Ireland sees PS3 price increase [update 1]
"Surely he meant to type decrease" news now, with Sony's official website indicating that the European PS3 launch may arrive in Ireland with a somewhat higher price tag. According to a report on Gamesindustry.biz, the Irish section of "This is Living" lists a price of 629.99 Euros, an increase over the originally announced 599 Euros.
Now, before the internet's collective knee flies upward and concludes that the entirety of Europe will see a price increase, consider that residents of Ireland are the only ones faced with a higher price at this time (and the poor guys aren't even getting the 20GB model at launch). The United Kingdom's page still lists the original EUR 599 price. One theory is that the Irish page was merely the first to be updated, but it remains a theory until Sony officially announces a price increase.
That seems unlikely, if not entirely inconceivable given consumers' current attitude towards the PS3.
[Update: Sony has confirmed the higher price is for Ireland only, due to its higher VAT rate. The 60GB PS3 is still set at EUR 599 for the rest of Europe, GBP 425 for the UK.]
