PS3 drops to $400? Pirates of Burning Sea drops in '08

With Microsoft and Xbox 360 stealing all the headlines with the hot "Halo 3," Sony is trying to get people talking about its products again.

There is serious steam behind reports Sony will introduce next week a 40-gig PS3 for $399 that will contain the Blu-Ray player but may not be backwards compatible with PS2 and would have less USB ports. If true, that's a brilliant move for Sony on two fronts: it drops the PS3 to a price point that gamers have bought at before (PS2 and 360) and it gives home theater owners a serious Blu-Ray DVD player at a very cheap price.

Sony is locked in a war over next-generation DVD -- Blu Ray vs HD DVD -- and the cheaper player will only help with that.

The other big Sony news is the announcement that Pirates of the Burning Sea will launch Jan. 22. It's a heavily anticipated MMO (massively multiplayer online title) and will feature action on the high seas. The game is set in the new World 1720s.

Gamers will chose among the French, Spanish, English, or Pirate nations, playing a naval officer, a freetrader, a privateer, or a pirate. Each nation has more than 1,000 missions, meaning you'll be playing this for a long time. And you'll fight at sea where you can destroy or board and seize a competitors’ ship.

On land, a player can run land mines, lumber mills, and shipyards to produce goods all players will need. You can even create your own sail and flag designs.

Pre-orders are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 23rd. Players that pre-order will receive an invitation to the “Pre-Boarding Party” giving them access to the live game 15 days prior to launch. During this time, players can level up to 20 and keep their characters after launch, with a purchase of the game and paid monthly subscription.