There have been mounting rumors lately that Sony would drop the price of the PlayStation 3 – it was a pretty safe bet at this point, two years since such a cut – but today during their GamesCom presentation, the company officially announced that the price of the 160gb PlayStation 3 would lower by 50 bucks to $249.99. That wasn't the only announcement, though, as Sony also premiered some new PlayStation Vita titles and even a new PlayStation Portable (really).
It's been almost two years to the day since Sony announced that the PlayStation 3, long addled by what many considered a too-high launch price, could be all yours for the low(er) price of $299.99. The price decrease was in direct relation to the launch of the PlayStation Slim. Now, it seems that the aging system was likely due for a cost-cut, but has me wondering how Microsoft responds with the Xbox 360.
It's hard to believe that the PlayStation 3 ever cost $600 – or that I paid that price, ugh – when it launched nearly 5 years ago, but the Xbox 360 is even a year its senior. Frankly, Microsoft's console is due for a cut, and I wouldn't be surprised if we hear precisely that before the holidays, or at the very least, before E3 2012.
Meanwhile, Sony is pushing its upcoming handheld, the Vita, with new software that will hopefully bring in PlayStation's first-party franchise fans. While we're anxiously awaiting the arrival of "Resistance 3," the series will make its way to the Vita with "Resistance: Burning Skies." The game focuses on the story of Tom Riley, who awakens on Ellis Island before the events of "Resistance 2." The touch controls look really interesting, including lobbing grenades with a finger swipe.
Next, there's "Reality Fighters," a Vita fighting game that allows you to create a custom fighter – even using your own photo – and duke it out in an AR-format. Essentially, the game can take a live feed of your background, and you can fight a friend anywhere. It's kinda cool looking.
Finally, Sony showed off the rather bizarre looking "Escape Plan." The game features a weird fat guy and a little guy who look like they just stumbled out of a Tim Burton-themed S&M party. They can fill themselves up with helium and float over objects; it's totally strange but I'm kind of intrigued.
Lastly, Sony announced a new PlayStation Portable today. No, not the Vita – and honest-to-god PlayStation Portable for the very low price of $99. The new PSP is a budget model that doesn't include wifi, but can download games from the PlayStation Store. As of now, the new unit is only confirmed for Europe, but keep your fingers crossed if you're looking for a cheap portable console.