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 ($US 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]

With over 140 million PlayStation 2s walking the earth, surely their must be one or two that have broken down. Maybe even three. Possibly even more than that, as there are apparently enough to establish a product made from recycled PS2s.

UK based Pli Design is taking advantage of all those unwanted consoles with its Reee chair, which features 100% recycled PlayStation 2 plastic. Sound familiar? It might, as we wrote about Pli's PlayStation product last year. Seems Pli is just getting around to "launching" it next week.

If you're worrying about compromising "environmental credentials", look no further than the Reee. You've never sat this green before.

Recycled PlayStation®2 chair is a UK first [Pli]

Sony think LittleBigPlanet will be a system-seller. And what better way to find out than with this European market LittleBigPlanet/PS3 bundle, spotted on the website of French retailer Fnac. It includes an 80GB PS3, a copy of LittleBigPlanet and a DualShock 3, and is going for €400 ($680). Fantastic box art free of charge.

SCEE have announced two new PS3 bundles for Europe, to mark the launch of the new 80GB console. The first, to be released on September 10, will include the 80GB unit, two DualShock 3 pads and a copy of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. A decent bundle, that, because consoles with two included controllers are a rare and precious thing these days. But the second bundle? Won't exactly have you begging "oh man, when does [your relevant market] get this?". Due for release on October 29, it'll include an 80GB PS3, one DualShock and...and...

If you are a gamer, living in a PAL territory can be heartbreakingly hard at times. There are so many languages, and it really takes forever for games to get released. But, chin up! Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe David Reeves is here, and he is ready to make you feel all warm and fuzzy about getting stuff last. According to Reeves:

"People say, 'Well, why do we always get things last? Why can't we say things?' Well, I've said this many times before: sometimes it's an advantage to be last in Europe, you know, when everything's ironed out.

...This time [at the 2008 Games Convention], we do have things to say in the European [market]. We have the music service, and we're doing great things on SingStar and there's more to come. These are global announcements.

He's said this last is the best spiel before, and he'll say it again. It's like David Reeves favourite thing to say. He loves it.

Reeves: "Sometimes it's an advantage to be last in Europe" [VG247]

Good news, Europeans (and antipodeans)! Because it's the Leipzig Games Convention, and because Leipzig's in Europe, and because you've all been very, very good, this week's PlayStation Store update is almost exactly the same as the North American one. And the North American one was stacked. You get Ratchet & Clank, you get Kratos, you get DragonForce, you even get the PSP version of Pirates! as a downloadable title. So no complaining this week, OK?

No sooner have we hated on the 360 pad's useless d-pad for the 1,165th time than we hear that a new 360 control pad is on the showroom floor at Leipzig. Microsoft, your sense of timing is impeccable. While the pad looks identical to the existing one, the d-pad is apparently much-improved, as it can now register movement in 32 directions, as opposed to the existing one's...4. That's the good news. The bad news? Well, the bad news is comical. Microsoft told Eurogamer the improved controller will only be available for a limited time, as it's a tie-in with Pro Evo 2009. And not just that, they say it'll only be available in Europe, Asia and Latin America. It'll be out on October 24, so if you want (or want to import one) one, get in early.

Microsoft confirms revised 360 d-pad [Eurogamer]

Just in case you missed the news earlier, Europe, there's no Bionic Commando Rearmed for you today. Well, there isn't on PS3. There is on 360 and PC, but you, you're left with the PS1 version of Driver. Which as far as consolation prizes isn't too bad! It could have been a worse PS1 game. Or, you know. You could have got the usual deal, and got no games.

Fans of our British sales charts will have some knowledge of the selling power of the Brain Training games, but really, they've only got part of the picture. They don't know how well it's been selling on the continent, and on the continent, it's been selling like hotcakes hot crepes. According to chart trackers GfK, over the first six months of 2008, the original Brain Training was the top-selling game in Switzerland, Belgium and The Netherlands. Germany's top-selling game over the same period was the sequel, More Brain Training. Spain's #1 was Brain Training, while it's #2 was...More Brain Training. Just so you know, the first Brain Training was released over two years ago, while in Europe, even the sequel's been out for over a year. Egads.

Brain Training dominates 2008 in Europe [GI.biz]

Well would you get a load of this. A PAL PlayStation Store update with nothing in it? Incredible. Insulting. Disappointing. Predictable. Take your pick of any of those. There are five items available today, Europe. Five. And that's across both stores, PS3 and PSP. Surely this is the lowest moment yet for a weekly ritual that prides itself on low moments.

PS3 store

Guitar Hero III: Interscope Track Pack

Civilisation Revolution - Wonders & Artefact Pack #1: The Mythic

Dead Space - Loved Ones Trailer

PSP Store

Secret Agent Clank Demo

Secret Agent Clank Trailer

Don't download it all at once, Europe, or you'll have nothing left to do until...Saturday.