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Konami's Katamari Damacy clone, Zephyr: Rise of the Elementals has just spun itself an easier, more straightforward title: Tornado Outbreak. The game is the first from Loose Cannon Studios, made up of Sucker Punch veterans. While the pedigree of the studio is quite impressive, we found the game rather uninspired at E3, missing the charm that makes Katamari so lovable. Perhaps Tornado Outbreak will blow away our dampened expectations; this trailer reveals new elements (like bosses!) that we didn't have a chance to experience in our previous hands-on.

You'll be able to give Tornado Outbreak a whirl when it launches on Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3 this September.

A Konami game about weather elements ... Could it be?! No, it's not Kojima's new game. Konami has announced (during Microsoft's keynote, mind you) a new game for Wii, Xbox 360 and PS3: Zephyr: Rise of the Elementals. In it, you'll control a tornado that grows in a Katamari-esque path of destruction.

With flying cows (pictured above), we can expect Zephyr won't take itself too seriously. The sandbox environments will range from farms to cities. Two players will be able to team up, each with their own tornadoes. This is the first game to come from Loose Cannon Studios, the new team made up of former Sucker Punch veterans. Expect impressions and an interview with the developers later this week.

Jasper is both the name of the of the next Xbox 360 chipset, and an old prospector heading to the rocky hills of Utah, planning to strike it rich on "The durned richest haul you've jest about evar seen! Yeehaw!" Which one comes to mind first when you hear that name?

Basically the hurricane-like string of Xbox 360 chipset names continues. First we had Zephyr, then Falcon, and now sometime next August, Jasper. What does Jasper bring? We're glad you asked. According to Dean Takahashi at the Mercury News, it brings exciting things like ... a 65nm graphics chip from ATI, and smaller memory chips.

This isn't all that exciting, since the current Falcon chipset uses a 65nm processor already, but it means that Microsoft is still working on bringing production costs down. Which could also translate to even cheaper Xbox 360s next holiday season ... meaning 2008, three years after the introduction of the system. We're all for cheaper prices, but we like added value too. Zephyr brought us HDMI, why can't Jasper bring us something. At least milk and cookies.

If you or a loved one have been thinking of trading that glitchy Xbox 360 console for one of the newer HDMI-equipped models with the (thus far) more reliable Zephyr motherboard, you should be aware of what isn't included in this offering. While the premium experience of the Xbox 360 Elite nets you that 120GB hard drive and "elite" black casing, it also buys you an HDMI cable and an "audio adapter connector" that extracts either stereo or digital audio out of the box, if you're not into the whole HDMI audio thing.

There are two solutions for those of you with external stereo systems that don't support HDMI: 1) Buy the $50 HDMI cable with adapter or 2) switch your HDTV's audio setting to reroute audio from the internal speakers out to the stereo, as described by Joe Hutsko. If your setup requires the $50 adapter (with HDMI cable!), you can either consider the Elite and its massive hard drive for only $50 more or just hit eBay for someone else's leftovers. Just sayin'.

Have you been as curious as us about when Microsoft plans to utilize smaller CPUs in their Xbox 360? According to The Mercury News' Dean Takahashi, who has previously written two books on Microsoft's consoles, the 65nm processors will probably start finding its way into new Xbox 360s by the end of the year. However, there are a few caveats.

The chips, which are a sizable difference than the current 90nm chips, are being planned for a new motherboard codenamed Falcon (if you recall, Microsoft's previous motherboard upgrade that included an HDMI port was called Zephyr). The upgrade will still have 90nm graphics chips from ATI -- that upgrade is for later. And there is no guarantee that the smaller chips, though theoretically will require less energy, will alleviate the Xbox 360's Red Ring of Death.

And so how will you tell if the console has the Falcon? You can't -- not at first, anyways. "Microsoft has no intention of telling you which box has 65-nanometer chips on the inside," he said. All Falcon-equipped Xbox 360s have HDMI ports, but not all HDMI-enabled 360s have Falcons. "I really don't know how you're going to be able to tell the difference. If you're buying an Xbox 360 without HDMI, then for sure you aren't getting Falcon," he said.

This Christmas, if you're hoping for a more reliable Xbox 360, there is a chance you could nab one. From what Takahashi has said, however, you might have to increase your Luck stat before you try to pick up one. Check out Takahashi's article for more details.

After discovering that some newly price-dropped Xbox 360 Premium units were packing HDMI ports – a feature previously reserved for the more expensive Elite model – we immediately wanted to know how savvy shoppers could track down these beasts at retail. Thanks to some pics snapped by anonymous Photobucketer "wonderkins" you can clearly see that the HDMI models are labeled as such. See, right there: "HDMI port."

The packaging has more details, however, on what exactly is inside the case. A label clearly refers to the model as "Zephyr" – the codename for the Elite motherboard. It would appear that the purported 65nm "Falcon" motherboard has yet to make it into stores so, for know, HDMI and an improved heatsink is all you're getting.

