Pachter: Japanese PS3 retail ordering halted from August 8, price cut "more and more likely"

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter - speaking in this week's VG247 podcast - has said that Japanese retailers are claiming they're unable to order in new PS3 hardware post August 8.

Similar stories emerged at UK retail this week, the two coupled meaning it's likely we're about to see a PS3 price cut and the introduction of a new hardware SKU, Pachter said.

"It's looking more and more likely based on what we've heard from retail," Pachter answered when asked if we're going to see a PS3 price drop from Sony at GamesCom in Germany next week.

"The retail commentary I've seen has come out of the UK. I have not seen at US retail. We heard Japanese retail a few weeks ago say they weren't going to be getting any more PS3s after August 8, and now we're starting to hear UK retail say they cannot re-order PS3s until month-end.

"And that suggest there'll be a model change."

He added: "If Sony's practice is the same as it was in the past, and the Slim is more of a redesign of the components to drive down cost, then I think we will get a price cut."

A PS3 price cut and the introduction of PS3 Slim is now widely tipped to be a major component of Sony's GamesCom keynote in Cologne next Tuesday.