Microsoft's new console is officially called Xbox 360 we know now because of happened on MTV on May 12. Here are links to some of the stories published after that special:
- Voodoo Extreme has a detailed rundown on the technical specifications. The basics? Three 3.2Ghz PPC cores, 1MB L2 cache. 500Mhz ATI GPU. 512MB GDDR3 RAM running at 700Mhz. Detachable, upgradeable 20Mb HDD. Support for 64MB flash memory units. All games to support 16:9 widescreen 720p and 1080i HDTV modes. Built-in Media Center Extender connectivity. Standard wireless controller and support for 802.11 a, b and g wireless network protocols. Voodoo's Robert "Apache" Howarth also says the system "looks pretty nice".
- GameSpot summarizes the revelations in the MTV special, including details and photos. This article is interesting because it asks about backwards compatibility with the first Xbox. The answer? They'll talk about it at E3, says Xbox's Robbie Bach.
- Xbox.com has an official Console and Peripherals Fact Sheet for the Xbox 360.
- IGN has opened a whole new subsite, xbox360.ign.com, for their information.
- GameInformer has photos and a description of the unit, as well as the official specifications and their take on them.
- MTV has a page on the special; however, try as I might I can't get it to show me anything but a short flash ad for it. YMMV. What they do have is an MTV page for the Xbox 360 console itself.
- Joystiq's Ben Zackheim acknowledges that the MTV special was for a mass audience, not really hardcore gamers, but says it was still "well done" and acquitted the console well. Some of the commenters are less charitable, calling the special "uninformative and simply a waste of time".
- Joystiq and Engadget teamed up for blow-by-blow coverage of the MTV special, including many screen captures. I've heard rumors that Halo 2 was shown during the show, but the captures I've seen so far are all from other games.
- Major Nelson has a special pre-special Blogcast, and links to the Official Xbox 360 site as well as three interviews by TriXie with Xbox 360 developers.
- TeamXbox's rundown on the Xbox 360 reports that it is apparently water-cooled.