Bad luck, old chap. Microsoft is refusing to pass on the Xbox 360 price cut to the UK market.

As if the British economy wasn't looking dark enough - now we face another Christmas of not-that-cheap Xboxes.

"Pricing is handled on a region-by-region basis," said a killjoy Microsoft spokesperson, "We do not have a price drop in this region to announce."

An Xbox Arcade will set you back £159.99 ($281.35) in the UK, while an Elite can be obtained on the open market in exchange for a kidney or other major organ.

Microsoft says no Xbox 360 "price drop" in the UK [Pocket Lint]

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