Heads up, importers and Final Fantasy fanatics alike. Turns out that YouTube ad announcing the Japanese release date of Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) we saw yesterday was right on the money.

They've managed to cut manufacturing costs down by 70 percent. They've released a slimmed-down hardware iteration at a lower price point. So, is Sony finally making money on the PS3 Slim after bleeding money when the console first launched? The short answer is... No.

Have you ever stopped to give a closer scrutiny upon the new PS3 Slim? If you have, then you would also have noticed that distinct change in the logo of the PlayStation 3 brand. For one, no longer does the console shout at you saying it's a "PLAYSTATION 3," but rather now talks to you in a more civil manner with a "PlayStation 3." In fact, the logo also has disposed of its uncanny Spider-Man logo, choosing instead to rely on marketing materials that show "PS3." Of course, Sony did not decide on this on a whim.

With Microsoft's Natal tech slated for release next year Sony is definitely not resting on its laurels when it comes to the motion controller arena, and 2010 is quickly shaping up to be the year the two companies go head to head with their respective motion controllers.

This September, we have another giant gaming event happening in the form of the Tokyo Game Show 2009. Reported to be giving the opening keynote speech is none other than the CEO of one of the biggest names in video game entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment's Kazuo Hirai.

They had to go and bite the bullet, explained Sony boss Kazuo Hirai in regards to their Blu-ray choice. Simply put,  it appears that they had "no other choice" but to have Blu-ray into the PS3. But there's more than meets the eye. Find out how Hideo Kojima fits in the equation.

It's been a pretty tough year (make that three, actually) as Sony Corp. continues to struggle to get out of the red zone, with its profits for the game division plunging deeper. But newly appointed CEO for game and network businesses, Kazuo Hirai, is adamant that they will be able to bring back the  division to some good, old, crispy profit.

Howard Stringer has taken up the title of President to add to his already long list of titles, and under his reign Sony will be undergoing a major organizational change. The PlayStation group included.

Details after the link.

After all the fighting words Kaz Hirai and Aaron Greenberg slung at each other's console offerings, here comes Michael Pachter to the rescue! Well no, not really, but seeing as how he's never been one to shy away from a chance to get himself heard, he's thrown his own two cents in on the issue.

It just never ends. Sony's Kazuo Hirai recently threw some mud Microsoft's way when he said that the Xbox 360 had "no longevity," and that the PS3 will have a higher install base by the end of its life cycle. Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft's fanboy spokesperson Xbox Product Management Director, has a few things to say about that.