Of course, the Xbox 360 Elite doesn't actually exist yet; it's just idle, and most likely spurious, chatter floating in a nebulous sea of speculation surrounded by a hard, candy shell of rumor and hearsay. But that hasn't stopped these characteristically blurry spy shots of the HDMI- and 120GB-enabled Xbox 360 Elite from showing up on a Chinese assembly line. Take note: the chrome drive bezel clearly distinguishes the non-entity that is the Xbox 360 Elite from the decidedly corporeal black Xbox 360 dev kit. After the break, a shot of the not-yet-confirmed hard drive barely showing off the "120" printed on the top of it. What does it all mean?

[Thanks to all the spies who tipped us off!]

Even after offering the scoop on the worst-kept secret in gaming to Game Informer -- complete with pictures and pricing -- Microsoft still hasn't gone on record with the Xbox 360 Elite. We're left gathering the artifacts, like 21st century video game rag-and-bone men, eager to share our findings with you. So, we'll combine the existing -- Engadget's shot of the unit's HDMI port; Game Informer's scoop on the unit; and Engadget's follow-up on the new name and additional specs -- with some new breadcrumbs and call this "mystery" solved.

Dean Takahashi, a man with more sources inside Microsoft than out, says "several sources confirmed Microsoft plans to add this box to its product line." Then, Engadget notes a thread in Microsoft's official XNA Game Studio Express forum claims the "revised 360" will require no changes to support the HDMI output. Lastly, Xbox 360 Fanboy was tipped off to an early promotion for a 120GB hard drive "COMING SOON." So, what's the big secret again?

Read - Microsoft To Announce The Xbox 360 Elite (Dean Takahashi)
Read - XNA Game Studio Express forum
Read - Xbox 360 120GB HDD advertising appears (X360F)

Game Informer's April issue confirms the mountain of rumors about the "Zephyr" Xbox 360. The Black, 120 GB HDD, HDMI enabled Xbox 360. Yeah, that one. Also worth noting is that the magazine has a policy of not writing fake stories in their April issue, as well as confirming that the story is indeed true. So, we're looking at a third Xbox 360 SKU in late April priced around $479 USD, which still has the standard DVD drive. After all, they already have a Black HD DVD player model produced. How do you current 360 owners feel about this? Are you going to buy a new console to take advantage of its 1080p via HDMI goodness? At least it comes with an HDMI cable.

Apparently, the 120 GB HDD will also be available for sale separately for "under $200", but the same can be said for the HD DVD player. Hopefully it will follow suit of the memory units and take the 20 GB HDD's price, bumping the previous drive's cost for consumers down. We've got scans of the magazine for your viewing pleasure after the break.

Update: Engadget has the scoop on the limited-edition 'Xbox 360 Elite'! (Details below.)

Looks like Game Informer's black Xbox 360 rumor wasn't so much a rumor as it was a pending exclusive in their shiny mag. Of course, GI weren't the first outlet to whisper secrets about an elusive revision of the Xbox 360 -- actually, Engadget got pics of the console's (dubbed Zephyr) HDMI port, proving its existence. Now, GI's April issue has the deets.

This news has been floating around for a couple days -- first hitting NeoGAF and subsequently our tips line -- but, Kotaku has managed to get some pics of the page and even confirmation from GI that this isn't an April Fool's hoax. So, without further delay, the specs:

• Uh, it's black
• HDMI port and HDMI cable (oh, you bullies!)
• 120GB hard drive (but you told us 20GB was more than enough!)
• A $479 price tag (ouch!)
• No HD-DVD integration (yup), the "format's not proven" (pssst, and it's being outsold)
• The 120GB hard drive will be available for under $200 (uh, we certainly hope so!)
• It's coming in "late April"

Engadget adds:

• Dubbed the Xbox 360 Elite
• Limited-edition; probably a couple hundred thousand units
  
• Case, controller, and headset will be black; new packaging
• Confirmed: 3rd SKU; sold alongside Premium and Core bundles
• Elite runs cooler than other models
  
• Eventually Elite hardware (in white) will replace Premium; estimated to be in late summer or fall

Our questions:

• Where the hell is the built-in WiFi? Seriously. Our DS Lite has it built-in -- and DS is only $30 more than the 360's adapter! (Engadget: "There are no current plans to integrate WiFi into the Elite or future Premiums...")
• Will this be a third SKU, or will they finally pull the Core? Yeah, #3.
  
• Will the Zephyr Elite release come coupled with price-drops for the other SKUs? (Engadget: "Prices may remain the same with the 120GB / HDMI hardware upgrade in the Premium Xbox, but we may still see a price cut on the line when 65nm chips start shipping.")
• Does this model have the desirable, albeit delayed, 65nm chips? (Engadget: "not yet confirmed to have 65nm chips.")
• How pissed off will early adopters be?

