Sony Announces PS3 Slim
At the Gamescom convention yesterday, Sony officially announced–I hope you’re sitting down for this, kids–that they will be releasing a PS3 Slim model, due out in September. What a shock. You could have knocked me over with a feather.
Sony has proven that they’re terrible at keeping secrets. Rumors of a slim model emerged as early as this past February, as reported by T3. Sony denied any such plans. Then in May, photos leaked out of the PS3 Slim in production, including what became proven to be its packaged design. Sony continued to deny it, even though many publications that posted the photos were sent cease & desist letters from the Taiwanese factory’s lawyers.
With the evidence mounting, everyone hoped to see the PS3 Slim appear at this year’s E3. It remained absent, but we were introduced to Sony’s other worst-kept secret, the PSP-Go. After hearing tips from developers and a slip of the tongue during an episode of 1UP’s @1UP podcast, and a leaked video displaying the new design, it was hard to deny its existence. Sony denied away… That is, until its official debut at E3.
PSP Go Artist's Concept (aka, 'Wow, that's a really good guess!')
This rained doubt over whether or not what we’d been seeing about the PS3 Slim was a hoax afterall. But as a close industry insider predicted, Sony was holding off just a little longer before unveiling the new design. His explanation made sense: Sony wanted to liquidate existing stock of current versions of the PS3 in order to make room on store shelves for the Slim. If people knew too soon about a newer, potentially cheaper model, those in the market for a PS3 might hold off until its release, leaving older PS3 models to collect dust in inventory.
I understand the method to this madness, but there are wiser ways to handle the situation. Sony’s method of denial may save some sales in the short-term, but in the long run it does damage to their already-struggling reputation. They remind me of Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf, Iraq’s Information Minister during the 2003 invasion. The man denied that America had any presence in Iraq, even as soldiers and tanks could be seen behind him.
If you can keep your secrets secure, then congratulations on a successful plan. But once the cat’s out of the bag, you have to alter your strategy. Accept that what we’ve seen/heard is true, correct whatever mistakes were made to prevent future leaks, and come up with a new incentive for consumers to buy up your old stock.
It’s long been my hope to get my own PS3 sometime this year (I’ve already picked up Street Fighter IV). I’m happy to have my first PS3 be the sexy new Slim model. But what’s bringing that dream closer to reality is the price cut. Current models of PS3 have already been reduced in price, with the Slim debuting at $299. Despite months of cries from developers, Sony not just denied, but flat out refused to budge on the PS3′s high price points.
Given the current state of PS3 sales, I’m glad Sony has finally seen the light.
