Sony dumping off old SIXAXIS controllers in MGS4 "Welcome Box" PS3 bundles

Now that the Dual Shock 3 is finally here, it looks like Sony's finding creative way to dump off old SIXAXIS stock -- like tossing 'em in MGS4 PS3 bundles. Japanese PS3 buyers will be able to choose from three "Welcome Box" MGS4 bundles in Satin Silver, Ceramic White, and Clear Black, and in addition to Snake's latest adventure and a Dual Shock 3, they'll find a SIXAXIS inside. The bundles will cost ¥49,800 ($470), compared to ¥51,800 ($492) for the gunmetal gray bundle that doesn't include the extra controller, so basically Sony's giving Japanese buyers $20 to take a SIXAXIS home.

Sony's Grand Theft Auto IV PS3 bundle spotted in Belgium store

Yeah, that fancy press shot has a certain beauty to it, but there's just nothing like spotting a highly coveted console in the wild. Here the first image of the GTA IV bundle sitting on a shelf just waiting for someone to trade their €450 in and take it home.

PlayStation Home beta adding more users this Fall

After hitting delays already, we can't say that this was the PlayStation Home press release we've been expecting. Nevertheless, Sony just announced that it is expanding the closed PlayStation Home beta to more users in "Fall 2008." Kazuo Hirai, prez and ringmaster of Sony Computer Entertainment, said, "We understand that we are asking PS3 and prospective PS3 users to wait a bit longer, but we have come to the conclusion that we need more time to refine the service."

PS3 to get smaller Cell and/or RSX chips in August?

Nikko Citigroup upgraded its rating on Sony this morning in anticipation of it breaking even on PS3 costs earlier than expected. At the moment, Sony sells the PS3 at a loss. The respected group of analysts is now earmarking August as the milestone month. Sony's CFO recently suggested that the move would occur in the second half of the year -- a date analysts then pegged at November. No details behind the new upbeat expectations were provided by Nikko CG. However, it's safe to assume that the PS3's break-even event will be realized by a switch to a sub-65nm cell processor, sub-90nm RSX graphics chip, or both, since the smaller chips are less-costly to manufacturer.

Movies and TV shows coming to PS3?

The PlayStation 3's newest v2.30 firmware just came out yesterday, but Sony isn't show any signs of slowing down its updates for the PS3. In a blog yesterday, Senior Vice President Peter Dille wrote this enticing tidbit:

Many of you have been hearing rumblings about a video service that will allow you to download full-length TV shows and movies via PLAYSTATION Network for North America. While I don't have any new announcements here for the PlayStation Nation, it's already been confirmed that we'll be offering a video service for PS3 in a way that separates the service from others you've seen or used. Ultimately the goal of the PLAYSTATION Network service will be to break through the overwhelming clutter of digital media to give you the TV, movies, and gaming content you want. More on this very soon...

That sounds pretty promising for PS3 fans, but until we get more information, all we can do is speculate. Just a few months ago, there were plenty of rumors about Netflix coming to the PS3. That would certainly be a great score for the PS3, as many people already have Netflix subscriptions and consumers seem more open to subscription plans for movies than they do for music. Another solid option would be support for Hulu, which offers a bunch of TV shows from Fox and NBC--plus some Universal movies--broken up only by short 15-second ads. This might seem even better to some PS3 owners, mainly because it's 100 percent free. The most likely option is that Sony rolls out its own video service, and that has the biggest potential to be a bust. Sony always seems to be a little quirky with digital media downloads (see: Sony Connect and ATRAC3), and we're betting that a proprietary "Sony Video Store" would be much more expensive than Hulu or Netflix--probably more in line with iTunes pricing.