Sounds Like The PS3 Slim Just Got 200grams Slimmer.

Japanese retailers are claiming that an updated SKU of the Playstation 3 hardware will drop an extra 200g from its total weight. No details have been given on what’s changed to get the system lighter, but AndriaSang report the change has something to do with a new PS3 model number CECH-2000A to CECH-2100A.

This corroborates stories earlier in the month which saw Sony file two new SKUs to the FCC.

The Sand Dollar Enterprise Are Back With More Secret Sony Hardware Revisions.

Sony’s filed two new PS3 SKUs to the FCC, hinting perhaps at a fresher version of the PS3 Slim. The filing – listed under Sony’s secret alias The Sand Dollar Enterprise – reveals two new hardware SKUs listed as CECH-2101A and CECH-2101B. As Engadget point out, the the alphabetical difference points towards the different hard-drive sizes.

Apparently the SKUs are identical to current hardware, suggesting the resubmission is due to a change in internal chips.

You probably shouldn’t be excited by this news.

The Slim Was The Biggest Deal In 2009 To Japanese Famitsu Readers.

According to retailer and reader votes in Japan’s super-gaming Bible, Famitsu, the relaunch of the Playstation 3 in September was the biggest gaming story of 2009, with Final Fantasy XIII’s release date and PSP Go’s announcement all filling out spots in the top five.

We can’t disagree with the PS3 Slim’s announcement; Sony’s effective platform relaunch has propelled the Playstation into a much more viable system, something we hope Sony continue to push hard through 2010 with the launch of Playstation Motion Controller and a huge line-up of exclusives.

The Playstation 3 Continues To Be Japan's Most Adopted System.

When the PS3 Slim launched, many expected the Playstation 3 to lead the charts for a couple of weeks and then drop away. But Sony’s HD system has held onto its place at the top of the Japanese charts, even managing to beat out Nintendo’s DSi this week. Combined sales of the PSP and PSPgo also managed to beat out Nintendo’s handheld system for the week.

• PlayStation 3 – 48,925
• DSi – 37,421
• PSP – 33,784
• Wii – 31,810
• PSPgo – 13,992
• DS Lite – 5,515
• Xbox 360 – 4,679
• PS2 – 2,066

Sony will hope to hold onto their Japanese dominance right up until the inevitable Final Fantasy XIII bomb-drop next month.

Sony Should Take Note: People Want Gold PS3s.

Colorware are crazy. Crazy but so, so cool. They intend to drop five PS3 Slims into 24k gold. Why? Because it looks great. Colorware intend to only produce five. We want one.

The 250GB PS3 Slim Is In American Stores Now.

If you’re American and still without a Playstation 3, well it’s worth noting that Sony released the 250GB PS3 Slim in your region yesterday. The new PS3 Slim does all the normal stuff a PS3 does, but with a 130GB more hard-drive space to play around with. It’s only $50 more than the standard system too — so you’re getting over double the HDD space for just a few extra dollars.

It’s a great deal — if you haven’t got a PS3 yet, you should be considering it.

This Little Baby Has Worked Wonders For Sony In The Latter Half Of The Year.

American retailers GameStop have announced that the Playstation 3 continues to sell extremely well post-price cut. According to executive vice president Tony Bartel, momentum for the system has remained strong since the price cut in early September. Usually price cuts cause a strong spike in sales, before dropping away. Sounds like the Playstation 3 is bucking that trend.

Bartel confirmed to IndustryGamers that there was a huge “surge” after the price drop announcement, and sales have remained strong right the way through October. Whether the Playstation 3 can stay above the Wii and XBOX 360 for the month, time will tell.