What Defines a Console's Lifespan?

[T-Pac | 7,587]

For those of us that like to collect era-appropriate releases, it's useful to know when games for a particular system transition into "aftermarket" status.

Obviously there's no set-in-stone rule to determine a console's lifespan, but I'd be interested to hear everyone's thoughts.
How do you personally make the distinction?

-CasualCart

[RH | 4,966]

IMHO, I'd define it as the first released date of the console/game and the last date an officially licensed game or peripheral for  the console is released and distributed.

I know, there are always caveats but "licensing" branded material and such doesn't count.  This can also be region-specific, and should be.

[DefaultGen | 5,432]

I would say if there's no releases for a full year, the platform's lifespan is pretty much over. You have to include digital releases because there are weird physical timelines like Wii U where there was actually over a year between the last physical releases. By this definition may be some platforms that never had a gap in their lifespan like ZX Spectrum or Commodore 64, which I think is a testament to the enduring strength of those platforms if software has been continually released since the 80s.

Licensing is fake and trying to determine how long something was "supported" at retail is really hard IMO. I was buying N64 games at Gamestop in the mid 2000s for example.

[RH | 4,966]

22 minutes ago, DefaultGen said:

Licensing is fake and trying to determine how long something was "supported" at retail is really hard IMO. I was buying N64 games at Gamestop in the mid 2000s for example.

If it was licensed and Nintendo shipped a final run, then it was "alive".  Out there, some where is often new old stock for some of this stuff 10 years after the last game shipped out of a factory.

It is harder to pin down an EOL for a non-licensed system like the 2600, though.  There was no licensing for that or lock out so as long as people kept making games and selling them, it was/is "alive".  But if that doesn't feel fair, one miiiight try to make the argument that it "ended" when any major retailed finished moving their back inventory, but that's too vague.  What defines a "major retailer?

[Tulpa | 3,534]

I think there can be some discussion as to what it constitutes.

Official Console retail shipping dates; example: NES North America - Oct. 1985 to Aug. 1995. Obviously new old stock can hang around for a lot longer, with anecdotal reports of toploaders available as late as 2001. The Famicom span was 1983-2003, and I imagine it's not unheard of to have seen a new one for sale well into the mid/late 2000s in Japan.

Of course, there's oddballs. Brazil still manufactures the Sega Master System, under valid license from Sega. A number of Sega Genesis clones exist, again with a valid license from Sega. Sega itself quit making consoles in 2001, but what about third party manufacturing?

Licensed game availability; example: NES North America, Oct. 1985 to Dec. 1994 (Europe would extend the lifespan to 1995 with The Lion King.) Unlicensed is a bit more of a wildcard, with the last NES North American unlicensed retail release being Sunday Funday in 1995, or Huge Insect in 2001.

Support offered; example: Nintendo supplied parts for Famicom/NES until 2007 or so.

 

 

[TDIRunner | 2,771]

In my mind, I consider a console lifespan to be the period where it was supported by its manufacturer.  With that said, you could have a completely separate debate on what constitutes "supporting a system."  But in general, "support" would include actively licensing new games for the system, actively providing repair services on the console, and maintaining the online service for those consoles that had such an option.  

[MegaMan52 | 2,460]

There are many variables: final game released, final licensed peripheral, end of production, availability, last date of sales figures, etc.

I think I have to agree with DefaultGen. If a console/handheld doesn't receive a new game for a full year, it's lifespan has ended (even if a new game is released for it a year and a half or two later). But then again if games like Just Dance are the only new releases and the only games (or even the only item) still available for a console, do they really count?

The N64 and GameCube's support mostly stopped in December 2001 and December 2006, respectively, but they continued to get more games in 2002 and 2007 (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, TMNT, Madden NFL 08, etc.). In my opinion, these count and their lifespans did not end until 2002 and 2007 because their final games were released less than a year after the bulk of their support had ended.

GameCube also got a white Controller with a longer cord in 2008 in Japan. I don't count this, but I can understand why some might since it was actually marketed as a GameCube product (unlike the Super Smash Bros. Edition Controllers released in 2014). I also remember those Paper Mario Platinum GameCube bundles appearing in Walmart and Zellers in 2008. Again I don't really count these, but can understand why some might.

[Gloves | 11,830]

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Nintendo? 

[Hammerfestus | 3,882]

As long as that console is being manufactured.  
But what about FIFA ‘13?!

I’d say a game was released for a dead console.  
 

Yeah we’ll go with that.

[Tanooki | 4,952]

The simple answer would be start of retail date somewhere in the world, latest end of retail date somewhere in the world.  Some things are more clear cut, and others get really messy like the Master System which TecToy kept going for too many years after the MK3/SMS failed in NTSC markets, overseas PAL too.  Do we say the SMS lasted 6 years(US/JP) or do we ignore the fact Brazil still makes/sells the units today?

 

There really isn't a set life, it gets way way too muddy on the back end.  It's like real life employment if you think about it.  Someone enters the workforce at 18, so called 'retirement' at 65 years old, and off into the sunset.  Yet consoles like old people, they're not just dead and gone, they're still supporting places if they don't retire, and they also have a life span and interest that goes years on after until the eventual death of the person(and the console death would be end of repair from the maker.)  Even then like an old person, they pass but the memory lives on and impact continues where they were into the future.

I know it's weird and I just thought it up, but it oddly fits.