Is the 20GB PS3 already on its way out?

According to one research firm, it costs Sony $65 less to sell a 60GB PS3 than it does a 20GB version. With that incentive, the manufacturer likely offers slightly better margins to retailers. So is the 20GB PS3 on its way out? Anecdotal evidence as reported by Next-Gen suggests that 20GB PS3s are near impossible to find in stores while 60GBs are readily available. But Sony PR director David Karraker maintains that his company will not put the kibosh on the $499 model and that their availability is solely up to retailers. "The type of model found in stores is completely up to what the retailer orders, so if they don't see a big demand for a particular SKU, they simply don't order it from us," explained Karraker. "At this time there are no plans to change our US model offerings." One still wonders, however, if that will remain the case. 20GB PS3s won't even launch in Europe next month, traditionally one of Sony's biggest markets, if not the biggest.