PS Now is not "backwards compatibility". It's a service that will allow you to play old games. Backwards compatibility is the ability to play your actual, physical games from a past console on your new, current gen console, ala playing GC on Wii, playing PS1 on PS3, DS on 3DS, etc. That is a feature PS4 does not have.

Correct. PS NOW is a rental service/netflix for games that just so happens to partially fullfill the role of backwards compatibility.

True BC for PS1 and PS2 games last I heard is coming to the PS4 though. Stick the disc in and it plays at 1080p. PS3 digital BC is also being handled with "cross-buy." It's only been done on a few titles, but it's better than nothing. Flow, flower, Escape Plan, Sound Shapes, and soon Dead Nation are all free for PS4 owners that bought the games on PS3 or Vita. For the supported titles it's actually better than traditional BC since the games are fully optimized and re-designed to support all PS4 features.

On topic, I don't think it does. Lack of proper BC is only going to matter for these first few years and I don't think it's a big issue anyway.

Backwards compatibility is a redundant weakness, not a strenght. It drives up the price and/or makes the console less sufficient due to being forced to make compromise, it makes hardware design more complicated and... it isn't logical. I have a PS3, i want to buy a PS4. If my PS3 would be backwards compatible i wouldn't need a PS2. If PS4 had BC i wouldn't need my PS3 anymore and i could sell it. But i can't sell it because i wouldn't be able to play PS2 games anymore. So i have to keep the PS3 anyway, so i have to pay twice for the same console. Even if i sell it, it would nullify the money i get from selling the last gen console. Conclusion: The only reason to implement BC is for a few couchpotatoes who are too lazy to hook up their old consoles.

The Wii crowd more than likely will not be back for this gen. Heh....has nothing to do with what makes Sony consoles sell so well.

Not that I can think of but quality of exclusives could work against them. I remember when everyone was hyping up games like Lair and Heavenly Sword. Both games failed to deliver to the Xbox360 took a steady lead over the following few years witg Gears, Halo, Bioshock and Mass Effect.

The same could happen this gen. The order 1886 looks like its going to be a bit messy (poor framerate, uninspired gameplay) and there is nothing else confirmed for the 2nd half of the year (uncharted definitely isn't happening). If Microsoft actually delivers on a new Halo, things may change somewhat. At least in North America.

Yes! Sony is the weakness... with a project (by Sony) 1.1 billion (9 zeros) USD in losses

Quote from

Sales Estimations for 8th Generation Consoles and Analysis of the Market

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=178341&page=1#

Let me guys introduce you a sound sales estimate here. Now below on the very left, there are the actual cumulative PS3 sales data, taken from VGChartz data base. On the right, there are 4 possible different scenarios extrapolated from this actual set. Here are a few assumptions, parameters.

a) I assumed that the market will shrink by 17% hence the number 0.83 (from 240 million to 200 million consoles to be sold over 7 years, due to a good chunk Wii crowd leaving the market). This number may be different but not too different.

b) Then I created a scenario where the HD consoles will make up between 80-90% of the market, creating two possible extreme examples, hence the numbers 0.8 & 0.9 corresponding the HD title.

c) Finally the PS4 market among HD Consoles only will range between 67-74%. This all creates a 4 combination output.

When you apply those 4 different scenarios for cumulative sales over 7 years, just take a look at the numbers that appear. You may crunch the numbers in anyway you like, Numbers don't lie.

So basically, this predicts that PS4 will sell between 13.6 and 17 at the end of this year; and between 120 to 149 million at the end of 2020. You may ask the reason for discrepancy between this estimate and the original one. There are 2 reasons :

a) The previous estimate assumed constant market size, this one shrinks it by 17%

b) The previous estimate was based on 2005-2012 data, this one is based on 2006-2013, causing slight differences.

Heavenly Sword was a great game. Most compaints were about its length (6 - 7 hours), so it was a matter of quantity, not quality.

What are people referring to by "lack of 3D"?

Trine 2 supports Stereoscopic 3D so the system is already capable of that.

Is it 3D Blu-ray movies they're referring to?

Yes. Bullets, explosives, oncoming trains, suicide bombers, microwave ovens, axes, volcanoes, petite blondes and apocalyptic and cataclysmic events.