I hope they will just replace the 60 GB version with the 80GB version and keep it at the same £350 price. if they don't then they are just plain stupid.

I'm at a wait and see standpoint right now on all of this.

I stand by my belief that this is a bad move financially but it may help sales quite a bit. Most people probably aren't all that informed about the BC issues and the like so I don't think it will scare away tons of people or anything.

But if the $400 PS3 comes to the US this year I will be happy to be wrong from a consumer standpoint as it means next year if I decide to get a PS3 I will be spending less money. Honestly right now I don't know if I want this 40GB model though, the 40GB HD has nothing to do with it as it would likely get one of my extra laptop drives. The issue is with the backwards compatibility, I am an informed consumer and it does matter to me. I would greatly prefer to only have one console hooked and supposedly the games look a lot better too (no surprise). The SKU has other issues as well but thats the major one for me, I just can't see adding more crap to my TV area when its already crammed as it is. And considering I still use my PS2 on occasion just removing it isn't much of an option.

All in all, I think this is a risky move no matter how you look at it. There is risk that the lacking BC could become a rally point for complaints, risk they could lose lots of money, risk they could come off as desperate, and in general I don't see an outcome to this that doesn't generate some sort of actual negative impact on the PS3 and Sony as brand. Once again I must say I would be happy to be wrong, but I just don't see it.

Im with NJ 5

Well economic history says this should do badly like the 20gb before it did so who knows. Depends.

I'd say double the sales on the first week. But ultimately the average will only pickup to maybe an extra 10k. Possibly up to 15k.

Yeah, I would guess NA at least will be receiving the 40gb in a few weeks seeing how low weekly sales are for the 60/80gb models. The 60gb will eventually disappear and the 80gb will see a price drop (although all of these moves might not occur simultaneously). If the 40gb flops in Europe, I bet we'll see the 80gb with BC enter as a 2nd SKU. Nothing is ever set in stone, especially PS3 configurations, so if BC proves important to consumers and said consumers prove it by not buying the 40gb, BC will be back.

I think the 40gb will be a success, albeit not a huge one. When this comes out in NA in November like the rumors say, I think we'll see around 50,000 sales per week for the month until Black Friday, when sales will hit 100,000. This will still mean the PS3 will lag behind the Wii and 360 which will hover 'round 100,000 and 80,000 per week respectively. I think this is solid move by Sony because I know a couple people interested in the PS3 that don't give a crap about BC because they were planning on keeping their slim PS2s around anyway. 

I am SHOCKED at some of the predictions

the people who said 2K in my opinion haven't studied maths at all.

It will DOUBLE - hence going to 55K - 65K

USA n JAP whenever their announcements come I will predict

Was there anything mentioned about Dual-Shock in this SKU? That would really add insult to injury if they left that out as well.

LOL

ale kurwa matol.

LMFAO

szmata!!

wii fanboys are scared of the cut, go vg show you bias.

Why is it always the Sony fanboys with the personality disorders?