Gamespot reported Wednesday that the US division of Sony has removed the $500 iteration of Playstation 3 from its online store.
Following suit were a number of other companies hosting online purchasing venues, including Best Buy, EB Games, Circuit City, and Amazon.com
The 20GB model was set apart from its 60GB counterpart by its lack of Wi-Fi connectivity, absence of multiple card readers, and design trim.
The move now throws open the question of whether the 20GB version will surface in Europe.
A Sony spokesperson informed Gamespot, “We’ll continue to monitor demand for the 20GB model, from a consumer and retailer perspective…which will be factored into any future Euro launch plans.”
The taciturn comment did not offer insights as to what combination of market forces, production logistics, or consumer interests inhibited demand for – or supply of – for the lower-priced variant.
Throughout its pre-launch advertising campaign, Sony had sought to justify the system’s higher price-point as a necessary admission fee for the system’s advantages, which includes a Blu-ray movie player.
