Xbox 360 World Premiere This Week

This week, Microsoft is finally taking the curtain off its next-generation Xbox with a star-filled special on MTV. Parts of the special were taped last week in Los Angeles and details — including images — have appeared on the Internet. As the pictures show, the console will look like the images leaked last month. The console will certainly be nicer than the original Xbox, which is too large and PC-like. The console is now white (not black), and although it's smaller, it's still housed in a somewhat PC-like, yet stylish, case. The system appears to include two memory unit slots, a DVD drive, and other expansion ports. An optional hard drive is expected to be available. Also apparent in the photos is a wireless controller, expected to be included by default with the console, an Xbox Live headset, a video camera, and a Windows XP Media Center Edition (XP MCE)-like remote control, complete with a Media Center green Start button. Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates confirmed the new console will ship this year, although that shouldn't surprise anyone. The wait for real details from Microsoft should be over this week, with tons of information to follow at next week's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Now, maybe we can run some PlayStation 3 and next-generation Nintendo console rumors for a while.