooning out of control due to scope creep, matsuno melting down, FF VII tech demo being shown off for the PS3. It started.
7th gen still had AA games, but everything about small game design crippled. Sure, we got NieR, Drakengard 3, Disgaea 4 in that time for smaller, more risk taking projects but a lot of everything else was either license based, tied to a massive studio (even NieR & DoD3 get this) or publisher. Studios that took a risk that flopped either died or got stuck in licensed game mines under bamco.
6th gen's to blame. It sowed the seeds for graphicsfaggotry and the market conditions of the 7th gen to set in.