Of all the ripples, rumors, and outright leaks swirling around Sony’s showing at E3, the announcement everyone was hoping for didn’t happen. For the umpteenth time in as many opportunities, Sony’s talked about the PS3 without using those two magic words: price cut. Ever since Microsoft dropped prices on the three versions of the Xbox 360 almost a year ago (bringing their hard drive-less Arcade unit to the magic $199 price point), cash-strapped gamers have held their breaths in anticipation that Sony would follow suit. So far, no luck. At twice the price of Microsoft’s entry-level unit, the $399 PS3 consistently brings up the rear in monthly hardware sales (Nintendo’s Wii, meanwhile, sells its normal bajillion units). With a solid stable of great games in 2009, it seems like the only thing keeping gamers from adding Sony’s black box to their sagging entertainment centers is that they just can’t afford it.

For a while now, the rumor has been that a slimmed-down version of the PS3 will hit stores this summer, accompanied by a price drop of anywhere from $50 to $100. But with E3 come and gone, and Sony staying steadfast in its position that the feature-rich PS3 remains a value proposition at the current price, is it all just wishful thinking?

Considering the $250 price point for the new PSP Go, it might be.

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