I read the article hoping to find some specs and all there was is "less is less... we suppose..." just crap imo

why was this approved?

this is rhetoric that is not substantiated. They are speculating, pure and simple. THIS ISN'T NEWS!

Sony has the most reliable and innovative game player on the market. Microsoft charges almost $100 for wi-fi and AA batteries for controllers, and $50 for xbox live, and $179 for a hd-dvd add on, but a less spec 40 gb gets questioned? Free passes to Nintendo and MS for whatever packages they dish out. I do understand that people want the best for less, but c'mon, even if true, c'mon. But Wi-fi is cheap for Sony, even the PSP has this for $169, so the wi-fi should be there. I know Blu-Ray is there, c'mon!

That was a bogus article. They talk as if they are about to mention the stripped out items and it never happens.

Man first people complain that the PS3 cost too much, and all the really want is games. So now Sony will strip some features to make it more affordable and you can focus on games. And now people are like... No No, my features.

I don't get it. It's a PS3, it's $399 and you get to play games, it's a gaming machine.

The XBOX 360 costs $349.99 and it doesn't have WiFi or HD DVD movie playback.

Even if 40GB model exist or is in planning, i dont expect them to announce anything at TGS, it is to early. Those 60gb first need to go.

how many different ps3 packages are there??....im plannin to get one over the holidays and now i just dunno what the hell is goin on anymore..when i bought my 360 there were only two and back then there were only 2 ps3s so i knew which ones to get but now all these announcements about sony lower prices and changing hard drives...i havent really kept up with them...so each of them have different things like ports they took out and features not included?

can someone layout the differences?

@lightning, so its only gonna be 40GB and 80GB?, id rather get the 80GB one since i like download new maps, movies, and stuff

@Armyless - im broke RIGHT NOW...but ill obviously have enough money during the holiday season to buy the expensive one, the thing that confused me is that they put out a bunch of them and i wasnt sure which ones were available, and if there were features that were cut because of the lower prices...if there ARE things that were cut out from the the cheaper one, id rather get the more expensive one

It's probably written by the same people who say PS3 is too focused on extras and not enough on games.

Now they're complaining Sony is cutting out some extras...

If you get the same configuration as a 360 plus Blu-Ray and HDMI for $50 more I don't see how people can complain. But they will.

If gamespot offers $100 off for PS2 bringing the total to $299. Man c'mon. HOTCAKES are selling!!!

I never understand what the fuss is about the HD size.

You can take the bloody thing out and replace it! The manual even tells you how to do it!

umm the stripped down version is 399 now... 499 then... thats a discernable difference.

didn't say what features were left out though.

What a complete friggin' farse! This just beats all.

PS3 owner "Man, I got me a new ps3! It's so awesome all the stuff you can do with it!"

Xbox box boy "You don't even need half that **** man! Wifi, hd movie playback... multimedia ins and outs for mem cards.. an os to run linux. Please"

PS3 owner " You're just saying that cause you don't have any of that stuff in your xbox 360"

- Flash forward -

Xbox box boy "heard you traded in your xbox 360 & got a new ps3 last night. "

PS3 owner " Yeah, it's awesome! check it out"

xbox box boy "hahahahahaha, you got the gimpped version. It doesn't have any of the features your last one had before i talked you into trading it in"

PS3 owner " But you said none of those features mattered.. remember? Now it's basically just a games machine. Like the xbox 360, only mine still plays blu-ray and gets online for free"

Xbox owners are pathetic anal beads...

Love the PS3 and all but they need to stop with all the sku's and manage the ones they have already correctly.

Came out almost a year ago, and it was a different time for the ps3 then. I am one of those people who actually bought the 20 gb. Times have changed, and a lower price point (now that some more games and online features are out) would help the PS3 very much. Parents are going to look at the shelves and then their wallets, then make a judgment call; therefore, this is a smart move by Sony, if it happens.

The 20Gb was actually a good deal if you didn't want wireless, which i sometimes use with a bridge anyway. It still had the full ps2/ps1 compatability, HDMI, and you could still use external memory card readers through usb(which are cheap).

I think gamesradar is being a little quick to assume thing from the 40GB model with out any official statement

the only things that could be taken out is
Wi-Fi
Memory Card Reader

"Still, when has the word 'logic' ever been synonymous with Sony?"

hahahhahaha

40 gb without memory card reader and I'm cool. Can you stream videos music an d photos from a PC with the PS3? My music and videos would fill that 40 GB up quick.

No, Backwards compatibility, no wi-fi, no memory card reader.

Just a PS3 that plays PS3 games, PSN games and Blu-ray movies and instead of $400 make it $300. now that's a bargain that very few will be able to pass up.

