Xbox 360 - This is it

All right, after many a false sighting and tons of sketchy pics (the Xbox 360 was starting to give the Virgin Mary a run for her money), our sources are confirming that this is really it. My, Xbox 360, how concave you are! We also admire your simple, round nexus. Mmmmmm.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this one in]

[eddie @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

This thing looks awesome.....

[Alex @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Looks like microsoft is taking clues from apple, again.

[Gaurav @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Wireless controllers I'm assuming, is confirmed.
I think they should have stuck with the black, but at least this isn't so huge that you could work out with it, though that was a plus...

[Exi7wound @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Loks like Something Awful to me...

[sam @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Hmm... I have to say it doesn't scream, "Next generation game console" to me. Looks like a late 90s Sony product. Oh well. As long as it has that physics chip in it and a nice controller I'm happy.

[xAix @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Really cool ! But was hoping it would be black so it matches the stereo tv etc. in the living room area.

[Tyler Love @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

It looks ok to me but not as hot as I was expecting I still don't believe this is it because the controllers are white remember? and I don't see how a black grille that we saw from the ourcolony photo are gonna look with that. All evidence that I see says "no this is not it"

The cheesy font on the tray looks horrible

one thing to note though is if this did turn out to be it notice the lack of controller plug-ins...wireless baby

[Eddie @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

If you look at the power-button and open-button you can see that its designed to be able to stand uprigth... Thats a nice way to get it a bit more out of the way since you won't have cables connected to it's front. I think the design looks much better than the old one, but as sam said, its the inside that counts!

[Rob @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I haven't seen this mentioned yet, but the trailer from mtv says how "it will change [something]forever" blah blah blah. I know it's probably the normal hype building, but has anyone heard if they are going to incorporate the media center features into it? It would make sense, since the ps2 and xbox brought together gaming and movies, so the next gen consoles might take this further.

[James @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Hey, could you remove the link to the forums thread? It's not readable by the public anyway.

[Cullen @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

nicely done, engadget is on top of the google lsit of results for 'xbox 360'. preorders, please...

[Wuddel @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Well. It indee looks like a cheap Microsoft copy of an Apple-product. The surface is to craggy and these green rings are just to flashy. I mean it looks ok. But it is far away from being a milestone in product design. (For that head over to http://www.red-dot.de/ ).

Its ok. And I guess I will by it. If there is no major nerf for Mac users.

[solowCX @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

That is best logo they could come up with for Xbox 360? All we get is crappy text, I want style! Other than that it looks alright to me.

[JonBro @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

does anyone have these pictures mirrored anywhere?

[Alex @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Woo-hoo!

Memory cards. :/

[Adam @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

This is pretty clearly a joke by the "goons" at SomethingAwful. Don't believe the hype.

[OddManOut @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

It takes a good deal of skill to blend in curves with straight lines. I'm not sure I would say this thing really hits the mark. Doesn't really matter though, I think in theory you're gonna spend more time looking at your screen and video games of choice than you are at the console itself.

I will say I still prefer a top loading design to a tray (it makes inserting boot discs easier :) )

Why all the hype over wireless controllers ? I got nothin' agaisnt them (even though I wouldn't choose to have them), but I find something vaugely disturbing about NOT having the option to use wired ones, which I prefer. Is the XBox2 slated to have USB ? Cause if it is that pretty well nullifies that fear. Maybe I'm just too old school in my thinking...I don't even like cordless phones...

This design ain't too bad...

[JonBro @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

On a second look at these pictures, I really doubt that this is the final design. I bet that it is an early product mockup.

it seems that the design that was speculated about as related to the xbox website is much more likely. I doubt that microsoft would release something this simplistic. There are a ton of really poor choices in this product design. Like why would you put the name of the product on the cd drive? and why would all of the lables be printed horizontally if it was meant to be stored vertically?

I really hope to god that this is not the final planned design.

anybody have more pics? or is this the only one?

also, I wish I could get a mirror of that something aweful forum. that would be sweet.

[metric152 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I'm a bit disapointed with the design. I don't like the concave design at all. At least it's smaller now. I think the power button needs to be a little bigger. I can't seem to find it past the huge glowing orb on the front.

I have a feeling the PS3 design will be more next gen.

