Not in northern Europe atleast.

For Sony sake I hope it's low supply in Japan or else they are in deep trouble.

Sony has had a precedent for this with the 40GB PS3, before the 80GB unit came out, they started phasing out the 40GB, and many retails like now, were bundling games and clearing stock, and even then the retail drain starting drying out, but the 80GB was released before people really noticed, now however, they are really drying the retail chain, as they just want the 80GB units gone....feels almost like a relaunch of the PS3 with the slim.

America though from what I've seen has had no reports of retail drying up, it's most likely because Sony diverted all the last manufacturing and stock to America so that their were PS3 in store when Madden hit, they obviously didn't want to miss Madden console sales.

At this point, it's hard to deny that the retail chain world wide is mostly drying out, and that a PS3 slim priced at $299 will come soon, their are so many reports and rumours that all say the same thing, and when you look at the whole picture, it just seems to fit...just don't forget that the PS3 has been on the market for the last 2 years selling for the same price, so a price cut was bound to happen...

It was a matter of Sony reducing cost of the PS3 so that 1) they could drop the price significantly, and 2) to ensure that Sony stopped losing money from each PS3 sold and at least start making money on the hardware...the Slim allows both to happen, and Stringer said that Sony was concentrating on profit, and this too fits with what's going on now, since the slim allows all of this to happen...no doubt about it.

PS3 sales is going to drop everyehere until PS3 slim is out. I expect it to go as low as 40k WW week before slim ver released.

I cant get a PS3 where I live in Canada now either. They stopped restocking PS3s a while back, the rumors are just surfacing now. The reason for japans ps3 sales are, without any doubt, because of the lack of product combined with the OBVIOUS slim coming soon. Expect PS3 sales in japan to be ahead of the wii for a number of months after the price is dropped, considering a ps3 will only be slightly more expensive than a wii.

I think alot of the reason Sony "can't keep secrets" is due to them being so out of touch with the rest of the world. Everyone secretly wants Sony to be successful again, so every media outlet and even people are digging extremely deep and won't leave them alone to suprise the masses, but we keep finding more and more head melting things.

I don't think price is the issue in Japan at all.  In other countries it is though.

^ it's a combination of price and size, the size matters more in Japan though since they live in such tiny little rooms or something.

Sony fanboys will jump off the nearest cliff if there is no PS3 Slim.

That's a far smaller reason than games.  The first price cut for PS3 had a minimal effect.  It's hard to judge exactly how big because it was released at the same time as a huge game and new colors, but it didn't have any long term effect.  MGS4 had a much bigger effect than the price cut did.  PS3 was able to stay even with wii for a few months earlier this season because of games, now wii is having a counter attack with games.  360 was put on the map by games in japan, not price.  360 price drops have had little effect in Japan, games have had huge effects. 

What big games does the wii have coming..? I can't think of anything..
PS3 has Tales of Vesperia, (Will outsell 360 version)
Ninja gaiden Sigma 2(will outsell 360 version)
Final Fantasy XIII is still stated for 2009 on every major gaming website for Japan...
Tekken 6
Bayonetta
Gran Turismo 5(Still not sure.. but I'm expecting october..)
End of Eternity (Still says Q4 2009)

And these are just big titles.. there's an entire truck load of non big name titles to come out and a bunch of niche jrpgs as well...

Wii has nothing on the PS3 in japan right now, and won't until Dragon quest X.