60GB PS3 to be discontinued in UK

At the end of last Friday, Sony finally gave British gamers what they really, really want for Christmas--a price cut for the PlayStation 3. Originally priced at £425 in the region on its launch on March 23, the console had remained at that price since then, despite price cuts in Japan and North America.

The new Value Pack, which will go on sale on October 10, will feature two first-party games, plus a "fully functioning" 60GB PlayStation 3 for £349. Alongside the price drop news, Sony also announced the introduction of a 40GB SKU, which would go on sale alongside the 60GB version for £299, giving consumers a choice. The 40GB model would, however, not be backwards compatible with PlayStation 2 games.

For many, the extra £50 may have seemed worth it with two free games, 20GB more storage space, and full backwards compatibility. For others, the cheaper price point of the 40GB version may have made it more enticing--especially if they didn't fancy any of Sony's first-party titles currently on offer.

However, consumers will soon not have a choice, as the 60GB version is being phased out of Europe completely. According to Sony's Web site, the Value Pack will remain on sale only "while stocks last." From then on, "once stocks are exhausted, the new 40GB model will be the only one available in SCEE territories."

[UPDATE] A Sony spokesperson confirmed to GameSpot that the 60GB model would only be remaining on sale while stocks last. He said, "Our offering in the UK marketplace for Christmas are the two SKUs announced on Friday, but as the 60GB stock is depleted, the £299 40GB SKU will be the only version available going forward. The 40GB machine represents all the power and potential of PlayStation 3 at a very compelling price...The only functionality that is being removed is backwards compatibility--and this is because we believe this less important now than when we launched--as there will be 65 PS3 games available by Christmas."