Major Nelson has released the official word on the state of the Xbox 360 in the coming weeks;

We are actively transitioning all our Xbox 360 S consoles to a matte finish.  The consoles will start to arrive in stores over the coming weeks, so if you really love the idea of a glossy console don’t wait much longer.Of course, we still may offer a gloss finish on Limited Edition consoles like the upcoming Gears of War 3 Console, but if you have your eye on a glossy black console you don’t have much time left.

Personally, this news is the push I needed to make the jump from my old, white 60GB Xbox 360 to the new 250GB models, because of the number of complaints I have read on how much fingerprints and dust the glossy finish attracts.

[Source: Major Nelson]

Microsoft has announced a new Kinect bundle which will be available for sale. This new Xbox 360 250GB Kinect bundle is set for release on November 4th in the US and November 10th for us here in the UK.

Source: Engadget

Microsoft has done it again! A new Limited Edition designed Xbox 360 bundle. And this time is for Halo: Reach. This bundle will be available on 14th September.

“The Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle features:

• An exclusive silver design
• Two custom Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers with artwork inspired by the game
• A Standard Edition copy of “Halo: Reach”
• A token for the Limited Edition Elite armour set, an episode of “Halo Legends”
• A “Halo: Reach”-themed Xbox 360 wired headset.
• As an added touch, the specially designed console in the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle not only captures the look and feel of the game, but also features custom sound effects from the “Halo” universe.”

Source: GAME

There will also a bundle of the Kinect Motion Controller and the New Xbox 360 console with 4GB storage and ‘Kinect Adventures’ (kind of like the Xbox 360′s version of Wii Sports) for £250 ($300).

The most reliable UK source in terms of pricing to pre-order the Kinect and the Kinect bundle from (for now) is play.com.

It seems the much dreaded Red Ring of Death which plagued the classic and elite Xbox 360s will not be an issue for the new Xbox 360 owners. The main reason why so many Xbox 360s got the Red Ring of Death was due to overheating. But with the new Xbox 360, this is no longer an issue.
The first reason, which is obvious from the post image, is the preventative measures that come with the new Xbox. If the Xbox overheats a message pops up letting the owner know the Xbox will be shutting down and can only be turned off when it has cooled back down.
The second is a very simple one. There are no more red L.E.D lights on the power button of the Xbox. So even if your Xbox were to have the same issues that caused the Red Ring of Death, it will most probably just flash a green light.

Microsoft has announced it’s new product at the E3 even today. It’s the Xbox 360 Slim! My excitement for this product cannot be controlled. It’s everything one would ever want from the amazing 360 plus more (Xbox fanboy yes I know). It is for now available for in the states retailing at $299 (about £202) and will be set loose on in Europe come July 16. It comes with a whopping 250GB Hard drive, the long requested inbuilt 802.11n Wi-Fi and 5 USB ports. Once again, this product will be landing on European shores on July 16. Click this link right here for more pics and below is a specification list of this beautiful gadget.

Source: Engadget