Japan: 360 price slash not a desperate measure

Don't be misled by the photo to the right, which seems to indicate that the price tag for the Xbox 360 has dropped from 38,800 yen to 18,800 yen (roughly $150). Yes, that is a real price tag, but as 1UP notes, there's a catch—didn't you read the fine print?

As it turns out, retailers are not so desperate to move Xbox 360 units as to cut the price by more than half, but rather, @TCOM (Internet provider) is using an Xbox 360 bundle to attract potential customers to their online service.
It's a common practice throughout the Japanese gaming market.

[It's interesting to note that when AmEx offered a similar deal in the US, no one went spreading rumors...]