[Alex @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Wireless controllers should be standard. The only first-party wireless controller currently manufactured is Nintendo's Wavebird which is a beautiful piece of hardware. I ran the same two AA batteries in that controller for 2.5 years. I would love to see what could come next if Microsoft and Sony produced their own wireless controllers.

[LiquidRhino @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

*Making fart noises*
Man, for such a long dev. time and hype, THIS is the best they can come up with? I surely hope this is one of SA's photochops, cuz it looks lame. Forget the Apple bite-off, it doesn't even have a polished final feel to it... blech...

I'm sure it'll be up there in the forefront of technology and such advertising jumbo, kinda like if police commissioned a futuristic robot and were given one with the brains of ED209 and the look of Bender...

[E.C. @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

i really wish everyone would stop saying microsoft is copying apple! its pretty dumb. i mean come on, ur giving apple just a tad too much credit. you people say that about everything! when someone releases a new car are you gonna say its copying someone else because it has 4 wheels? in my opinion it looks much closer to a sony vaio product then an apple.

[James P. @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

" Nintendo's Wavebird which is a beautiful piece of hardware. I ran the same two AA batteries in that controller for 2.5 years."

Wow, you must not play too often. The manual says the battery life is 90-100 hours for that controller.

[ChrisH @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Doesn't the Xbox 360 still need a controller port somewhere on the front in case I still have a driving wheel or some other custom controller for the first Xbox, or do they assume we'll buy some adapter box for it?

[RK @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Other than the metallic finish, which Apple certainly did not invent, I'm still trying to figure out what about this would inspire people to think that MS is taking cues from Apple. Attractive industrial design is not soley the province of Apple.

[GunForHire @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Hey, let's all dig at MS because they've "so" obviously just copied one of Apple's blueprints...

Quit being such haters and dissing MS because it's the "cool" thing to do. IMO it look great. And for whoever asked, the big glowey orb is the power button. As for wheels etc, I'd say there's probably one port on the back or something.

[HFC @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

This is not the final design.

[Steve Jobs @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

What happens when the batteries fail in the middle of an intense game?

Looks like something Apple would design.

[Cullen @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

if it IS the final design, it DOES resemble the xbox web page. i hope not, though. more i look at it, the more it sucks. but either way im buying it and not a ps3...unless i can use an s controller and play halo and use xbox live. yeah.

[Brian @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Isn't there a single controller port on the front? Next to the memory card slots?

[Stealth-X @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

"Isn't there a single controller port on the front? Next to the memory card slots"

No, that's an IR port.

[guy w/common sense @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I think this is butt ugly. Now that's out of the way, please explain what Apple product this so-clled design was "stolen" from? I used to WORK for Apple and I still find it amazing that some people have this pro Apple tunnel vision, that makes them think everything not created by Apple, must've been stolen from it.

Not only is this disgusting, it's disturbing.

Next thing they will say is Apple created the human being, and "God" stole that from Steve Jobs. Grow up.

[~J~ @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

*IF* that is the final design, then what happens with alternative input (keyboard and mouse) now there's no port/USB connectivity?

Personally, I'm gonna reserved judgement on the design. Whilst it is plausable that could be it, if you look at the picture (and the alternate link), then the writing is one way, but the power logo isn't the same way up as the text!

Is that a fault on design, or the photoshoppper?

[John @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

The big-ass power indicator is pretty ugly. Microsoft could definately take some design lessons from Sony.

[Sergey @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Is this supposed to be an actual pic? cuz it looks like a 3dsmax render, especially the chrome XBOX 360 logo

[LOKI @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I'm calling BS. Notice that there's no mesh like in the picture from ourcolony.

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/8101/Xbox-360-Revealed/

Go photoshop.

[Chad @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

#2 and 12 - As an Apple user, I feel qualified to say this:

So now when anyone makes something that looks cool, they copied Apple? What in the world does Apple make that looks ANYTHING like that? And don't even say the G5. I'm already laughing at you, but that would put me over the edge.

Does anyone know how big this thing is?

[Brent @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

What's so incomprehensible about wireless keyboards, wireless steering wheels, etc.? A lot of these comments seem to think that losing wires is a big deal. Hopefully they'll have some kind of open wireless interface.

[Jon Christy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Nice clean basic design, but to be honest I am very dissappointed I expected something way more revolutionary. This looks like my media PC, not bad classy basic as a home theater component just not as "new" as I hoped!!

[Rob @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I hope that concave has something cool in it..!

