PS3 Slim photos ordered down

A Taiwan-based law firm has asked several Web sites to take down alleged photos of a new, slimmer Playstation 3.

Notices were sent to Engadget, Kotaku and Spong, among others. Only Spong has complied with the request, which is pretty ridiculous because once something like this gets passed around the Internet, it’s not going away.

When I saw the photos, it was after I wrote about an earlier dubious rumor of a slim PS3. I still think the images look sort of fake, but the idea of a cheaper console has gained validity since those initial reports. Notably, Sony itself has hinted at a price cut, with corporate executive officer Nobuyuki Oneda projecting more PS3 sales this year, even while the industry is otherwise stagnating.

In a conference call to overseas analysts, Oneda wouldn’t explicitly say that a price cut was on the way because such a statement could hurt short-term sales. Asked how Sony came at such a high guidance number for sales, Oneda said, "Well, I think you have to guess what will be our pricing strategy," according to CNBC.

The takedown notices add another facet to the issue. Sony isn’t the one sending the takedown notices, and has said it knows nothing about the photos. Stepping in at this point would only fuel speculation that the images are real. This third-party law firm could either be covering for Sony or trying to protect a shady manufacturer that’s looking to produce fake gaming consoles. It’s too bad if that’s the case, because these efforts are only shining a brighter spotlight on the matter.

As with any rumor, time will be this story’s judge. We’ll see what happens at E3.