Looks like something is up with the "super slim" 12 GB PS3 model, as there has been an unusual drought at major North American online retailers. The console is currently completely out of stock at Target, GameStop, Amazon and Walmart.

This could mean several things, but the sudden drying of the stock with this kind of timing at the very least means that Sony halted or considerably slowed down shipments, and could be a sign of an announcement coming at E3, possibly about a new redesign, or maybe a price drop, especially considering the rumor appeared last year about a new model with a 22nm Cell chip. The current model could even be phased out in favor of something else.

We reached out to Sony Computer Entertainment for a comment, and we'll let you know if we receive any relevant information on the issue, but one thing is for sure: if you're in the market for a new PS3 you may have a harder time than usual.