14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this month, there were some leaked informations regarding a Best Buy memo which was sent to its stores, informing that the 80 GB PS3 won't be restocked after the 28th of January. Having in mind that the 60 GB model was gone from the shelves, too, it meant that only the 40 GB model was going to be sold, which further meant that no PS2 compatible version exists on the market.
Of course, as it always happened, Sony declined to comment about this piece of news, considering it "rumors and speculation". But the guys from Ars Technica have a mole who kind of seems to know everything regarding plans in the gaming industry. Of course, he or she knew some things about all this story, as well.
"Sony is, in fact, phasing out the 80GB PS3. Sony is going to stay with the two-SKU approach though, and the prices look to stay the same," the source said and if that's right, it means no $199 PlayStation will be made available too soon. And we start to believe that, since the Ars Technica mole had some more super hot information.
The person said that he Spiderman 3 pack-in will disappear as well, once the 80GB unit is gone. And, in order to maintain the same value proposition, Sony will increase the storage capacity to 120-160 GB, at the same price point. Also, the Dual-Shock 3 controller will be available, too, so if all these things are right, the buyers will not cry too long for the 80GB PS3. The future buyers, I mean, not those who already have one.
Even though this is just a rumor (a solid rumor Ars Technica believes), one thing is clear: with so many discussions and speculations made since the beginning of the year (lower PS3 prices, new PS models, including the ceramic white one and so on) it is clear that Sony has something in mind. Let's just hope it will be something the buyers will really enjoy.