Once a rumor, now at the top of Amazon's pre-order list. Since the first mention of the PS3 Slim, the new model has been the subject of curiosity, speculation, and even ridicule in the interwebs for months. We went through it all - the leaked images, frustrated Sony execs, and even sightings in black markets. Join me and let's take a look back and see how this rumor gradually became the sleek, black reality that we know today.


The redesign rumors debunked

It all began when rumors of a hardware redesign came around the second week of May. Word had it that Sony will be revealing a new design on E3 in June the following month. Sony was quick to shoot that rumor down, saying that they "currently don't have any plans for a redesigned PS3." Technically, they didn't exactly lie about the redesign. At that point, they really didn't have plans for a redesign - they were already done with it.

Since we've seen the PSOne and PS2 shed excess weight and come out with smaller models, the industry wasn't really surprised with the rumors. The only real question at that point was when and why then. It was believed that it was too early in the life cycle of the PS3 to be getting a slim version so it wasn't clear if the E3 redesign rumors were to be taken seriously.


The cheap Chinese knockoff

Just a day after Sony debunked the redesign rumors, the interwebs were taken by storm with the emergence of supposedly leaked images of a PS3 Slim in production. The Japanese gaming blog Game Column got first dibs on the images of the top and base shell of a 120GB model, with provisions for two USB ports and a matte finish.

Many called BS on the images, going as far as calling it a cheap Chinese knockoff. These remarks were echoed all over the net, and the first look at the PS3 Slim was met with flames and disapproval. Fanboys were obviously upset that their holy grail was desecrated with a design that they didn't approve of, while others went on about the appearance; not many gave the thing props for anything.

One thing was for sure, there was a lot of attention on how it looked, and how it looked, for the most part, was not a good thing. All eyes turned to the forthcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo, where everyone anticipated the big announcement from Sony.


E3 mania

There were many big revelations in E3. None of them, however, even gave hint or the slightest reference to the PS3 going on a South Beach diet. The revelations, however, were big enough to derail attention from the PS3 Slim rumors and concentrate into other rumors that were confirmed in the expo, particularly the motion controllers and the PSP Go.

Sony must've let out a sigh of relief. Everyone started directing their attention to Natal, the PS3 motion controller, and the PSP Go, so their hush-hush project was able to hide under the radar, leaving center stage to the E3 mania. As far as hardware news went after E3, it was all about the announcements made, not about the ones that were kept under wraps.

That didn't last very long though.


The crackdown cracks the execs

Little by little, more evidence surfaced confirming that the PS3 Slim did indeed exist. Not long after the PS3 Slim images were leaked, Engadget was issued a cease and desist order by an unspecific Chinese firm to do some damage control on the matter. That didn't help. For Sony, the benefit of the doubt gradually evolved into the burden of disproof.

A GameStop rep was also put in the spotlight over the rumors. Poor guy must've been a deer caught in headlights when he was asked about the PS3 Slim, to which he expressed his surprise that the images were "already released." So he did know something after all, and his little slip was just about all that a lot of people needed to hear.

By then, the PS3 Slim secret was just as badly-kept as the PSP Go. The idea that a PS3 slim existed was already generally accepted at the time, and people were already waiting for the big announcement. Of course, an announcement of such weight won't be in some random presscon, and god forbid, Twitter. Only a major gaming event would warrant such news, and eyes turned to TGS 2009.

Now if you're a Sony exec, you're not gonna like the fact that you're at wit's end trying to get everyone to believe you when your next big gig is already all over the internet looking like a dirty old plastic folder made in China. As if to lay down their shields, John Koller and Jack Tretton each expressed their frustration with the leaks, though still not careful to give it all away. The rumor was as good as confirmed.


The return of the cheap plastic knockoff

Towards the end of June, it was rumored that two Taiwanese firms were put in charge of manufacturing the PS3, and that the rollout was set in July. What may have been evidence of the July rollout came two weeks later, when a PS3 Slim was spotted in a street market in the Philippines. This marked the second time that the PS3 Slim was seen, and the first time in a video. Comparison with the leaked images from May saw similar physical features, though it was hard to say for sure given the poor quality of the vid.

It didn't matter to a lot of people though. Too much has slipped, too much has been seen. Sony already had a huge elephant in the room with every public appearance and minor announcement.

In mid August, the PS3 Slim was spotted yet again in another video. This time, a developer vid. A French retailer also made the confirmation, but everyone already guessed right at that point.

It was getting clearer that the announcement won't make it as far as TGS. A Chinese gaming mag put its foot forward: the bomb will drop at GamesCom.


When two rumors come together

Having scheduled a rather lengthy period of time for their presscon, Sony was already expected to make the announcement. That wasn't the only issue though. There was also the matter of an even longer-hauled, rumor-worn issue: the PS3 price cut. PS3 stock in the UK were already running low and prices were already dropping.

There was a lot of talk about the relationship of the Slim to the price cut. At this point, the rumor mill was already itching to explode with anticipation. The GamesCom announcement was too close at hand.


Rumor becomes reality

Finally, after a long saga of speculation and non-confirmations, Sony formally introduced the world to its new baby - the PS3 Slim. The non-leaked look certainly did wonders for this one, it looks much better than previously seen, although there's no such thing as pleasing everybody. The PS3 Slim was confirmed, detailed, dated, and priced, along with the announcement that a US$ 100 price cut was in order for all PS3 models.


The saga continues

Hold on, just because we've seen the Slim and the price cut doesn't mean that the rumor mill will take a break from hoarding every bit of info that comes its way. The next confirmation we're looking for is the 250GB PS3 Slim, so stay tuned as we continue this exhausting rumor-mongering right into the next chapter.