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   With no ending in sight to Microsoft's denials of any future Xbox 360 price cut, retailers from the United Kingdom decided to take matters into their own hands and offer their customers what Microsoft wouldn't: cheaper Xbox 360s. Way cheaper! As reported by several websites over the last couple of days, including Gamasutra, some UK retailers have initiated an unexpected, unseasonal, and unofficial series of price cuts for the Xbox 360, as well as for the old PlayStation 2.

   In particular, the "Core" package of Microsoft's next-gen console is currently enjoying the most consistent promotions, with price cuts of up to £50 (€75 / $98). So instead of the suggested retail price of £199.99 ($390), the Core Xbox 360 is now being sold for £149.99 ($292) in some places. As a side-effect, this means that Microsoft's console is now actually cheaper than Nintendo's Wii, priced at £179.99 ($351), despite it packing way more computing power.

   The "Premium" bundle, however, remains at pretty much the same price point, with negligible reductions observed so far. The reason for these marketing manoeuvres is not yet clear, but there are some speculations floating around already, involving the previously-rumoured hardware upgrade for the Xbox 360 (with a larger hard drive and HDMI port). But until Microsoft responds to any of these issues, speculation is all we have.

   At the same time, Gamasutra reports on another major price cut for the PlayStation 2, ahead of the European release of Square's Final Fantasy XII today:
"At the same time as the Xbox 360 price cut, Wal-Mart owned supermarket chain Asda, the second largest in the UK, has cut the price of the PlayStation 2 from £69.99 ($136) to just £50 ($98) for a limited period. As with the Xbox 360, the price cut is not official, the only apparent reason for the move being the recent release of prominent exclusives Okami and Final Fantasy XII in the UK."