Halo 3-Themed Xbox 360 Lands, with a Thud

Just a couple of hours before Microsoft's E3 press conference in L.A., rumors began flying of yet another Xbox 360 console—a leaked photo of the stage cleared showed a new, gray 360 box sitting next to the beige and black models. Was it a super-charged version with built-in IPTV? A bargain console aimed at the masses? Turns out the answer is a bit of a letdown: it's the Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition Console—essentially a gray 360 with a 20GB hard drive, and it doesn't even come with a bundled copy of Halo 3. Huh.

Blogger Chris Kohler at Wired Game|Life got a little hands-on time with the new console, and he reports that it comes with an HDMI output, a wireless communicator, and gray controller, and a play-and-charge kit (that is, a rechargeable battery pack for the controller plus a plug-in charger). Why no bundled copy of Halo 3? Microsoft execs told Kohler that they figured gamers would want to decide for themselves whether they wanted the $59 standard edition, the $69 "collectors edition" (which comes with metal case and an "interactive" bonus disc) or the $129 "legendary edition" (with a "fully sculpted" Spartan helmet—no kidding—and a pair of bonus DVDs). Right.

All in all, not very exciting unless you're a hard-core Halo 3 fan. Look for the special edition Halo 3 Xbox 360 console to arrive in stores close to game's September 25 street date. No pricing details yet, but I'd be surprised (and annoyed) if it wasn't close to the $399 price of the standard 360 console bundle.

Related:
Press release [Microsoft]
More Details On Halo Version Xbox 360 [Wired Game|Life]
Microsoft Revealing 4th Xbox SKU? [Kotaku]