Just looked at the Verge, IGN and ...xbox.com, all say 8gb is mandatory if you want to play multiplayer :/

Well then, I feel bad for the poor chaps that won't be able to play it :P   

8gb model is certainly not for those who are heavy downloader, is it? Then again, we criticized the 8gb flash memory of WiiU and 360's 4gb SKU. The same stands here too. But one thing PS3 has in advantage is that its harddrive is easily replaceable.

The gen is already over, what tide are we talking about?

the tide has shifted already.

In all hoesty when people see how ugly the super slim is (including that manual sliding lid for the rom drive), they will wish they got the other one.

I think neither the 4GB 360 nor the 16GB PS3 are for online gamers. So XBLA / PSN titles don't matter that much to them probably.

But the singleplayer experiences for quite a few PS3 titles require an install of 3 - 5 GB. The system will take its storage too. Just play GTA IV, MGS and 50% of the storage is gone.

Sony continues to sell the PS2. There have even been new game releases for the PS2 as recent as this year (2012). I see no reason why they wouldn't continue to make and sell the PS3 regardless of what they have coming next.

I think new consoles are really expensive proposition for both the platform provider and consumer. I have yet to feel PS3 is even close to being over due for an upgrade. Nobody has seen any software that would truely benefit from being on a PS4 (or XBox Next).

The only console that needed the upgrade is getting one (Wii --> Wii U).

Or not, given it's butt ugly, if the leaked pictures are the final product that is.

I wouldn't say it's THAT bad looking. I personally thought that Slim was pretty damn ugly after the beauty the launch model was, if a bit chunky

Mm that is true, but then the same gamers would turn on the PS3 to see a 1-2GB patch that needs installing, not sure if they know exactly how to circumvent such installations(by going in the offline mode)