There has been a great deal of advertising here for the PS3. Also I Think the bundle with Assassin's Creed III was a smart move. It's be advertised almost as much as the election stuff.
And some could be people, like me, that were disappointed with the Super Slim, Slim, so they went and bought out the ol'Slim so they wouldn't be stuck with a silly and inconvenient top loading player. (Although I didn't buy it.)