Sony announced today the launch of a new 160GB PlayStation 3 into the North American market that will be part of a limited edition Uncharted Drake’s Fortune system bundle that is expected to debut in November for US$499.

In addition to the upgraded 160GB hard drive, the package will include a copy of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune from Naughty Dog, as well as the ability to download the game Pain from Idol Minds from the PlayStation Network. Also to be included will be a DualShock 3 Wireless controller.

Sony also announced that they will be launching a “clip on” Wireless Keypad rechargeable device that will attach to either the Sixaxis or DualShock 3 controller. The device is bigger, but similar to the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit accessory that is able to be clipped on to Xbox 360 controllers.

Sony cited the need for the Wireless Keypad accessory to allow easy communication across the PlayStation Network. When released in November, the Wireless Keypad is expected to retail for $39 and will be featured in a couple of upcoming titles.

While we didn’t see the Wireless Keypad coming, the bigger surprise is the news that Microsoft is out of stock of Xbox 360 consoles in Japan due to very high unexpected demand. Fortunes seem to have changed in Japan where the company had struggled in the past to gain a foothold, as compared to home favorites Sony and Nintendo.

The reason for the change is the recent release of the Namco Bandai title, Tales of Vesperia, which is thought of as the third most popular role-playing franchise behind Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. What makes Tales of Vesperia unique is that it is exclusive to the Xbox 360 platform.

Reports suggest that the game has sold an impressive 108,000 copies in the first week of release, making it the best and fastest selling title for the Xbox 360 in Japan. Microsoft has been able to move an impressive 25,000 units since release which has led to the shortage in Japan.

The problem with this good fortune is that retailers did not anticipate the strong sales of the Xbox 360 and have been caught off guard, which has led to this out of stock situation. Microsoft is moving quickly to restock retailers, but they do not expect to have units back in stock until September and those will only be the Pro units. The Arcade and Elite models will not be in stock until after the Pro units hit the shelves.

It will be interesting to see if Microsoft can capitalize on this strong sales frenzy in Japan to help turn around the Japanese market and continue to make in-roads for the Xbox 360 console. Tales of Vesperia appears to be a good first step in the right direction, but continued momentum will be required to really turn this market around for Microsoft.