In short, the PS3 is still very much alive and well -- as is its predecessor, for that matter, thanks in part to the evergreen nature of casual titles such as the EyeToy series, Singstar and the original Guitar Hero games. Sony bringing a PS4 into the picture within 18 months would potentially mean that they had five systems in the marketplace at once -- PS2, PS3, PS4, PSP and Vita. And dividing the market that much seems like a really, really bad idea -- unless each platform was designed to cater to a specific subset of gamers rather than being the "universal entertainment system" which both Microsoft and Sony seem to be gunning for with their current consoles. That said, Sony isn't averse to making really, really dumb decisions once in a while -- PSP Go says hello.

Exactly how and why the "PlayStation 4 in 18 months" soundbite got out or what it means is something we can't be sure of right now. But as with so many of these "anonymous source makes vague statement" stories so beloved of the industry, it's highly likely to be nothing more than that thing Sony doesn't comment on -- rumors and speculation.

This article originally appeared on GamePro.com as