by Tiberius Jonez
The worst kept secret in gaming is now officially outed. Sony announced the PS3 Slim to day; a smaller, lighter, more efficient and cooler PS3 with all the same features as it's predecessor. Using a third less power is a good thing, let's hope they improved the blu ray drive's reliability.
Does a smaller box and a much needed price drop make this a game changer for Sony? I doubt it. It certainly will boost sales this year, especially during the all-important holiday shopping season.
Microsoft needs to get Project Natal named and released sooner rather than later. From what I've read and seen, Natal is legit and if used properly, it could render the Wii obsolete overnight; at least in the minds of those gamers falling into the "XBox or PS3 for sure, and a Wii if it was a gift" crowd.
Blu Ray is becoming less of a draw for Sony as standalone Blu Ray players continue to come down in price. There have been no announcements of release dates for any Natal titles but all indications point towards a late 2010 release - holidays 2010?
If that is the case, Sony needs this year to prove most fruitful for PS3 sales. They could fuel that success by releasing more games designed to draw on the 360's success like Mag and Infamous.
I've been pondering a new PS3. This makes it more likely I'll have it sooner rather than later. I am super excited about Project Natal and a slew of good games coming to stores over the next 12 months. Next up, Forza Motorsports 3 and Modern Warfare 2.
This next year is going to be a good one for gamers everywhere.
