Sony Managing Director Michael Ephraim has an interesting bit of info for the Australian PS3 readers out there. According to an interview excerpt with PALGN, the PS3 outsold the Xbox 360 by 45% during the first quarter. Read more about this after the jump!

With more and more companies withdrawing support from the HD DVD, there's a rumor that Microsoft will be following suit by bringing out a Blu-ray Xbox 360 this coming May which will let them go head to head with the Sony's PlayStation 3. Find out more in the full article.

Sony Computer Entertainment Australia's big wig, Michael Ephraim, has advised that people who are anticipating the rumored 120 GB PS3 should just upgrade their consoles to their desired specification since it won't be long until PlayTV launches. Check out the details in the full article.

In a recent interview with GameSpot, Sony Australia's managing director Michael Ephraim talks about their recent decision to discontinue the 60 GB model for the PlayStation 3, leaving only the 40 GB model to fill the market. He expresses that this is the right decision for the company to do, despite the criticism they receive.

Ephraim explains that even though the 40 GB version will not be sporting backwards compatibility with PS2 titles, it can still be upgraded. Portable media slots and USB adaptors can be purchased and the hard drive memory can also be increased. The strength of the console wasn't reduced, "we've just reduced the capability of the machine in those areas."

Ephraim says that flak is expected for their decision, but that it was the right move to do:

We seem to be copping flak on just about everything we do. What we just have to say on that is, if you look at the sales figures [...] 83,000 units at a price that everyone said was expensive, that's a very solid result. [...] We believe the PS3 product will prove that the vision was correct. Whenever you have a new item that is establishing new boundaries in entertainment, you're going to cop flak.

We've got some bad news to impart to our Australian gaming brethren. A new GameSpot report indicates that Sony will be discontinuing the sale of the 60 GB PS3 in Australia. Furthermore, there won't be any price cut or bundles expected for the console any time soon, unlike in other territories.

According to the GameSpot report, the 60 GB PS3 will be phased out of Australia, with the 40 GB version being the only unit to be sold on Australian shores once the 60 GB version gets phased out. The mentioned 40 GB PS3 above is the one that lacks backwards compatibility and a multi-memory card port.

Said SCE Australia Managing Director Michael Ephraim about the new arrangement:

The 60GB model - with what stock we have left in trade- will be phased out, and the 40GB model is what we'll be supplying stores with going into Christmas and the new year. There will be one SKU - 40GB. And any de-speccing of the unit we've done on PS3 - except for backwards compatibility- can be upgraded by the consumer very easily.

The 40 GB PS3 units will be on sale from October 11, and will retail for A$ 699.95 (US$ 626).

Sony Computer Entertainment Australia, perhaps not wanting to stay behind Japan's PlayStation Premiere, commenced their second PlayStation Australia Update & Software Event (PAUSE), along with a good share of the goodies Sony touted during the E3 Media & Business Summit.

After a revelation of over 2,000,000 PS2 units, 300,000 PSP units and close to 60,000 PlayStation 3s sold, Sony Australia's marketing director Michael Ephraim also revealed the new PSP-2000 (PSP Slim to others, PSP Diet to jokers) and a September release for the revised PlayStation Portable in the region.

With the Ice Silver version tossed out the window, Australia will get to choose from the Ceramic White and the Piano Black versions instead. The availability of the Star Wars Battlefront II package - the one that sports the Ceramic White PSP-2000 - hasn't been confirmed, though.

With hands on demos with Incognito's Warhawk, Insomniac Games' Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, SCEJ's Eye of Judgement, Naughty Dog'sUncharted: Drake's Fortune, and Factor 5's Lair along with free music video clips from Sony BMG, attendees and 30,000 other PlayStation 3 users were reportedly satisfied with Sony Australia's second PAUSE, despite the lack of an 80 GB PlayStation 3 or a decent price cut for the console in the region.

After 3 days of waiting for the promised 17% price cut for the PlayStation 3 - as relayed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) Managing Director Michael Ephraim - Australians were instead given value packs with 2 free SIXAXIS controllers thrown in along with a game. The value pack is estimated to have a price value of US$ 125.

