40GB PS3 pops at a big box

From its initial denial to FCC leak to stockroom delivery, we've watched the low(ish) priced 40GB PS3 make its slow decent through the Sony corporate birth canal to its November 2nd accouchement. So what's this, did an overly enthusiastic Wal-Mart break yet another street date? Seems so. These shots are from the Birmingham Alabama store -- on shelves and ready for purchase according to our tipster. Giddy up! One more shot of that mad 40 / 40 label after the break, dog.

[Thanks, H. Phillips]

[Matthew @ Oct 30th 2007 2:40AM]

This sku has been out in new zealand for a couple of weeks...

[waiownsyou @ Oct 30th 2007 2:42AM]

Thanks, Captain Obvious.

[theoryhybridlp @ Oct 30th 2007 2:49AM]

oh wow. big price drop. $19.82 for a PS3. haha.

[Michael @ Oct 30th 2007 8:35AM]

I was going to make a snappy comment, but I figure you must be joking. Price tags generally go below items on a shelf. Only when products hang on a peg hook do the price tags appear above them.

[Smiley Barry (TSL) @ Oct 30th 2007 4:52PM]

He was joking, duh. No one would believe that! If he did, you would see a sea of:

"XDDDDDDDDD ROFLMFAO!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!..."

Get the point? ;-)

[robert @ Oct 30th 2007 8:08PM]

And anyone can see that it says "PS3 MVP BASEBALL 2007" on it.

[ross @ Oct 30th 2007 3:06AM]

i wonder what bham store.. thats where i live. lol

[Grandy! @ Oct 30th 2007 7:30AM]

They got them at the new Wal-mart where East Wood Mall used to be... I saw it last night

[mfed3 @ Oct 30th 2007 3:36AM]

dear sony: GIVE IT UP. xbox + pc + wii cover everything already. ps3 is not needed for anything

[Geir E @ Oct 30th 2007 4:18AM]

So you mean Microsoft, who entered the game last of the current console ranges (xbox vs playstation vs nintendo) and made for sure Sega was out of the game (which originally was the strongest competitor to Nintendo from the 8 bit Nintendo entertainment system vs the sega mastersystem) - should prevail over Sony Playstation - that was the first to really challenge Nintendos dominance?

[Nae @ Oct 30th 2007 10:28AM]

@Geir E

To answer your question, yes.

Me, I personally want to own a system that has the most games that seem fun and entertaining. Most of the PS3 exclusives are jumping ship and releasing for both systems, so why own a PS3 when the great games look, play, and feel identical on the 360? The only exclusive (for now) that looks good is MGS4, and you can bet that Sony PLEADED with Konami to keep it that way.

If you played the stock market with your mentality, you would lose your ass. Know when to sell.

[Carbonize @ Oct 30th 2007 8:41PM]

@Geir E - For a long time all we had was Sega Vs Nintendo. After the Genesis and Snes Nintendo pretty much gave up trying to compete and started going for niche markets instead leaving Sega to the main stay console market. So Sega started work on the next gen console, the Saturn. But SOny announced they were entering the market and when Sega saw the specs they panicked and threw a load of extra chips into the Saturn making it more powerful but a nightmare to write for.

Sega then came to realise they could not compete with Sony and so gave up on consoles and along comes MS to challenge Sony's new found dominance.

From the way I see it Sega got complacent and Sony whooped their behinds. Now Sony has got complacent and MS has whooped Sony's behind.

The Playstation was revolutionary. Fully disc based with 3D graphics yada yada yada. But here we are on the third version of it and not a lot has changed. Hell even the joypads look the same. MS realised that the future of consoles was not only a console that could act as a media center but also one that provided easy and interesting online experience. It is the online part where Sony falls down.

Also I believe a lot of developers are saying the PS3 is hard to write for which makes me think that instead of concentrating on adding features and ease of use like people want they decided to concentrate on raw power and so produced a powerful console that requires your code to jump through loops to use.

Either way Sony beat a complacent Sega and now MS has beat a complacent Sony. They should either give it up or start to realise there is more to winning the console war than raw power alone.

[The Shaman @ Oct 30th 2007 3:48AM]

Ah, the Playstation 3 and Spider-man 3 go so well together.

(I mean the font, not how both were big-budget disappointments)

[Ilham Perdana Putra @ Oct 30th 2007 4:18AM]

thank you..

[fgpx78 @ Oct 30th 2007 4:22AM]

Now, i just need a psx/ps2/psp emulator for this one....

[Blide @ Oct 30th 2007 5:23AM]

Same here in Sweden, we've been able to buy the 40gb version for like 2-3 week... Although it cost like 700 USD. And we consider that real cheap(ish).

[Ramzi @ Oct 30th 2007 5:59AM]

This package is on the german shleves (MediaMarkt) since last week. Pricing: 429 Eur including the 40GB entry-version (399 Eur) + bluetooth remote control + Spiderman 3 Bluray DVD

[Alex @ Oct 30th 2007 7:15AM]

"Sony corporate birth canal" - wonderful metaphor.

