I had a sudden revolting thought ...

What if they decided to use the 40gb motherboard for the 80gb to reduce costs again ...

They should switch games in the 80gb bundle from Motorstorm to something like Uncharted or Ratchet & Clank.

I would LOVE a 40gb price drop but I seriously doubt it until sometime later this year.

Don't think anything much will happen, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Sony coming out and denying it so fast is a good indication that SOMETHING is going to be announced. (please PLEASE be in-game XMB and/or Home...)

@kcua_626
Sony IS financially capable of doing a price drop if they want to.
http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/01/11/ps3-production-costs-cut-by-half/

^^

Sony doing a price cut for that reason is thinking too shallow.

If you look at the big picture, Sony has to overcome some serious losses they had last year. Up until now, Sony is still losing money no matter how you deny it. It is very impractical to cut prices immediately after having this news. This article is just another step Sony had done to rectify its past mistakes.

And oh yeah, did you know that Sony invested a lot to make this happen? Another expense that they need to overcome first before they make more moves.

Sony is not MS with huge reserves of money. Sony is a company that moves slowly but surely. Sony's financial reserves are not as easily liquidated as MS's.

The only reason Sony would drop the price right now is if it was one of the terms of the contract between them and Warner. It's quite feasible for Warner to have requested such a thing, as it would grow Blu-Ray's marketshare directly by getting more ps3s in peoples homes, and indirectly as it would spur standalone manufacturers to drop their prices. It would also be cheaper and more beneficial to Sony than writing a $500 million check, which all the rumors imply took place.

However, that is the ONLY reason, and I don't think it happened. 

^^

Sure, but remember, Sony does not completely own the Blu Ray format. Sony still has to protect other Blu-Ray player manufacturers as of now since the drive's prices are just starting to fall.

Dropping the 40Gb PS3 to $299 is going to raise an uproar in the hardware manufacturing world.

 I'm sure Panasonic and the other Blu-Ray patent holds wouldn't mind since it resulted inending the war.

@Kcua_626

those manufacturers OWE the success of blu-Ray to SONY and PS3

they will allow this move I feel

For me?

A hangover.

Oh and I don't know what is likely to happen as far as the PS3 price goes. Its quite possibly true though.

I think that they should just have one model selling, the one they make more money from.