Now THIS I would have in my house, unlike that huge piece of tacky black plastic.

[Stealth-X @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

And who says that pic is real LOKI?

[BUBBAGANUSH @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

THE MESH WOULD BE TOWARS THE BACK OF THE SYSTEM. REMEMBER GATES WANTS A SYSTEM THE FITS IN EVERY HOME. NOT SOMETHING THE STANDS OUT.

[Lesbian Ham @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

coupla things:

1. That power button is fcuking HUGE, i mean, WTF.. !?

2. I did some rough mental measurements, and comparing the size of the tray to a cd, the console is kinda small, Nifty!

3. On one end of the console there seems to be a kind of, flat base, where it seems the console would stand on. and if we were to put that base on the bottom, and make it stand up, the power button would be upside down!

I dont think this is real, as I dont think much thought has been put into it.

Its god-darn beautiful though...

[Face @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

I agree with LOKI,

That's gotta be BS, that looks nothing like the picture we have seen today from ourcolony.net...

ttp://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/8101/Xbox-360-Revealed/

Plus I think MS will have more sense when it comes down to the styling of the 360 than this... hopefully!!!

I reckon a good fake.

[Lesbian Ham @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

Another thing,
the little hatch/panel thingie at the top (if it were standing upright) might open up to be ports to usb thingies, an add-on hard drive, steering wheel/lightgun/eyetoy addons etc, or maybe even AV in! Dunno why i thought of that, might just be that some tvs on the front they have a little openable panel/hatch that open to reveal AV in ports.

Call me stupid.

[Kane @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

this might be the final...there are a few things that make me think differently (which reminds me, its possible that apple designed it..but b gates will never admit that he had help from apple. the chrome finish and the top which is a royal blue isnt apple-ish) . one thing is that on the ourcolony.net picutre there is a rounded grate on the top (which is the left when its in a horizontal view). another thing is that the disc tray reads "Xbox 360", however it looks like its been ps-ed on there. nevertheless towards the right of the pic there is a little round oval cover which is probably where the usb port is for the camera. other than that...i really wound't mind this being the actuall design. i was dissappionted with the fake PS3 deisgn a few weeks ago..hopefully it wont happen agian.

[Cullen @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

i did some photoshopping mesaurements. the large picture (in one of the comments) is apparently twice as big as the real unit. and has the watermark changed? or thereabouts. makes the console about 12 inches wide, 3.25 inches tall. and still ugly. i agree it needs controller ports. ill probably forget i said that once i use it but for now, it needs them..the drive on my xbox is 5.25" wide and 5/8" tall, i got these measurements after making this drive 5.25" wide. i realize thats not exactly the most scientific way to do it but at least this way you can pretend to know wtf youre taling about :p that power button is 1" big, all the way around...im not catching on. memory unit a/b? memory UNIT? MS has a design team working on this, and they get memory unit? pls. reminds me nothing of apple design, you people are retarded. this looks more like a thin client to me - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=51280&item=5768137931&rd=1

(anyone with a correctly calibrated monitor want to really measure the thing, or has this been debunked in the time ive written this?)

[Peter @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

This is the real thing - I've confirmed it with gaming press friends that have seen and played it before now.

The oval on the right side, BTW, is where the $100 HD add-on goes, which gives it backwards compatibility and WebTV. Notice how small it is...like, say, the size of an iPod.

And, yes, the controllers are wireless.

[ps3boy @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

what i can say, not good as in its bad design (i meant, how they design xbox360 case)..., but i dont wanna comment about it how it looks, lets just see what xbox360 can do to PS3 (will it blow it or PS3 will blow xbox360 away...)

remember here guys, dont judge what it looks, look on what it can do!!!(graphics, memory, and other features)

i like xenon os (browser) looks on the xbox360 and looking forward what ps3 features...

(note: i own ps2 n xbox consoles and dont want to begin any argument whether the new console- xbox360 or ps3 is good, this just all my opinion)

i respect ur opinion, u should respect mines ;)

[Robert @ Dec 19th 2005 1:20AM]

With a three core PowerPC chip no legacy adapters will work on it.
I read that MS is planning the next upgrade to have a lot of new capacities as a PC substitute. The developers are using Apple G5 Powermacs with a MS OS for their products. I'll bet there will be someone who could make their games work on Apple's multi-core G5s coming out this year.