Sony unveils lighter and slimmer PlayStation 3

While Nintendo is all set to release its next generation console – the Wii U – later this year, Sony has announced on its blog that it will be releasing a new version of its current-gen console – the PlayStation 3. The new version of the PlayStation 3 was just recently unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show, and is set to be slimmer and sleeker than the previous version.

Sony has detailed the information about the new version of the PlayStation 3 on its blog. According to the blog post, the new slimmer PlayStation 3 will be available in two models – one with a 250GB hard drive, and one with a 500GB hard drive. The new model is set to be approximately 25 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter than the current version of the PlayStation 3. There will also be another version of the console that will ship with 12GB of flash memory. This version will give you the ability to add a SATA hard drive.

Sony unveils the slimmer PlayStation 3

Sony is also announcing a bundle for the new version of the PlayStation 3, where the system will be bundled with the ‘Game of the Year’ edition of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, along with $30 worth of digital content for the online downloadable game Dust 514. Though, whether or not this bundle will see a release in India is as of yet unknown.

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Back in August, Sony made the announcement for the Game of the Year edition of Uncharted 3 in a blog post on the PlayStation Europe blog. The blog post lists the release date for the game in Europe as September 19, 2012. Developed exclusively for PlayStation 3 by Naughty Dog, the Game of the Year Edition combines Nathan Drake’s third critically acclaimed adventure, with additional pieces of multiplayer DLC, handpicked by the team for the release.

A quick recap for newcomers: Drake’s third adventure catapults the adventurer headlong into a dangerous search for the fabled relic, “Atlantis of the Sands”, with Drake travelling around the streets of London, a burning French chateau and the heart of the Arabian Desert. The game pits Drake and his mentor Victor Sullivan against an occult organisation and its ruthless leader, Katherine Marlowe.

The Game of the Year edition of Uncharted 3 packs in the following DLC:

Character Skins Packs 1 to 3: Twenty-five different skins for Uncharted 3 multiplayer, including fan favourites such as Nathan Drake as he appears in the original Drake’s Fortune, or Winter Drake as he appears in Tibet during Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.

Flashback Maps Pack 1 and 2: Includes eight maps that bring reworked, improved environments from Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves into Uncharted 3′s multiplayer.

Drake’s Deception Map Pack: Four new multiplayer maps - The Graveyard, Old Quarter, London Streets, and Oasis – each incorporating its own dynamic events.

Fort Co-op Adventure: Additional content for the co-operative adventure online game mode, Fort takes players on a journey through the fortress first seen in Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune to seek out Nathan Drake.

Co-op Shade Survival: Take on wave after wave of some of the toughest enemies from the series – the fiery Djinn. This co-op game mode provides a sturdy multiplayer challenge with handsome rewards.

Doughnut Skin Pack: If you’ve ever wondered what Sully would look like if he really let himself go, this is the skin pack for you. Five characters from the franchise are depicted in larger-than-life form.

While this may not be the sort of thing that fans of the series might want, since they probably already have the game and have played it many times, it might be a great way to convince gamers who haven’t yet bought the latest game in the Uncharted franchise.

For more information on the game, you can read our review of Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception  here.