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Costco Xbox 360If all of your local shops are sold out of Xbox 360 bundles, Costco has your hookup. Their bundle is actually a pretty good deal, offering all of this for $479.99:

  • Xbox 360™ System ($399.99)
  • Xbox 360™ Game Console
  • Wireless Controller
  • Combination High-Definition Component and Standard A/V Cable
  • 20GB Detachable Hard Drive
  • Ethernet Cable
  • Headset
  • Xbox Live® Silver
  • Xbox Live® Gold 30-Day Trial
  • Extra Wireless Controller
  • Play & Charge Kit
  • Games: Project Gotham Racing® 3

Read More | Costco

Gallery: Costco Xbox 360 Pre-Order Bundle


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Xbox 360 Launching

Moments ago Microsoft finally announced that the Xbox 360 will be launching on November 22 in North America, December 2 in Europe, and December 10 in Japan. According to Microsoft, they have begun aggressive production of the “world’s most powerful console” in order to meet high consumer demand around the globe. There you have it, folks. The Xbox 360 is a little over two months away.

Gallery: Microsoft Xbox 360 Officially Launching November 22


Xbox 360 Launch 22 We recently posted a story with sources from IGN that the Xbox 360 would be launching on November 25th.  Now some of our industry sources are telling us to expect the Xbox 360 to launch on November 22nd.  A resource from a major consumer electronics retailer has informed us that Microsoft has indeed pushed the launch away from the 13th time frame, but has only pushed the launch back an extra week.  This is good news for many gamers because you won’t have to fight off Black Friday mobs.  We’re waiting on the actual official word from Microsoft though.

Gallery: Xbox 360 On November 22 Instead of 25?


Xbox Live 360I was emailed a Press Release from Microsoft today about Xbox Live info for 360. Here’s the rundown!

Microsoft Corp. today announced that the next generation of online multiplayer gaming service Xbox Live® will be available in North America on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system starting this holiday. In addition to the free Xbox Live Silver membership available to every Xbox 360 owner, for only $49.99 (U.S.) or $59.99 (CDN)* gamers can amplify their gaming experience with a 12-month Xbox Live Gold membership. Gamers looking for a truly engaging and immersive online multiplayer experience can pick up one of the Xbox Live Premium Gold Packs, which include the new Xbox 360 Headset, Xbox Live Arcade games, Microsoft® Points for use in Xbox Live Marketplace, and mail-in rebates for up to $20 (U.S.) off any Xbox 360 game.

Microsoft also today announced that credit cards will no longer be required to create an account on Xbox Live for Xbox 360, removing one of the biggest barriers to entry. Gamers can purchase 12-month Xbox Live subscription cards via cash or other payment methods at any participating retail store. Subscriptions will also be available for purchase by credit card in one-month, three-month and 12-month increments through the Xbox Live Dashboard.

Get more on the rundown below.

Read More | Xbox Press

Gallery: Xbox Live for Xbox 360 Details


Xbox 360 LaunchOh, happy day. After many long months of speculation, it suddenly looks so clear. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is set to launch on November 25, 2005 as we predicted, the day after Thanksgiving. That being the case, you had best run out and pre-order this bad boy quickly, as I would expect the entire launch shipment to be gone by the end of Black Friday. After all, it is the biggest shopping day of the entire year. You can rest assured that plenty of parents are going to be picking this one up for Junior. Of course, for us hardcores, the midnight launch should take care of us. Is it rude to skip out on family/guests after Thanksgiving dinner to head over to Gamestop?


Read More | IGN

Gallery: Xbox 360 Ready To Roll on November 25, 2005


Times Square MicrosoftWord on the street is that Microsoft has been sizing up the 18,000-square foot location at One Times Square to play host to an Xbox 360 store. The New York Post has reported that the company is strongly considering the possibility of opening a four-story retail location at this location, which happens to be the same building used for the annual dropping of the New Year’s ball. Those who have seen Microsoft’s Xbox booth at E3 know that the company could very easily fill four floors with nothing but Xbox 360 gaming goodness, and it doesn’t get much bigger than Times Square. It would also be a nice way for Microsoft to steal some attention away from the sleek Apple and Sony Style stores that are continually popping up, and would be more impressive than Nintendo’s Rockefeller Center store.

(Thanks Veronica!)

Read More | Seattle Times

Gallery: Microsoft Looking To Times Square For Xbox 360 Store?


Xbox 360 Motherboard

My brain can’t comprehend what I have just seen, as it was a surreal hardware lover’s paradise.  These images - in which the .zip file has been removed from the original host - are stunning.  They show all of the Xbox 360’s hardware as well as some great pictures of a few peripherals.  A wired USB controller isn’t looking so bad considering I could probably use it on my desktop PC.


Read More | SmartXX (mirrored picture site) via Joystiq

Gallery: Xbox 360 High Resolution Motherboard Pictures


Xbox 360 Mac OS

Joystiq has an interesting post on the Xbox 360 and an interesting potential hack. With a 20gb HDD and triple core G5 based processor it is theoretically possible for the modder community to port the current PowerPC based version of OS X to the Xbox 360. Obviously doing anything like this to the yet-unreleased platform is still theoretical and would certainly void your warranty but with Apples open source initiatives and the legions of Xbox hardware hackers out there I almost think of this as inevitable. Obviously with the hit that console makers take on the hardware the Xbox 360 would pack a processing punch far greater than the Mac Mini at a fraction of the price - who wouldn’t want to get one for a great little Mac Media Center.


Read More | Joystiq

Gallery: The Worlds Cheapest and Fastest Mac: Xbox 360


UT2007

These screenshots of Unreal Tournament 2007 look just amazing. What stands out the most is the level of detail put into the game. It’s not clear if these are in-game shots, or if they originate from a pre-rendered version. We’ll just have to sit and wait just a little bit longer to find out.


Read More | ShackNews

Gallery: Unreal Tournament 2007 Screenshots


Xbox 360 Backwards CompatibilityAs tired as you are about hearing about it, you know it’s important. That’s why we are bringing you even more on the Xbox 360 backwards compatibility saga.  Microsoft has already said that the 360 would be partially compatible with some original Xbox titles.  One of the recent rumors is that in order for that to work, your 360 must have a hard drive. 1Up got a chance to speak with an industry representative who offered their opinion:

One of the rumors floating around is that backwards compatibility will only work with a hard drive, which would have left Core systems out in the cold. As it turns out, that’s only partially true. In many cases, the hard drive will indeed be necessary because you’ll need an Xbox emulator file to sit on the hard drive (it’s still unconfirmed whether this emulator comes pre-shipped on 360 hard drives but it is highly likely the case) and make your Xbox games 360-friendly. However, our understanding is that this isn’t perfectly foolproof, and that it may not work in every single case.

What’s especially interesting, though, is that select premium Xbox titles in the present and future are getting special treatment. We’ve learned that Microsoft is inviting some developers to make their current Xbox titles backwards compatible for both 360 SKUs—that the games themselves will contain the Xbox 360 emulation code on them. In fact, certain Xbox titles already contain the code to boot up under emulation on the Xbox 360. Teams from Microsoft are helping developers with the project.


Read More | 1Up

Gallery: Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility Update


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