I think if Halo Infinite was a Halo 3-tier game in terms of content and quality, and I think Halo 3 is an 11/10 type of game, this generation would have gone differently in all sorts of ways. Of course putting your console generation in the hands of 343 is laughable in hindsight, but the point is, a masterpiece of a game can definitely make a huge impact early in the generation. Another example - if Breath of the Wild was a mediocre game, the Switch would not have been as successful as it was. But over time, as more and more people make their choices, and other companies have chances to make great games, that window closes.