Xbox 360 Leaks Confirm Earlier Rumours

New images show Xbox 360 hardware, controller, accessories and remote.

Microsoft is set to reveal Xbox 360, the successor to the Xbox, during an MTV special airing this week. While the heavily promoted programme will provide most people with their first look at the new console, the ever-widening torrent of leaks means that there likely won't be much - at least from a hardware standpoint - that ardent industry watchers won't already know.

The Xbox 360 hardware design has been confirmed
by the newly leaked images

The special, titled MTV Presents: The Next-Generation Xbox Revealed, was taped last week in Los Angeles and images of the final hardware and accessories taken at the event were leaked to technology site Engadget.

The pictures go along with several rumoured facts about Xbox 360, including confirmation of the design of the hardware itself. The Xbox 360 controller shown at the event is white and largely resembles the current Xbox pad, with some exceptions.

Images from the MTV taping show off the Xbox 360
hardware and the new controller

As rumoured, the controller will be wireless, and the images appear to show a socket that would allow them to be charged. The white and black buttons from the Xbox controller are gone, reportedly shifted to the top area of the controller, near the triggers, while the Start and Back buttons are now centrally placed.

The controller also has a new, spherical Xbox 360 button on its face. Microsoft has not confirmed this button's function, but it's reported to provide instant access to the Xbox 360 front-end and Xbox Live. This would allow you to, for instance, receive messages or invitations to play on Live from other gamers while watching a movie. Microsoft's J Allard alluded to this always-aware feature of the hardware during his keynote speech at the recent Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

Other sources suggest that the sphere will allow you to choose which wireless signal your controller uses, as there appear to be four clearly marked settings surrounding this area of the pad.

A new remote will be released for Xbox 360 while there is
increasing support for customisable cases

Other accessories revealed during the taping include a camera for web-conferencing and a fully featured remote control that includes the spherical Xbox 360 button mentioned above.

Meanwhile, the OurColony.net site, which has been revealing snatches of the hardware over the past few weeks, has recently shown off what appears to be Xbox 360's long-rumoured changeable chassis, which would allow people to customise the appearance of their consoles.

Despite all the leaked information, though, Microsoft has refused to comment on the authenticity of the images, and there are some who think the company is deliberately pushing out the 'leaks' to grow excitement. All speculation should be put to rest when the MTV special hits the airwaves on Thursday in the US and on Friday in Europe.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games