Yesterday we showed you a photo of the rumored Xbox 360 v2 that should be coming down the pipelines soon. It'll supposedly have an HDMI port, and feature a 120GB drive in it, making it well worth it, particularly if it is priced the same as the current consoles. Now we have video of the system in question (codenamed Zephyr), and if you ask us it looks fairly real. Of course, as sister-site Xbox 360 Fanboy points out, the Linux penguin in the shot makes us very suspicious. Plus that plug/adapter setup at the rear of the 360 looks fairly nasty.

Normally when people mod consoles they add things like Christmas tree lights, liquid-cooling, and a built-in popcorn popper. Which doesn't mean that this thing is real, but so far we're still buying it, and we'll really be buying it when it hits a store near us. HDMI and a much bigger hard drive? Yes, please.

How did Microsoft dodge the scaling issue that has plagued Sony since its launch? Maybe it was the timing -- an HD console in a Standard Def world -- or perhaps it was Ana, the affectionate title for Xbox 360's hardware scaler.

Whereas the PlayStation 3 downscales to meet resolution, Ana upscales Xbox 360 titles to 1080p to impressive results, according to Ars Technica's Ben Kuchera. Speaking with Microsoft's Scott Henson, Kuchera learns that Ana was designed at the same time as Xenos, the console's GPU. Though the addition of a PS3 hardware scaler is possible in the future, Xbox Group Product Marketing Manager Aaron Greenberg opines that it would be difficult for Sony to fix the issue with software, leaving first-generation PS3 owners in the cold.

However, the truth is, as Kuchera notes, differences between the two console's graphics are minimal to nonexistent. "By [the time PS3 has second-generation titles] we'll have Halo 3," Henson said. "We'll be on the third–generation games. We hope to always be a little bit ahead." When will Sony pull ahead of the Xbox 360, graphically, and to what extent is Ana Microsoft's secret weapon in keeping up?

See Also:
The second Xbox 360 (with HDMI): introducing "Zephyr"

[Thanks, Theo1130; image inspiration]

Update: We now have video of the 360 v.2 in action! Check it out here. (Also, readers have pointed out that the 360 uses more expensive 2.5" hard drives, so you can't get 250 gigs for $100. It's more like 80 gigs. Oh, and for the record, the redesign doesn't bother me at all. I just want a reasonably priced HDD.)

Boy, that picture looks familiar. Our fine brothers at Engadget received quite a tip today, the first images -- and overall revelation -- of the second version of our beloved Xbox 360. The new box, codenamed "Zephyr," features a dedicated HDMI port -- meaning the long rumored HDMI cable for the current 360 probably doesn't exist -- and possibly a 120GB hard drive as well. The 120GB may or may not come bundled with the unit, but more space is certainly welcome. One thing is for damned sure, the hard drive price has to come down, considering we payed $100 for 20GB already. Engadget's tipster claims that the new and improved 360 will be available "soon." We have to wonder just how soon that will be, considering the smaller, cooler processor for the 360 was recently delayed. Engadget suspects that the unit will cost roughly the same as the current 360. If Microsoft can manage to get the smaller, cheaper CPU crammed into the 360 v. 2, then the same pricing structure would certainly be viable.

Of course, as 360 owning fanboys, our biggest question is how Microsoft can release this without pissing off early adopters (if you consider the entire first year of availability as "early"). The easy answer is that they can't, especially if a 120GB hard drive is included with the premium pack for the same price as the current pack. Not many people even have an HDMI capable TV, so we won't feel snubbed by its inclusion, but hard drive space is something any 360 owner can identify with. Come on MS, savvy shoppers can buy 100GB 2.5" HDDs for $100. It's time to stick a reasonable price on yours.

Keep in mind this isn't confirmed, but most of us have suspected it. How do you feel about it? Should MS decide to include the 120 GB HDD in the new HDMI enabled premium pack, is there any way MS can keep an angry mob of 20GB HDD owners from storming Redmond?

[Thanks, Mat Parker]

Wow. This really takes us back to when we thought the Xbox 360's AV port was capable of digital out and it was only a matter of time before Microsoft released a proper HDMI adapter. Then came rumblings of a revised motherboard with an HDMI port located underneath the AV port (hmm ... curiously like the image above). Then back came the rumors about that HDMI cable.

Now, thanks to the above image nabbed by our buddies at Engadget, what's purported to be the second Xbox 360 (codenamed "Zephyr") can be seen rocking a dedicated HDMI port, for pain free 1080p. Also rumored to be included in the Xbox 360 v2 is a 120GB HDD, making those high-def downloads a little more palatable. No word on whether they're going to drop the comically priced $100 WiFi adapter and build that in as well, but the WiFi mounting brackets on the back aren't very reassuring. Although Engadget's insider says we can expect it "soon" we're left wondering about those smaller 65nm processors that were recently delayed. Are we gonna have to wait for Xbox 360 v3 for a cooler, quieter 360?