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...but having cut production cost 70% and with the publisher pressure, recent denials don't hold much water- especially since the Wii is also rumored to have a cut coming (also denied, natch).

Not much is known about Sony's plans, except that the company wants to woo consumers to purchase the struggling console

Dozens of unconfirmed rumors regarding the Sony PlayStation 3 have been published online the past six months, and while very little is still known about the company's plans, it appears a price cut and new console launch will take place in the immediate future.

Even though specific details haven't been released by Sony, there are multiple rumors indicating the company will release its PlayStation 3 Slim unit on August 18.  It will officially launch prior to the Gamescom event in Germany, but details of the console are unknown.

Sony has vehemently denied price cuts are in Sony's future, but there have been several hints that were recently noticed the past few days.  Online retailer Amazon has cut the price of the 160GB PS3 Uncharted: Drake's Fortune bundle from $499 down to $449.

In Japan, the 80GB PS3 is reportedly being phased out, as the company plans to shift focus towards the 160GB unit.  Specifically, 7-Eleven will no longer allow customers to pre-order the white, black and silver 80GB PS3s after August 9, with retailers expected to only have 160GB units available.

Since its launch, the Nintendo Wii is the only console that hasn't received a price cut, even though it's possible that will change this holiday season.  Analysts expect Nintendo to drop the price from $249, but an exact price -- likely $20 or $30 -- hasn't been confirmed.  In addition to several game console bundles, Microsoft is expected to continue phasing out the Xbox 360 Pro models in favor of the Xbox 360 Elite, while also cutting prices.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=15871