Source: The Tokyo-based Akiba Blog via the Tokyo-obsessed Kotaku.

　　What we heard: When the PlayStation 3 went on sale last fall in Japan, it was in even scanter supply than it was in the US. According to Japanese magazine publisher Enterbrain, just 466,716 PS3s were sold in the island nation in 2006. By contrast, customers scooped up 989,118 Wiis from store shelves in Japan, where the Xbox 360 lags far behind.

　　After being initially hampered by problems manufacturing diodes for the PS3's Blu-ray laser drive, Sony ramped up shipments to its home country this month. Last week, the company announced it had belatedly reached its 2006 goal of shipping 1 million PS3s inside Japan, and reports from the country say the console is now in abundant supply. (The console has shipped 2 million units worldwide.)

　　This week, rumors spread that PS3 supply in Japan might be too abundant. On Monday, the Akiba Blog posted photos (pictured) showing the Akibara branch of Don Quijote, a popular Japanese game retailer, selling PS3s at a discount. Specifically, the store is marking down the 49,980 yen (around $411) 20GB model by 20 percent to 39,980 yen (approx. $329). Later reports on the Japanese 2chan forum indicated that the discount was also in effect at other Japanese Don Quijote outlets.

　　Within minutes of the pictures hitting the Web, anti-Sony fanboys were already touting it as further proof of the PS3's premature demise. Their theory: Surely if a console this new was already being marked down, it must mean that sales of the console are stagnating, right?

　　The official story: After conferring with their Japanese counterparts, US Sony reps dismissed the PS3 sale as a single chain trying to promote itself. "It looks like it is only one retailer, Don Quijote, and they are running a special for a limited time on a limited number," said the rep.

　　Bogus or not bogus?: Not bogus that some PS3s are being discounted. Bogus that prices for the consoles are being slashed all across Japan (for now, anyway).