Sony unveils new ‘Super Slim’ PS3

[Renegade]

Sony is putting its flagship video game system on a crash diet.
Confirming months of speculation, the company unveiled a redesigned PlayStation 3 at its pre-Tokyo Game Show press conference Wednesday.
The new 'Super Slim' model is roughly the size of a laptop computer and about half as thick as the original PlayStation 3 that hit stores in 2006. Sony says the redesign is 20 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than the existing model. It also uses a sliding door panel to top load discs, rather than the slot-loading disc drive previous models have used. Functionally, however, it's identical to the current PS3.
In North America, two versions will be available: One packing a 250 GB hard drive for $269, which arrives on Sep. 25, and one with a 500 GB hard drive for $299, which hits stores on Oct. 30.
That pricing scheme has left many scratching their heads. The current entry level PS3 costs $249 -- and with a new Nintendo console hitting in two months at $299, many analysts were expecting Sony to lower the PS3's price even further to woo consumers.
Instead, Sony is relying on the value proposition of the new PS3. The lower-end Super Slim model boasts a bigger hard drive than today's entry-level system (250 GB compared to 160 GB) and will come bundled with Uncharted 3: Game of the Year Edition, as well as a voucher for $30 of "bonus digital content" to be used in the free-to-play title DUST 514. The 500 GB model will come bundled with a copy of Assassin's Creed III.
Still, analysts aren't impressed.
"I think the form factor looks like a nice improvement, but if I were Sony I would focus more on lowering prices," says Colin Sebastian of R.W. Baird. "At this point, in terms of competing at the end of the cycle and in terms of driving more mindshare, I don't think consumers are as interested in the prettiest console they can find, but rather the one that has the best value."
Wedbush Securities' Michael Pachter agrees.
"I think Sony is missing an opportunity to differentiate on price," he says. "And I think they're going to be caught flat footed when Microsoft does something like bundles Kinect with the Xbox for $200."
Other global territories will have a couple other options. Japanese gamers will be able to buy a white Super Slim PS3, while European fans will be offered a system that has a 12 GB flash hard drive rather than the standard one found in traditional systems. Users can add their own hard drive to increase the memory, if they'd like.
At present, it does not appear that either of those systems will make it to America.

[PsychoZL1]

The redesign looks good and the bigger HDD options sound great, but IMHO this is how it should've been made to begin with!

Just another way for Sony to cash in on the current gen systems before the next gens come out.

However, if my current PS3 was to crap out on me I would buy this one to replace it!

[Renegade]

You should know sony is smarter then that. They know what consumers want but, will they get it first time around? Never. Just look at the iPhone they'll never put everything in one. They'll pace it out until the next launch date that way they capitalize in the market and equals more profit.

Hey, better late then never right? Only reason their doing this cause holidays right around the corner.

[SPARTAN sui]

Why? The current gen PS3 is nearly 6 years old! Sony needs to focus on bringing a NEW console to the market. I just hope Microsoft doesn't think the current gen 360 needs a "redesign" again.

All it's doing is pushing back the date for when they release the next gen consoles. Compared to my PC, the current gen stuff is looking pretty dated. It's amazing something like the Xbox 360 (which is nearly 7 years old) can handle games that look as good as they do, but if you compare it to a modern PC capable of gaming on high settings, you'll clearly see the console's age.

[Renegade]

Originally Posted by SPARTAN sui

Why? The current gen PS3 is nearly 6 years old! Sony needs to focus on bringing a NEW console to the market. I just hope Microsoft doesn't think the current gen 360 needs a "redesign" again.

All it's doing is pushing back the date for when they release the next gen consoles. Compared to my PC, the current gen stuff is looking pretty dated. It's amazing something like the Xbox 360 (which is nearly 7 years old) can handle games that look as good as they do, but if you compare it to a modern PC capable of gaming on high settings, you'll clearly see the console's age.

Microsoft is focused on releasing the Xbox 720 next year. Bill gates is thinking in the future

[matthook]

Yep i will be saving my console money for the new gen of consoles for sure.

[SPARTAN sui]

4 USB ports?!

[PsychoZL1]

Originally Posted by Renegade

Microsoft is focused on releasing the Xbox 720 next year. Bill gates is thinking in the future

I just hope the new Xbox 720 doesn't suffer from the RROD syndrome that the current gen Xbox suffers from, but I haven't heard of any RROD's on the slim Xbox 360's so maybe that's been resolved.

[SPARTAN sui]

Yeah, it's been resolved. They shrunk the core size down from 90nm, now to 45nm. If you have a "Falcon" or "Jasper" unit with the 65nm core, I believe you were okay from the RROD.

My Halo 3 Edition 360 has the Falcon motherboard and never had issues with the RROD. It has overheated, but that was my own fault. The disk drive eventually started acting up, so I replaced it with my latest 360, which hasn't had a single issue to date, going 3 years strong.

[Mrvnmartian]

I pre-ordered the AC3 bundle. I had one of the old 60GB fat PS3 consoles and put down for the bundle, then it gave me the YLOD. So I bought the MW3 bundle, will give that to my daughter and keep the AC3 console for me. I just would like a white console with my bundle like they are doing with the VITA.

[Mr. iNCREDIBLE]

Originally Posted by PsychoRS

The redesign looks good and the bigger HDD options sound great, but IMHO this is how it should've been made to begin with!

Just another way for Sony to cash in on the current gen systems before the next gens come out.

However, if my current PS3 was to crap out on me I would buy this one to replace it!

oh you mean like the iphone?

makje little changes to build desire, but the core design doesn't change for 10 years, but all the fanatics have to have the newest, even though it is basically the same as the last 5 versions.

[austinjames]

i don't care how slim they make the ps3, its still not an xbox, therefore I'm not touching it. Ive had a ps3 for a few years and I've only used it maybe 2 times to play a blue ray movie.

[Mindz]

You realize that the xbox trailer is fake, right?

[ShnOmac]

Originally Posted by Mindz

You realize that the xbox trailer is fake, right?