Xbox365 has posted a rumor that the "deluxe" edition of Microsoft's next console-- the one with the HDD and the extra content-- will cost $360. So, Xbox 360 for $360, says Xbox365? Here's to the end of all this speculation very soon.

Somebody at Microsoft better get the sump pumps running, because just two days out from the console's official star-studded pre-E3 MTV launch event, the whole PR machine has sprung more leaks than a water balloon at an acupuncturist convention. Engadget has a long list of Xbox 360 technical specifications, as well as a feature list for two levels of Xbox Live subscription (free and paid, or Silver and Gold in their nomenclature). (I, for one, will be glad when the launch event comes and we can finally settle on what to call this thing-- Xenon, Xbox 2, Xbox 360, Xbox Next, or Xbox Whatever Else-- Ed.)

The latest edition of The Hookup, an audio-video and gaming column at Penny Arcade, talks about the impact of High Definition on gaming in general and Xbox Live in particular. Halo, of course, gets mentioned:

Fortunately for Microsoft, players of their best-selling shooters like Halo and Halo 2 might not suffer as much because of the limited dimensions of the in-game world. Shooters like Halo are fairly compact and there is very little need for 'fog' to give a believable feeling of space to the environment. Target recognition is largely based on color in this particular multiplayer environment. But for game environments that are vast, the best way to suspend our disbelief is for the game developer to adhere to the rules of our own natural world. In our world, colors appear to be 'washed out' at greater distances, and the shapes and details of an object become much more important for target recognition. Not being able to rely on color differences alone may tip the balance against a player with a low resolution screen. Developers may counter this by making objects in the field stand out with even greater contrast and brighter colors, to help the low-def customer. This still works in the favor of the HDTV owneramazing color reproduction is one of the hallmarks of the new High Definition video delivery standard.

The column is, indeed, quite a bit longer than this meaty quote; but it's well worth the read. Basically, the author sees the yawning technological gap between traditional and high-def video gear as being so wide that it will constitute a serious competitive advantage for the better-equipped players, much as high-framerate video cards do for PC gamers, but perhaps even more so.

As the date for the Xbox 360's MTV coming-out party nears, information is seemingly seeping out of cracks everywhere. Gaming blog Kotaku has apparently signed an NDA with Microsoft in order to get access to exclusive content to be released after the show, but that didn't stop them from pointing out all the other information that's been leaked so far. They'll just be not mentioning any more rumors between now and then. In addition, Major Nelson's own blog also has a few new tidbits. Here's a rundown:

• MTV Schedule listing spills November launch date for new console [GameSpot]
• Gates spills 2005 launch date for new console [Seattle PI, thanks Blackstar]
• MTV show featured Perfect Dark Zero, Unreal, Quake, Brothers in Arms [Kotaku]
• Major Nelson has a post-MTV party blogcast, as well as links to E! coverage [MajorNelson.com]
• TriXie also has a post-party blog entry up. [Trixieblog]

Still no mention of Bungie or Halo. As incredible as it sounds, either Microsoft is launching this box without a title by the studio that was nearly single-handedly responsible for any of the success they've enjoyed in the past three years, or else there are still some secrets left to be kept.

[image:9359 left hspace=5 vspace=5 border=0] Sabata00 found and posted a link to what appears to be Alex "The Man" Seropian's blog. Seropian's company, Wideload Games, is making Stubbs the Zombie in 'Rebel Without a Pulse' which is being published later this year by Aspyr for Xbox, Mac and PC platforms. It seems Seropian intends to have a Perl script randomly capture his desktop image and post it to the blog. We'll be watching to see if any interesting images pop up to add to our Wideload gallery.

magnum76 on the Project Torlan-Nexus forum has posted an update on what is and is not acceptable to do in creating a Halo-themed mod, like theirs for Unreal Tournament; basically, it seems that extracting Halo content from PC Halo is okay, but extracting Halo 2 content from the Xbox is not. Keep in mind that the information comes from a supposed "Microsoft insider" and is not an official company statement. Voodoo Extreme had the story.

Xbox365 has an image that purports to be from Relic, one of the five remaining upcoming new Halo 2 maps, described as an island map similar to Halo 1's Silent Cartographer or PC Halo's Death Island multiplayer map. The image seems to be a rough scan from a magazine or other printed medium; there's a structure that looks like the termination of a space elevator in the middle of the island, and in one part of the image you can see what looks like one of the elevated Covenant sniper perches seen in levels like Quarantine Zone and Metropolis.

Hack the web server that Microsoft makes, and win a Microsoft console-- that's the proposition of the HackIIS6.0 Challenge run by Roger Grimes. Check that site for details and read the HackIIS6.0 Challenge discussion at Slashdot. The catch? This time, they're going to install all the security patches.

Prometheus posted a summary of the HBO Lekgolos Humpday Challenge against Bungie in the HBO forum. The clan took the first game impressively, winning 5-0 in "monosnipe" neutral flag on Coagulation. But Bungie regrouped to take the next two games and the victory. Thanks to Blackstar for the tip.

According to BDGamer, Microsoft has announced that it has selected Limelight Networks as the Content Delivery Network for Xbox Live. Limelight currently powers Steam and is slated to perform the same duties for the Phantom gaming console, should it ever see the light of day.

Felonious Monks over at Geezer Gamers posted the script for a new custom game type called 7-Eleven in their forum; three-team cops-and-robbers affairs that pits thieves, police, and convenience store staff against each other. Thanks to Louis Wu at HBO for the heads-up.

According to Major Nelson, the new Halo 2 maps are now available for download, as his schedule lists 7 AM EST and it is now shortly after that. I've had no chance to download them yet myself, but I'll post as soon as I do. As mentioned many times before, Warlock and Containment are free, while Sanctuary and Turf together are $5.99 and are not available separately from each other.

Xbox365 says it thinks it has received a copy of the actual Xbox 360 logo. Kotaku thinks it's got a picture of an Xbox 360 memory card. (I think I feel dizzy. Comments saved for later... --Ed.)

Both Major Nelson in his blog and Frankie in the HBO forum have confirmed that despite what you may have heard, the reset of game statistics for Halo 2 will not affect your friends list. Many of you may have been receiving-- or even sending-- voice and text messages to your friends with instructions not to delete them, in order to preserve your lists post-reset. It isn't necessary. Don't send any more of those messages, and don't worry about keeping the ones you have received. The friends lists are not being reset.