Rule #1: always buy an external box
Not sure that's actually bad news. The latest Android TV is really good, better in a lot of ways than Google TV.
That's actually good news. Hurray for more customization.
I have a Chromecast with Google TV and a Shield. it's not that big of a difference. In fact, more like a hinderenace because of all the promotion fluff you have to go through first.
Why is that bad news? Google TV just means more ads on the home screen. The newest and shiniest is not always better.