Sony is not going to cut the price of the PlayStation 3 in Europe, but will offer free games and accessories instead.

In a distinctly underwhelming move, the gaming giants have decided to grant gamers in "rip-off Britain" a "starter pack".

The price remains the same at that whopping £425 mark for the 60GB machine, with two games and two Sixaxis controllers included which Sony says is worth £115.

The free games on offer are Resistance: Fall of Man, Motorstorm, Genji: Days of the Blade, Formula One Championship Edition and Ridge Racer 7.

This means that the price of the PS3 in Europe is now £125 more expensive than in America.

Earlier in the week Sony cut the price of the PS3 in America by $100, bringing it down to $499.

Sony's next-gen console has struggled since launching to match both Nintendo's strong Wii sales and Microsoft's Xbox 360 which was the first of the next-gen consoles to market.

Reasons for the poor take-up for the PS3 are thought to be that high, high price and the lack of any real blockbuster games for the machine.

There are currently around 60 titles for the PS3, with Sony promising 100 more before the end of the fiscal year, including three high profile titles exclusive to the platform.

As further insult to Sony fans on this side of the pond, Capcom's chief financial officer has made headlines by suggesting that another American price cut maybe on the way before Christmas, stating at the E3 conference:

"The price has been cut once and it is likely to be cut again towards the end of the year."