Sony doubles PS3 production, fuelling price drop speculation

Sony has ordered enough parts to make one million PlayStation 3 consoles in the third quarter of this year, according to reports from the Far East where the majority of the console's components are manufactured.

The figure is double the number made in the last three months, said The Telegraph, picking up on a story reported by DigiTimes. A fact that has prompted further speculation Sony is about to launch a cheaper, slimmer version of the PlayStation 3.

Some industry watchers predict Sony will make an announcement at this year's GamesCom event in Cologne, at which the company has confirmed it will hold a three-hour press conference.

The news follows the revelation PlayStation 3 manufacturing costs have dropped 70 per cent since the console was first launched - a figure confirmed by Sony Corp CEO and executive vice president Nobuyuki Oneda during an investor call late last week.

Earlier today, it was also noted online retailer Amazon has cut the price of the PlayStation 3 160GB bundle by USD 50 for its US consumers.

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