Why are we not referring to this as the 7th generation?

[Cerberus87]

I considered the possibility of these games being some sort of gen 6.5, but it's definitely not the case. Generations in Pokémon are defined first and foremost by:

1) Completely new starter trio.
2) Completely new region.

So I thought it was puzzling to walk in here and find X/Y and ORAS not distinctly grouped as the 6th generation that precedes the 7th (which consists of Sun/Moon ATM). Is it just so fellow members can find the relevant subsections more easily, or is there something I'm missing? ;)

 

[Hikamaru]

X/Y and OR/AS are still very recent, but over time I could see them getting merged into a "Sixth Generation" section on this forum. But yeah, we all knew for a while now that Sun & Moon was going to be 7th Gen and now we pretty much have it officially confirmed.

 

[Spinosaurus]

Some think it looks a little too similar to XY, but I think it's gonna be one of the biggest jump in the series and actually a big step forward for the franchise.

The overworld change alone is really big. The design completely changed. We don't know much about it yet, but random and trainer encounters are gonna potentially be different from the norm now. I'm confident this is the change of pace people have been wanting for the series, not XY, and its definitely its own generation.

EDIT: Ack, reread your post and that's not what you're talking about. My bad, I just woke up lol.

 

[Xander Olivieri]

Until the games are out and/or the sixth gen game threads slow down enough that they can be managed in one section alone, there won't be the merge. I was the mod for BW and the fifth gen section didn't become a thing until sometime after XY went into full swing. BWB2W2 were still separate sections before I left.

 

[blue]

All this new information pretty much confirms it is a new generation. I can see how people think otherwise being released not long after ORAS, but generation VI did last 3 years as did generation V. It's like comparing Diamond & Pearl to Black & White because they're on the same console, but a new Region, set of starters and legendary mascots always indicate a new generation.

 

[illumine]

X/Y and OR/AS are still the present games in the series. S&M's board is about speculation and expectations. It is hence treated as something that people are being introduced to, rather than simply referring to a seventh gen and expecting people to know what is being expected. Likewise, there is no rush to alter the X/Y, etc., boards yet.

 

[LilBueno]

Everyone else already answered about the forum sections, but it is worth noting that even though Sun/Moon is Gen 7, "generation" is a fan term and the actual company might group the games differently. I've always assumed that instead of by franchise, they do it by "series"with retroactive additions. So like: What we call Gens I and II are one category to Gamefreak with Firered and Leafgreen being remakes of the original entries so it's technically in the same series. Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire rebooted the franchise with a new series. DPPt and BW/B2W2 are their own series, though more loosely connected than the first. XY, ORAS, and Sun/Moon are the current series.
This isn't official, just how I imagine the games are technically sorted by the company that makes them (though I'm sure they've adopted "generations" as a term). Reason for the other remakes being in a future series than the initial games they remake is because -to me- it seems like HGSS and ORAS were made to modernize the originals so they fit in a post GBA setting and align more with the current "series" while FRLG seemed like more simple remakes. Which I think actually is a testament to their progress when it comes to remakes.

So to simplify, I don't necessarily think their thought process is "should we make a new generation now with a new region/starters/story?" so much as "let's make the next entry on this console in a new region with a new pokedex!" It's a subtle difference but how I imagine they see it.