It will still be a PS3.  Man I hate videogame media.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=25607499&sid=6170092&om_act=convert&om_clk=newstop&tag=newstop;title;7

Gamespot wrote about this rumour - they say it's bogus, but seriously it takes years to develop a system.

It's true, Microsoft's just being greedy.

I read just a few weeks ago that Sony was saying the PS3 had a ten year life expectency.

Firstly, there is NO way this would be the PS4. Absolutely, 100% - no chance on Earth. What I suspect: Its a PS3 "lite". Take out the BluRay drive(!!), and turn it into a network box. Sony can still sell / run online titles on it, and it would be a great media box. It might even have a DVD drive/burner, allowing it to do a bunch of other stuff instead. Or maybe no drive at all. The price would then come down significantly, and they could do something useful with it (flog HOME and a bunch of other networking services). They could even sell the BluRay drive as an add-on - which would allow game playing and more. ... The other alternative, is to add MORE crap to it - and make it even more expensive, and less desirable. That would piss-off most hard-core Sony fans that spent a small fortune buying the most expensive PS3 model available (only to find that a newer/bigger model came out 12 months later). ...... Neither scenario surprise me, as Sony *really* need to do something.

After reading the (original) article again, I'm almost certain its a network box - dropping the BluRay drive. I wonder how the industry will react to this...

The other issue is this - a large number of people planning on getting a PS3 would buy one of these "PS3 Lite" devices instead - and without a BluRay drive, it *won't* play PS3 (shelf) games. That would make me very nervous if I was a PS3 heavy publisher, around about now...

Anyway - its at least 12 months away, and a lot can change in 12 months. 

not happening..sony would go bankrupt

I think everyone is in agreement. This is NOT a PS4, and it would be suicide if Sony tries to market it as such.

I think this is the most likely scenario if this story has any truth to it what so ever. With no BR drive and cost reduction of other components over the next 18 months, this sort of system would be significantly cheaper. It would likely fall into a price range most are happy to pay, especially if it includes a rich multimedia feature set.

As for the industry’s reaction – well if it’s aimed at media buffs with an optional BR add-on, it shouldn’t be much of a problem. It would be like a quality HTPC that can also play nextgen games if the user chooses. Meanwhile developers continue to make games (as they would normally for the original system) and Sony gets to recoup its money faster.

Edit: changed "a" to "at".

I think this shows how badly Sony stuffed up. They should have worked on, and released this machine FIRST. It could have been out 6-12 months ago, and would have helped them establish their online network, develop downloadable content and more. Then they could have brought out the full PS3 - along with a stand-alone BluRay player, which would effectively turn the media box into a full PS3 (to play games). ... Its all turned out backwards - they brought out the expensive item first, and the cheaper/cut-down one later.

I believe it's the PS3 slim, which looks, instead of barbeque grill, a toaster! If they want to name it PS4, then it is PS4, but i doubt that. Without BD drive, as a gaming machine, it would suck, since (even Sony sees future in digital distribution) internet connections wont be in a while at speeds and prices, that it would be wise to download 50GB games. Unless they are compressed to 5 (it would still be too slow to DL), and then you may ask, that what happened to the need of BD. @Keeper Garrett: i think most of us have read that too. And i also think that most people read years ago that PS2 was also designed to have 10 years lifespan. It doesn't really matter, that how long the consoles are useable, new one still comes after about 5 years. It's just the manufacturers that need new consoles to make money with them.