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Welcome to the Xbox 360 Elite freak show
Man, April 29th isn't going to carry as much excitement as we all thought, because some retailers (ahem, Target) just can't hold onto their products until the street date. Llamma.com got their hands on an Elite 360 at a local Walmart in Minneapolis and instead of selling it on eBay, opted to break her open. They ever so kindly posted comparison shots of the new Elite motherboard versus the old and a few CPU/GPU pictures too. But even after ripping the console open they still couldn't figure out whether or not the Elite is sporting an upgraded 65nm CPU or that archaic 90nm version. Maybe we could help out by borrowing them our super scientific microscope and a mini ruler. It's a thought. Though, they did get the full dish on what brands the DVD drive and hard drive are, so it wasn't a total bust. Make the jump for more pictures (including a Microsoft branded HDMI cable) and behold the wonder that is an Xbox 360 Elite gutted with its innards pulled out. Yes, it is sick and vile, but we like it.[Via Engadget]
Xbox 360 Elite production shots
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Black_Xbox_360_Elite_Spy_Shots'; We've got a couple spy shots hot off the production line in China of the Xbox 360 Elite. They were taken with a cellphone so the shots aren't of the highest quality, but they get the job done. The site hosting the thread is TGFCer, which stands for "TV Game Fans Club", and according to our tipster, is one of the biggest Chinese bbs for video game enthusiasts. A later shot was provided of the top of the hard drive, and you can barely make out the "12" in "120G HDD" due to over exposure, but with some Photoshop wizardry (Command+I, or Control+I for PC users) we were able to get the text to become more apparent. More pictures (including aforementioned inverted color shot) after the break.
Black 360 sighted at Tapei Game Show
Tweak Town, while attending the Taipei Game Show in Taiwan, came across a Black Xbox 360. Of the pictures shown, there was no sign of any HDMI port, although it could be hidden by the AV adapter. So this is one of two things, either it's the "Xephyr" Xbox 360, and we can expect to see it sometime this spring, or it's a black dev kit. Whichever the case, the images do spark an interesting conversation about Microsoft eventually updating the 360's specs to compete with the PS3. We'll let you be the judge with the pictures after the break.
Black Xbox 360 with 120GB HDD and HDMI due for April?
Look, we can't really be bothered to confirm or deny any of the rumors flying around here, we're just in this for the cute kangaroo pics. But digging a little deeper, we discover a word from GamersReports that they've got an "inside source" saying Microsoft Australia tipped off retail store Myer about a Black Xbox 360 with a 120GB hard drive a couple of days ago. Now apparently more sources have confirmed the reports, even tossing HDMI into the mix (making it into a sort of black Zephyr), along with a $749 AU (about $584) pricetag and a supposed April launch date. The sources even say that Microsoft is hoping to beat projections and launch in March to disrupt Sony's March 23rd PS3 launch. GamersReports also claims that there are now pics of the Black 360 floating around on the internets, so we'll keep an eye out for those, and until we spot a few kangaroos slipping Premium Black packages into their pouches along with an extra controller and a copy of Rainbow Six, that's about all the cred we're going to give this rumor for now.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Rumor: "Official" word on 120GB+HDMI 360?
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Rumor_The_Official_word_on_120GB_HDMI_360'; Apparently, Microsoft Australia has informed a local retailer named Myer to get its store ready for a Black Xbox 360 with an HDMI port and 120 GB Hard Drive. The MSRP for the 2.0 360 is $749 AU (which translates into about $582 USD/ $690 CAD) and it is expected to be released in April, although Microsoft allegedly wants to push for late March to compete with the PS3's launch on the 23rd. Interesting news, but at the same time, don't believe everything you read.[Thanks, Feelz Good]
Black Xbox 360 rumors abound
When the rumor mill gets a'turnin' you're bound to have a few false-starts, and it seems the new black Xbox 360 meme is no exception. The snazzy "black Xbox" seen above might look quite black and Xboxy, but we're sorry to report that it's just a developer box, plenty of which have been out since before launch for testing out pre-release games. Also, if when Microsoft does actually build a black version, we're kind of hoping they stick with that chrome drive tray from the regular 360, and maybe go with a truer black instead of this piddling smoke color. We're definitely not writing off the rumor entirely, according to some "leaked info" from Microsoft's planned X06 announcements this week, they'll be announcing Xbox 360 Black for the holidays, along with 1080p Halo3 and other fanboy pleasers. We also got a tip from somebody who claims to have a friend at GAME that says the black Xbox 360 will be a premium only color, and might even come with an integrated or bundled HD DVD drive and possibly a larger HDD. We suppose we'll know soon enough -- X06 is over tomorrow -- but that doesn't mean we can't stay busy drumming up the hype and unrealistic expectations until then.[Thanks to everyone who sent these in]Read - Black Xbox at Microsoft eventRead - X06 info leaked
The return of the black Xbox 360 rumor
For the second time since the console's launch, rumors are circulating that Microsoft is working on a black Xbox 360 design, with the source this time being a banner advert from Best Buy depicting what appears to be a matte black console. The low resolution picture, coupled with the fact that the advert doesn't even mention the Xbox 360 -- let alone a black one -- means that this is about as good a confirmation as earlier Photoshop jobs. However, we doubt this is the last we'll see of the black Xbox 360: what with the home theater-matching PlayStation 3 just around the corner, we wouldn't be too surprised if Redmond ends up throwing fans the color-inverted Xbox 360 that they've always wanted.
