40GB PS3 Set to Ruin Halo 3 Launch

Wedbush Morgan’s Pachter notes that should whisperings about a Playstation 2 price cut to $99 and the release of a new $399 40GB PS3 turn out to be more than just rumors, the Tokyo Game Show would be an ideal venue for Sony to make such announcements.

“We think that both of these ideas have merit, and note that Sony Computer Entertainment president Kaz Hirai is the keynote speaker at next week’s Tokyo Game Show. If the rumors are true, we cannot think of a better forum for making such an announcement, given that the event is less than a week before the launch of arch-rival Microsofts Halo 3."

The analyst also stated in the past that he believes that the $599 80GB PS3 will be available for $499 once the 60GB version is out of stock. But he now expects another PS3 price cut ‘no later than April’ of 2008 to $399 for the 80GB version. This could possibly spell doom for the 40GB version, or an even lower price point for the entry level PS3.

the Inquirer