E3: PS3 price cut temporary?

Could the welcomed $100 price cut for Sony's PlayStation 3 be temporary? Reported comments from multiple Sony execs in online publications Gamesindustry.biz and Joystiq.com indicate so. The current PlayStation 3 model, which is equipped with a 60 GB hard drive, certainly has received a price cut to $499 and is available at that price right now - but Sony's recent statements indicate that model is no longer in production.

If that's accurate, once those sell out, which could take as little as 1-3 months, the only PlayStation 3 model that's available will be the just-announced premium version. Going on sale in August and equipped with an 80 GB hard drive and racing game Motorstorm, it'll set purchasers back $599. Barring further price cuts, holiday shoppers would potentially still be faced with a $600 PS3, although they'd be getting more for their money.

WATCH MOTORSTORM TRAILER BROWSE MOTORSTORM SCREENS