We expected the PS3 slim to reach American gamers on September 1. Wrong. Sooner.
A listing on GameStop's website indicates that the new 120 GB PlayStation slim will ship on August 25, a full week earlier than the September 1 date that Sony ballparked for Kotaku earlier this week while discussing the system's U.S. launch.
Kotaku contacted Sony this morning to learn whether GameStop was in error or if the Slim is shipping early. "Sept 1st isn't an official street date," Sony spokesperson Patrick Seybold explained over e-mail. "We expect most retailers to have 120GB PS3s by then."
Earlier this week, PlayStation chief Kaz Hirai indicated that the Slim would be available in some regions prior to September 1, but a subsequent Sony-Kotaku interview had suggested that Sept. 1 was the U.S. date. We now understand things are more fluid.
It seems like some gamers will have their Slims in August.
BestBuy.com lists the slim as "coming soon." Amazon does not provide a date. Wal-Mart.com doesn't list the product.