The worst kept secret in console history: the Black Xbox 360 has been officially announced.
The new black Xbox 360 will be called Xbox 360 Elite and will launch across North America on April 29 with a price of $ 479.
It will be bundled with a 120 GB hard disk drive (which can be bought separately for $179), black wireless controller, black headset and of course an HDMI cable.
The package will also include an Xbox Live Silver Membership and One-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold.
The 120 GB hard disk will come preloaded with videos and demos. The demos include Street Fighter II, Lego Star Wars II, Madden '07, Call of Duty 3 and others. All videos and demos can be downloaded for free, but it is always nice to have them ready. A full version of Hexic HD is also included.
Microsoft has dismissed the rumors that Xbox 360 Elite package would replace the premium package in the future. The Redmond giant confirmed that only Elite will be black while both Core and Premium will remain grey. Peripherals compatible with all versions of Xbox 360 will be available in either color.
Microsoft also assured Xbox 360 fans that the 20 GB hard disk will continue to be the primary focus of Xbox 360 development. Albert Penello, director of global platform marketing stated in a recent Xbox live podcast, "The 20GB is still a sweet spot, we're still going to make sure that's what we're optimised for."