The speculation draws to a close, the gossip-mongers hold their tongues; into the limelight steps an alluring new star, a sleeker, more powerful, more composed idol-in-the-making, ladies and gentlemen - I give you the 360. Not bad, eh? The rumoured design elements in the main turned out to be true, as did technical details like the removable hard-drive. What we crave now is specifics, and thankfully a hard-hitting marketing attack of the 'shock and awe' variety is happy to deliver the knowledge we crave, thank you MTV, Ourcolony.net and of course the PR department.

For starters, the console will definitely be called the - as the unimaginatively named (and freshly launched) xbox360.com had already suggested. More over the 20gb hard disk drive is indeed removable; though it still isn't clear the exact purposes this mobility might serve, or indeed whether the console will be sold with the hard disk initially. The rumoured wireless controllers also turned out to be true at the grand unveiling, and these slick gamepads even come complete with the expected Xbox 360 button at the centre of the unit. Said button gains the user access to the system's main menu, linking-in innumerable functions, such as and playback, communications, and other customisation features. With media in mind, this menu will allow the user access to Windows Media Centre enabled PCs via a network, and this convergence is said to be at the heart and soul of the new system.

As previously touted, three IBM PowerPC CPUs, running at 3.2ghz will power the beast, each capable of processing two 'threads', offering a mighty six in total, tech fans. The system will be water-cooled, much like the PowerMac which also uses the IBM CPUs. 512MB of GDDR3 system RAM is present, and graphically things should fly thanks to the ATI processor running at 500mhz with 10mb on-board memory. System memory will in part be shared with graphics, we're told.

Memory cards will be present - in sizes starting from 64mb - though what use they will be given the HDD remains to be seen; especially given that the size of the hard disk may well be upgradeable at a later date. A standard 12x DVD will be the media of choice, Redmond forgoing BluRay or anything flashier on this occasion. Three USB 2.0 ports will enable the adding of peripherals, in addition to support for up to four wireless controllers. Microsoft are also describing the Xbox 360 as 'WiFi' ready, though whether this means the hardware is built in or will come as an optional extra remains to be seen at present. Likewise, a video camera is also supported, but it is believed this too will come as an optional extra.

Like the previous Xbox, gamers will be able to rip music to the hard disk, and it will be possible to shares these files across any network present, that tie-in with Microsoft Media Centre once again rearing its immaculately polished face. We're even told that portable devices such as the iPod and digital cameras will link-in with the Xbox 360, though to what extent remains to be witnessed. Finally, the frontage of the new look Xbox will be changeable, mobile phone style, thanks to clip on covers. Though as you can see from the pictures, in slick white the 360 is a far cry from the clumsy aesthetics of the original.

The much hyped high-definition output is present, with support for 720p output to compatible screens, and regardless of your TV we're promised clarity far greater than any console previously. will also be a key part of the 360, functional 'out of the box', with a new free use option looking most welcome. Xbox Live Silver requires no subscription, and will allow gamers to voice chat and message through their GamerTag profiles. Game demos, new content and the like will also be available free of charge, downloading simply to the hard drive. The subscription service, Xbox Live Gold, will offer online gaming of the highest order (we're enthusiastically told), coupled with intelligent matchmaking based on game scores and profiles. The camera peripheral will also come into play here, with not only videochat becoming possible, but also the ability to map your likeness onto in-game characters. Players joining the Gold service will also get access to rankings, ladders, tournaments and celebrity matches. Crikey.

Well look at me, I got so carried away with the 'multimedia' functionalities (such as the way invites to play can interrupt movie watching), that I forgot to mention the rather impressive launch line-up Redmond have so far revealed: NBA 2K6, 2, Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, Quake 4, The Darkness, Need For Speed: Most Wanted, PGA Tour '06, Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo: Elements of Power, Project Gotham Racing 3, Gears of War, '06, Saint's Row and 3. All these games will be in high-definition, and we're forewarned that this list is by no means exhaustive. In fact, Redmond are promising the most impressive launch line-up for a system ever.

"Xbox 360 marks the beginning of a renaissance in video games," gushed president Don Mattrick. "All of the unbelievable Xbox 360 games in at Electronic Arts will accelerate the industry's mission to make video games the preeminent form of all entertainment."

"With Xbox 360, a new chapter in video game history is being written," added Acti head Kathy Vrabeck, President. "The platform liberates us to achieve new levels of graphics and game play so our audiences connect emotionally with more riveting stories, more believable characters, and more open, living worlds."

All in all, we're more than a little impressed with what Microsoft are telling us and showing us so far. More on this very soon, as we sift through the hyperbole to try and discover whether or not this really is the dawning of a new 'entertainment era'.

By Luke Guttridge