• by May 10, 2005

Details about Microsoft's next-generation Xbox video game console were leaked over the Internet yesterday. The details came out just three days prior to the global launch of Microsoft's latest Xbox console known as "Xbox 360." So much for secrecy on one of the year's hottest new product launches. Naturally, Microsoft downplayed the leak as rumor and speculation.

Details on the new console's capabilities and functions have been teased for months on niche Web sites and in published news reports. This latest version of the Xbox is a major multifunction gadget. The console works with both a wireless controller and a remote control that run audio and video playback functions. Pictures of the new Xbox that appeared on Engadget.com reportedly show a Web camera and headset.

Technical specifications reportedly include support for wireless networking and high-definition video. There's also a detachable hard drive. Xbox Live, Microsoft's online multiplayer gaming service, will come in two flavors - one is free, and the other is a subscription service packed with extras. The Xbox Live online service is ripe for product placement and other types of branded entertainment opportunities. We wonder whether Massive, the online ad network, has deals with advertisers to serve messages into Xbox Live.

So far, there was no word on pricing, ship date, and specific games for the new console. The new console will be unveiled on Thursday on a live MTV broadcast, but many specifics are likely to be saved until next week's popular E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) trade show in Los Angeles.