Also, your Mad Dog 40/40 bit wasn't lost on all of us.

[Thomas Ricker @ Oct 30th 2007 8:47AM]

@Alex,

Thanks. Always good when someone catches the joke.

Thomas

[shuyin198x @ Oct 30th 2007 7:17AM]

Stop with the: ''they have been releases here in __[eu country]''.This the the US release.

[Vince @ Oct 30th 2007 7:28AM]

Not a Sony fan, but $399.00 with a movie . . . It's going to sell.

[Deus Innomen @ Oct 30th 2007 7:57AM]

Saw it yesterday at my local BB in the NW suburbs of Chicago. What street date? :P

[arthur dent @ Oct 30th 2007 8:02AM]

With the current exchange rate I could buy a PS3 in the US with the same money that bought me a PSP in France (249 euros). Nice!

[dataminer49er @ Oct 30th 2007 8:28AM]

It may be on the shelf, but will anyone buy the thing?

[GIlly @ Oct 30th 2007 8:33AM]

is there a possibility of the 40gig PS3 having a firmware based backward compatiblity? If not im not buyin ..

[Steven Smith @ Oct 30th 2007 5:43PM]

No a future firmware could not allow it be backwards compatiable. It's missing more than firmware. I also love the lack of digital card readers and two USB ports. Awesome.

There once was a day when PS3s flew off the shelfs now they collect dust for months.

[WhyNot @ Oct 30th 2007 8:57AM]

The backward compatibility is the killer for me. I have only 1 PSOne game that I play from time to time (FFVII), but have a good amount of PS2 games that I do play semi-regularly. Finally for a PS3 to step down a bit in price and not offer what does set it appart from the competiton, is a shot in the foot for Sony. If you are reading this stuff Sony (which we know you aren't, just like you don't read emails sent directly to you), bring the backward compatibility to ALL PS3 models and make the BluRay the bundle/addon.

[shuyin198x @ Oct 30th 2007 9:23AM]

BR- add on is quite impossible. What will the games play on?
FFVII> use an emulator. Ps2,well use a ps2.Otherwise fork out an extra 100.I welcome a cheaper model, even if it means using my old ps2. When has it become that 400 dollars is Alot of money? DAPS/Digital Cameras/pc components are all in/close to this price point. Im sure no one complains that an 8800 ultra is close to €700 whilst the gtx is €600, GTS is €400. Electronics have always been a little expensive.

[josearoldan @ Oct 30th 2007 9:19AM]

I live in Puerto Rico and I saw the advertising at wal-mart on sunday and I went to see if they had it and there were like 3 or 4 on the shelves.

[FK @ Oct 30th 2007 9:34AM]

This is old news... I live in Future Land in Europe and the PS3 Slim 400 Terrabyte has been free with purchase of lederhosen for a couple light years now.

[pixelator @ Oct 30th 2007 10:03AM]

"decent" - How do people get jobs writing when they can't spell?

[Richard @ Oct 30th 2007 7:03PM]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that was annoyed by this. And "accouchement"? Are you kidding?

[John @ Oct 30th 2007 10:39AM]

It's STILL 400 bucks. ARE YOU KIDDING.

Nope, it's a flop.

http://nexgenwars.com/

5 million to 12(360)/12(wii) million. Yeah, nice job Sony.

[aaaaaaaaa @ Oct 30th 2007 11:03AM]

----------------------------------------------------
Long-awaited Sunday. The school is a rest today.
First of all, I who gets up later than usual turn on the switch of the television made by SONY.
The purpose is to see the animated cartoon of Japan that looks forward every week.

It is read manga magazines that it ends.However, it is not read slowly today.
It goes to buy clothes of Halloween with papa.
It gets on TOYOTA of the papa boast, and it faces the shopping center.
News that Ichiro made new high hitting it from car radio again. Times how many integral new high?
It is Pokemon's arrival that bought. It is this and wrong none popular person. The software of NINTENDO that wanted and was new was firmly checked in it at Christmas.
However, though I want the figure of princess Tencor.

It returned to the house after it had eaten a delicious sushi lunch. I also read the continuation of the cartoon. Papa dug up TOYOTA.
Hereafter, it seems to go to the movie theater with the mama to see 'Last Samurai' said wanting see.
The elder brother seems to have faced girlfriend's house with the motorcycle of HONDA. Even the practice of the Karate that is in the evening might date it.

I think. The United States is that might be a very rich, good country. I was born in the
United States and really good.
I sincerely love United States. And, the United States culture is proud.
---------------------------------------------------

[Jake @ Oct 30th 2007 2:54PM]

i work at cc and we got 29 of them in today.....because it came with spiderman bd ....which just so happens to come out today....as far as when they are available idk...

[Jason @ Oct 31st 2007 2:06PM]

So does this new 40gig version come with the BD remote also??

[FAQinc @ Oct 31st 2007 7:15PM]

Well we also had the PS3 40GB for about a week over here in the UK well I live in London so I can't guarantee for the rest of the country.