If this is true Sony is just now realizing the wisdom of MS's pricing strategy and is playing catch up. What is cheaper about the 360 is not the console itself but the "cost of entry" to the consumer. If all you had was $300, you can't do any gaming business with Sony, because the minimum cost of entry for the PS3 is $500 - ALL OR NOTHING. With $300, you can immediately start playing games on the 360. Sure, it may eventually cost you more to add on the feature set equivalent of the PS3, but whether you spend that additional money is entirely up to you. In other words, Sony is finding out that to most consumers, cashflow flexibility is more important than relative value for money. We can argue all day about the wisdom of that choice, but that's just the way it is and Sony has to deal with it.

The key issue for me is whether the 40gb model will be upgradeable to restore the missing features or permanently gimped. The problem Sony will face in copying the 360 pricing strategy is that the PS3 was not designed for modular enhancement. Simply put, the PS3 is a "closed box" - all the features are packed inside, so it's relatively difficult to open the "box" to add or take away stuff. On the other hand, the 360 was purpose-built so that many of its key features are separately packaged as add-ons or "modules" that could be easily slapped onto the basic unit. It's the consoles equivalent of an IKEA shelf.

LULZ! You would think they would have a spel checker.

okay they didnt say sh*t so was this flamebait intended

Not even the memory card readers. They need to sell as many low-end models as high-end models, the reason the 20GB failed was because it was missing something as simple as Wi-fi and Memory Card readers. The only difference between the 40GB and 80GB models should be the extra packaging, i.e. Blu-ray movie, packed in game, etc.

Did Hirai already say that NO PRICE CUTS for this year???
They are now focusing on games, price drops is only a "possibility" for the future.

STOP CRYING.

go and buy the cheaper one at least you wont feel as bad as me paid nearly £500 for what to wait another f$%^cking 6 months for home and decent games i know the pS3 is good but im sick of being patient sony shafting its customers again an we just sit and take it rumble in cvontroller so what and youve still got to wait till 2008 for god sake

Except it will not have the emotion chip.

introducing the core ps3 system!

Now that Jim Ryan is gone just need to remove Herman Hulst from his position! And maybe give Shuhei the position he deserved.

This gen hasn't been the best for games, last gen consoles are still out there and now there's been talk of the PS6 and Xbox Two for a year or so. Many games this gen will be ported to next gen and the cycle will continue. The re-release of the Neo Geo AES+, games on cartridge for £70 ($95), gaming is going back in time. Gaming has gone pricing mad with the high cost of games, consoles and controllers. The men and women at the top are clueless.

It’s always interesting to hear behind-the-scenes stories like this, especially involving veterans like Shuhei Yoshida and leadership figures like Jim Ryan. That said, there are usually multiple sides to decisions at that level. It could be less about not “listening” and more about differences in long-term vision for PlayStation. Yoshida played a huge role in shaping the brand, so whatever the reason, his impact is undeniable.

If true, and I'm inclined to believe it is, it goes to show that Sony lost their way when they became more western/didn't respect the PlayStation origin story. Andrew House and Jack Tretton did great work, but they also didn't try to fundamentally change the PlayStation DNA. Ryan oversaw the death of Japan Studio and a live service direction.

I already figured this, good lord imagine if Shuhei took over instead, would've been a platinum era 😩

I miss the first three generations of PlayStation. The way they turned PS3 around, we knew they meant business. We were all worried for a bit there around launch. Eventually from 2008 they started shifting slowly. But since Yoshida was fired, it's never been the same. Still enjoy my PS5 daily. I got a backlog dating back to PS2 lol So I'm fine but new games aren't as appealing anymore.

It seems like we were thrown on to the worst timeline possible where everything is too expensive and the wrong people were put in positions that makes the world a shitty place. We could have had Shu as the head of PS but we got the shitty alternative. Same goes for everyone in power around the world. Doesn’t matter the company or country the majority of us got the shitty picks and the world is declining like never before. I do think PS can come out of this because of their studios, talent and IP but they need someone more in touch with gamers leading things like Shu was. They’re still the best place for console gaming imo but it could be much better than it is especially without the massive live service failures. The rest of the world I have a lot less hope for right now. Hopefully the pendulum swings back towards the good ole days but I’m preparing for the worst.

There goes illuminati distraction story

So now there's certifiable proof that Ryan was in fact "fired", as opposed to when it was first announced that he "retired", in order to save face.

There's another guy who recently "retired" as CEO of another large gaming company, after doing a dismantling job as lead for well over a decade.

seems legit, the business man, fires the one who has ideas to move the business forward.

Jim Ryan is the reason why we are entering year 6 since the PS5 launch and many of us don't feel like the PS5 has gotten started as yet.

I hope going forward, we will see a return to form.