Sony to sell new version of PS3

Sony Corp. plans to start selling a more-expensive version of the PlayStation 3 for the holiday season, offering increased storage capacity for downloaded games, movies and television shows.

The 250-gigabyte PS3 will be available for $350 starting Nov. 3, Sony Computer Entertainment America said Thursday in a statement. The current version has 120 gigabytes and sells for $300. Tokyo-based Sony cut the price from $400 in August.

The added storage will give the PS3 more room for storing games and other entertainment purchased through Sony’s online PlayStation Network.

The system competes with Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox Live, a subscription service that offers movies from Netflix Inc. and is expected to add Facebook and Twitter applications later this year.

The PS3 trails Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo Co.’s Wii in sales. Sony has sold more than 24 million PS3s worldwide since the product’s introduction, according to the company. Kyoto-based Nintendo leads with sales of 52.6 million Wii consoles through June, according to company reports, while Microsoft has sold more than 30 million Xbox 360s, according to filings.