Since they already spend about US$ 400 more for a PS3 unit than U.S. gamers, Australian PlayStation fans wonder if the move was done in an effort to make up for lost profits, or "price gouging."

On the UK side of the fence, gamers resorted to protesting that Sony did not keep the promise of the price cut, but instead received a starter pack similar to what the Australians were offered in lieu of discounted PS3 units. "The starter pack means customers are getting £ 115 of added value for the same price," said a Sony UK spokesman. "How can that possibly be ripping people off?"

The price cut supposedly meant for the UK market was canceled only a few days after the U.S. got a clean US$ 100 chopped off from the cost of 60GB units, much to their chagrin. Also, the 80GB PS3 units previously exclusive to Koreans were not made available to UK and Australian consumers despite being launched in the U.S.

The recent events have caused UK PlayStation fans to spend US$ 420 more for a PS3 unit more than their U.S. counterparts. However, the free games offered in the value packs do look good: Resistance: Fall of Man, Motorstorm, Genji: Days of the Blade, Formula One Championship Edition and Ridge Racer 7.

Here's some good news for Sony fans in Australia. Australian gamers will not be left out of the planned price cuts for the Sony PlayStation 3 video game console.

According to Australian consumer tech website Smarthouse News, Michael Ephraim, the Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment in Australia, has confirmed that an official announcement regarding price cuts for PAL PS3s will be made on July 12.

This coincides with earlier word from SCEE that Europe will be getting a price cut announcement during this year's E3 Media and Business Summit to be held on July 11 to 13.

People in the industry expect that the PS3 will be getting a price cut of as high as 17%, which will bring the cost of Sony's next gen video game console down to AU$ 829 (US$ 715). North American PS3s - both the 60GB and 80GB models - are getting a US$ 100 price cut.

Here's some fighting words from Michael Ephraim, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia's (SCEA) managing director. According to him, the PlayStation 3 has been the number one-selling next-gen console since its launch in Australia, with the PS3 beating out its competition almost every week.

The basis for his assertion stems from some figures made by GfK Australia, which show that the PS3 has sold more than 50,000 units since its launch on March 23, 2007. Compared to this, the Wii has sold 100,000 units since its launch on December 7, 2006. Said Ephraim, "Based on GfK since launch, PS3 has been the number one next-gen console, outselling Wii and Xbox 360 every week, except for last week."

Ephraim continues,

Since March 23, PS3 has been the number one-selling next-gen console in Australia, and this is GfK figures. We've now sold 50,000 - and we're very excited about the fact that it's being sold in retailers that are gaming retailers as a gaming device and other things, but as you'll notice it's now being sold in Harvey Norman consumer electronic stores as a Blu-ray player.

While the Wii does seem to be the leader in terms of overall sales, it does show that the PS3 is surely catching up. The figures also make this spin very interesting, as consumer demand seems to indicate increased interest in the PS3 in Australia. Hopefully, it'll also mean that a resurgence in sales will also occur once more titles come out for the system later in the year.

"Today marks the first day in a long journey ahead for the PS3, which we believe will still have a place in the centre of the living room in ten years' time."

This was the bold and confident statement of SCE Australia's managing director, Michael Ephraim, on the much-awaited launch of Sony's PlayStation 3 starting midnight of today. After the long delay of launch dates across PAL territories, Australia, along with Europe, have finally gotten to lay their hands on the PS3.

"There has been so much talk about our next generation console that it is exciting for us that the public now get to experience it for themselves and make up their own minds."

And as with the previous launch events, the first customer to get his PS3 unit for Australia also got his time with fame. Danny Zarka of Sydney bought his PS3 straight from the bigwigs themselves, Bernie Brookes, CEO for Myer, and Ephraim. A beaming Zarka says, "I feel very privileged to be the first to buy a PlayStation 3 here tonight. If you love games and movies, why wouldn't you buy a PS3?"

Spoken like a truly convinced and satisfied consumer, eh?

So, there. The PS3 has finally reached the land down under, with Sony PS3 products walking out of retail stores and raking in AU$ 20 million profit during the midnight launch alone. The Aussie PS3 is now available for AU$ 999.95 (about US$ 805).