Sony developing 200GB PS3

Look I drink ...                                                                                         

... but I do know the difference between a rumor and a fact.

Example:                                                                                                      Rumor = There are plenty of games on the PlayStation 3, and Blu-ray makes them better.
Fact = Sony is pursuing a more expensive (Yes, it's possible) version on the PS3 with a 200GB hard drive.

Developers are already hard at work to make sure that this happens sometime in 2008 to compete with the needs of the U.S. and North American market. Sony has yet to release an official statement concerning size, but Satoshi Fukuoka, a Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. spokesman in Tokyo, has stated:

"It's in line with our strategy as we had planed to choose models based on consumer needs,'' Fukuoka said. "The larger model, which retails for $599 in the U.S. and is $100 more expensive than the smaller version, accounts for about 90 percent of sales....The company is also considering introducing the model with a bigger hard disk..." [Via Bloomberg]

After sending out e-mails, instant messages, making a few phone calls, and doing a ton of reading through Sony's research and development charts, I found out that a 120GB model was in the works, but would not be a good choice considering the recent upgrade to the Xbox 360 of the same size -- not to mention the PS3's lifespan needs to incorporate a larger drive for future needs. A 200GB hard drive fits this model that Sony wants to offer.

A few other drives have been tested in between this 120 to 200GB range, but 200 seems to be the magic number. While that is thoughtful of Sony, it is also a little disappointing that they missed this when creating a console supposedly having a 10-year shelf life. The price point of the PS3 was in fact a large part of the reason. I am assuming that Sony is under the impression that we want to spend more. The U.S. market shows this with just under 10% of the PS3s being purchased at the lower price point.