But will the 720 (or PS IV) be backwards compatible? I assume so, but is there a guarantee? If GTA5 isn't going to be released until the end of the third quarter and we're going to see a new console in the middle of the 4th quarter, how many people would decide it wasn't worth spending $60 for a game that's going to be obsolete in a matter of weeks? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't buy it...I'd probably just rent it.
The last rumors I've heard suggest that they WON'T be backwards compatible. They will also include DRM that prevents them from booting up a game that has been played on another console, thus putting a swift end to the used game market. Again, those are just rumors- but they are pretty pervasive.
I probably won't be buying a new system for at least a year in any case. I have around 20 unfinished games sitting on my shelf. I'll probably wait until I get them all completed until I get a new console. And maybe by that time, the prices will have come down a bit.