So, the PS4

Hardware: Along with Sony's recent Playstation 4 announcement came a wave of speculation: Sony didn't show the PS4 because they don't really have it yet. Or they haven't designed the chassis yet. Or they don't want to show all of their cards so early.

I personally don't care that Sony chose not to show off the hardware. The timing of this PS4 announcement seems odd to me, so I believe they are simply making the industry aware of the impending PS4 to drum up some excitement. I think Sony will really reveal the PS4 at E3.

First up: the controller. It looks like a slightly evolved DualShock. Is that a miniature touchpad on the controller? What use could that possibly have? I'm skeptical, and I smell a gimmick. Where's the Playstation Move, by the way?

Sony stated that the PS4 supports 3-D technology but they are not focused on it in any way. This makes a whole lot of sense when you consider the consumer electronics branch of Sony is also turning away from 3-D TVs and the like. I applaud this in every way possible. They did not remove the PS3's existing 3-D capabilities, nor are they wasting any further effort on the 3-D folly.

Software: What do we get in terms of games?

Diablo III. You must be kidding me. I already passed on this game once, even though I'm a long-time fan of both the genre and franchise. Who cares that a year-old game (not very popular, either) is finally going to show up on a console another year from now?

Killzone: Shadow Fall and a new Infamous title. Both are decent franchises, but I really don't think it's enough to move new, expensive hardware.

A new Final Fantasy. I always look forward to these releases, but FFXIII really burned me so I'm cautiously optimistic. I wonder if the new title will be multiplatform, anyway?

I'm not impressed by the launch titles, but it's still very early. What bothers me the most about the PS4, ultimately, is the utter lack of backward compatibility. I recognize the system architecture is changing dramatically, but it really bugs me. I don't really want to keep a last-gen console around if I don't have to. I have also heard that PSN titles and game saves won't transfer over to your PS4. If true, that is downright outrageous.

I'm hopeful the PS4 is a success. I look forward to the next generation of physics, graphics, and audio engines, but I fear these things are taking more and more priority over gameplay and story. Let's hope Microsoft responds with an announcement of their own in the near future. After all, competition is what brings out the best in us.