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* More features of Xbox Next/NexTbox/Xbox 360 have been revealed.
Source: Various sites, most notably The Inquirer and Kotaku.com.
What we heard: According to a bevy of reports--some of which were reportedly verified by anonymous sources at Microsoft--the company's next-gen console will sport some serious bells and whistles. First and foremost is The Inquirer's assertion that the device will come standard with wireless controllers--a first for a console. While this goes against Microsoft's reported all-out effort to minimize hardware costs, it would be a good counter to the reportedly gyroscopic controllers used by Nintendo's "Revolution." According to Kotaku, the designers have gone to great lengths to make the Xbox 360 (as they call it) as unlike its bulky black forebear as possible. "Our Cali source says that the console is a sleek silver device worthy of countertop display, and features a design that turns the harsh angles of the original Xbox into sweeps and curves," said Kotaku. "The device will also be able to stand upright or on its side, much like the PlayStation 2. The side of the 360 is dominated by an oversized, back-lit power button called the ring of light, and the rest of the case can be customized with colorful designer face plates that pop on and off. The 360's dashboard will also be customizable, making each console a thing totally unique to its owner." Sound good? Definitely. Any way to verify it without sending a heavily armed commando team into Microsoft's Redmond campus? Well, Bill Gates did tell News.com that the next Xbox would sport "high-definition graphics and wireless that the chip breakthroughs allow us to get to." But whether he meant wireless networking, wireless controllers, or both, is still anybody's guess.
Bogus or not bogus?: Can't say either way, but interesting regardless.
* The logo for the Microsoft's next-generation console--called the "NexTbox"--has been revealed.
Source: A screenshot (see screenshot index) and video that surfaced on the Gaming Age Forums supposedly taken by an insider at Microsoft.
What we heard: While "NexTbox" has been tossed around for a while as a potential name for the next Xbox, this week saw the first time someone purported to have photographic and video evidence of it. Problem is, said evidence was laughably amateurish. The video was a shaky camcorder shot of a bland, simplistic logo (pictured) that an eighth-grader could have slapped together. And while Microsoft isn't denying its authenticity, one would almost certainly expect the multibillion-dollar corporation to hire a designer that had a slightly greater Photoshop skills.
Bogus or not bogus?: The name might not be bogus, but the logo almost certainly is.
Read the whole article on GameSpot.com.