No rumor, but confirmation right away. Also Japan will receive its 40GB PS3 SKU, as announced by Sony Computer Entertainment, according to Famitsu and Dengekionline today.

The 20GB and 60GB consoles will get a pricedrop on 17 October and the 40GB SKU will be introduced on 11 November, also...without Backward Compatibility, but included the rumble controller. Two colors will be available, clear black (same as the 60GB model) and ceramic white.

As far as I can take from the context of the text, no discontinuance of the 20GB / 60GB... but my guts tells me it will.

http://www.dengekionline.com/data/news/2007/10/9/ce69bd8b30dcac80c08e1f0062d99541.html

http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1211062_1124.html

i don't understand why they are doing this in Japan, I just don't see this going over well. The 20 gig is the highest selling model, and BC is even more important in Japan than other regions. The price drop on the 20 gig should have a nice effect, but the 40 gig isn't going to have a major impact.

Cool.

A selfish part of me wants the 40 Gig to fail so the 80 comes down in price quicker, but so long as they keep a version with backwords compatability i'll be happy.

From what I've heard from a seller the 20GB is the "least" selling console in Japan :=/. If you take it from a worldwide perspective it doesn't make any sense. The US and Asian (outside Japan) territories are the only ones with a 80GB. Therefore... this smells fishy to me. I'll bet the 20GB / 60GB version will be discontinued in the end and another version will be introduced instead..."with" BC.

I don't think we've heard the last from it yet, like with Europe :=/.

It is very weird that the 40GB will be 39995 and the 20GB will be 44995. I wonder how that will go over for the uninformed consumer. In any case a lower price is always a good thing, even if their are some drawbacks. The good thing is if enough people are pissed about the lack of BC a full software one will have to come out. TBH Sony would be extreamly dumb not to offer full software, especially in Japan were downloadable PS2 titles is very possible.

I've also heard this talk about the 20GB model doing well in Japan and I've never understood it. I mean, if anyone loves WiFi it's gotta be the Japanese.

Either way, I wouldn't be shocked if the 40GB replaced their 20GB and they continued to have a high end model w/ BC available in some form. If any country is full of people with a good reason not to have two machines in the home when they can have one, it's the Japanese. For that reason alone it almost seems foolish that they'd launch the 40GB there at all.

Here's to hoping that Sony is/will work on greater software emulation.

Here is the press release in english:

http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/071009ae.html

Here is the official link:

http://www.scei.co.jp/corporate/release/071009a.html

By the way, Onna, this model doesn't come with DUALSHOCK 3 (sold separately for 5,500 yen).

It is bundled with a SIXAXIS, same as anywhere else around the world.

As for the news. Well any price drop is good for sales. The prices are 39,980 / 44,980 /54,980 yen that is $343/$385/$472 for the 40/20/60 GB. Those are nice prices for the PS3 on their first Christmas. Well, America has no conformation yet, but it will have most likely $399. With this prices I can see the PS3 beating the 360 in total WW. Not by much, but it will help get Sony attention and good sales news, and thats something they really need.