A lack of PlayStation 3 stock in retail channels is more evidence that Sony intends to reveal a redesigned console and possible price cuts.Japanese and UK channels are drying up, with orders on hold until the end of the month.
The retail commentary I’ve seen has come out of the UK. We heard Japanese retail a few weeks ago say they weren’t going to be getting any more PlayStation 3s after August 8, and now we’re starting to hear UK retail say they cannot re-order PlayStation 3s until month-end, that suggest there’ll be a model change.
Next week's Gamecom event is the likely location for a big reveal from Sony, during its press conference to be held on Tuesday evening. As well as price cuts, a 'PlayStation 3 Slim' is also expected.
If Sony’s practice is the same as it was in the past, and the Slim is more of a redesign of the components to drive down cost, then I think we will get a price cut.