Looking to have a stronger hand in the growing in-game ad space, Sony (NYSE: SNE) Computer Entertainment America has created a separate unit that will chart the company’s strategy in that area. The company doesn’t offer many details about what the unit will do, beyond saying that the division will cover advertising across all of Sony’s Playstation platforms. Darlene Kindler, a former executive at other video game publishers such as Nintendo, IREM America and Data East, will head up the new unit as director of network advertising. Kindler’s most recent post was as VP of publishing at Adscape Media, an in-game ad company that Google (NSDQ: GOOG) bought for $23 million in March. Release

-- THR: As we noted last month, some attendees at the Tokyo Game Show industry conference, expressed disappointment that Kazuo Hirai, the head of Sony’s videogame division, did not include a reduction of the PS3’s price tag as part of a list of planned reforms for the unit. Unnamed industry sources are now saying that a $399 40GB PS3 will be released in the U.S. on Nov. 2. There are currently two other versions of the PS3, an 80GB, which sells for $600 and a 60GB, which costs $500. The company was expected to issue a cheaper version back in July, to help it better compete against Nintendo’s Wii and Microsoft’s (NSDQ: MSFT) Xbox. 

• Sony Reworks PS3 Strategy, Delays Launch of Virtual Community; Closing ImageStation Photo Service