14 DAY TRIAL // What we know: 2013 was the year when the Xbox One from Microsoft and the PlayStation 4 from Sony were finally launched after years of speculation, which means that the hardware space should be fairly quiet during the next 300 and something days.
At the same time the handhelds currently offered on the market, the PlayStation Vita and the Nintendo 3DS, are a few years old and both could introduce more powerful models and better software in order to continue their long-term resistance effort against the encroachment of smartphones and tablets.
The Wii U is also in bad shape and the fact that Nintendo is not hurrying to do anything significant about the device could mean that they have a long term plan to replace it.
No one should expect an entirely new console from the Japanese company but a revised device, with improved hardware and changes in its connectivity options, might give it a better chance to compete with the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4.
2014 is also the year when the Steam machines will be officially launched alongside the new Valve made haptic controller and the SteamOS, although their impact on the future of gaming seems to be limited at the moment.
Why it matters: Modern gaming is becoming ever less dependent from hardware as more and more content and services are moving to the cloud and can be accessed anywhere that a player needs them.
At the same time, futuristic devices and new platforms created excitement and drive long-term sales, which the industry needs in order to retain its health.
2014 might have a limited number of new releases, but it will be interesting to see how the Xbox One and the PS4 co-exist.
The full list of Incoming 2014 Games articles can be read on Softpedia.