GBP 200 for Xbox 360 premium?

Cash and carry chain Makro has cut 80 quid off the price of the premium Xbox 360, allowing its members to buy the next-gen console for the usual price of a Core System.

You can't just wander in off the streets and hand over 200 quid though - as you will first need to convince them you're a company, or self-employed, according to the Makro website.

"It's something we're doing to bring customers into the stores, it's not an official price cut from Microsoft," spokesperson Joanne Armstrong told our sister site GamesIndustry.biz. Nevertheless, Makro claims to have loads of units in stock for the duration of the two-week campaign, so it's bound to catch someone-other-than-a-plumber's attention.

In light of the news, Microsoft moved quickly to confirm that it's not the first sign of an impending price cut: "Xbox does not control the retail price of the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system - prices are set by retailers. The promotion that Makro is running is not endorsed or administered by Microsoft."

That hasn't stopped other retailers whinging though, and you can admire some of their anger over on GI.biz this afternoon.