Source:  kotaku

Buying one is hardly an impossible feat; however, recently there do seem to be a higher percentage of retailers with the machine sold out.

Take that sign, which says that all colors of the PS3 are sold out.

At a Sofmap retailer, there are no laminated PS3 tickets you can take to the register to exchange for a PS3 — meaning, this shop has no PS3s in stock. There are PS2, Xbox 360 and Wii tickets as those consoles are in stock.

All this comes as a notice surfaced, stating that 80GB PLAYSTATION 3 sales would cease on August 9. The surfaced notice was apparently from retailer 7-Eleven (7-Eleven sells video games in Japan) and stated that pre-orders for the Black, White and Silver 80GB PS3 will cease on Sunday, August 9 at 10am.

And now, look, days later and Japanese stores are out of the Black, White and Silver PS3! Though, it's still unknown how widespread this actually is and if this phenomena is only occurring in isolated stores or is nationwide.

The rumor is that Sony will be unveiling a new PS3 model at the Games Convention in Germany and the decision to take the 80GB off the market in Japan is to make room for that new model.

If posted already please lock the thread.

I love how Japan gets nice colors and we don't.
Otherwise i find this unlikely with ps3's current sales.

agreed

another article about a slim/price cut? damn its like a new one pops up every day.

Last week's PS3 sale was what 5k according to VGC? Is it part of the reason?

what sales? they are limited, pointing a lack of supply.

lack of supply doesn't mean they have 0 ps3 for sale in japan.

just shipment are smaller and ps3 sales are  just the ones in stock. considering the 6000 it looks likely.

I would say at least one model is getting phased out, but in Japan PS3 also hasn't had a big game for a while. I think a good time for a PS3 price cut in Japan would be ahead of Tales of Vesperia (by mid september)

There's so many rumors about price cut people are probably waiting with their buys.

Poor sony. Why are they having so much trouble keeping things a secret now, if indeed something is going to come. Man look at nintendo, we dont even know what games they are making let alone pricedrops, sku's and whatever else.

reports of supply drying has been popping up for a while now, ad to that the Sony have confirmed that 80GB units will stop being manufactured pretty much soon if not already, and you get a situation of stock clearing before a new model is introduced, and at this stage it's very clear that it'll be the rumoured PS3 slim at $299.