Plans to launch a new "crystal" limited edition version of the Xbox console in Europe in the next few months have been confirmed by Microsoft, which has also announced that a new Xbox Live bundle will be available later this month.

As reported last week, the new limited edition pack - which is the second of its type to be launched here, following the semi-transparent green version last year - features a transparent casing and two matching controllers.

The Crystal Limited Edition Xbox will be priced at €199 in Europe, and at £139 in the UK, with the extra tenner mark-up over the normal cost of an Xbox presumably justified by the inclusion of the second controller.

No firm release date is given for the pack, but sources on the Continent have indicated that it may well arrive on 12March - the nearest Friday to the second anniversary of the Xbox launch in Europe.

Meanwhile, the company also plans to launch a new Xbox Live bundle pack later this month, which will include a copy of Project Gotham Racing 2 along with a one-year subscription to Xbox Live and an Xbox Live Communicator headset. The new bundle will launch at €89.99 (£59.99), which is a saving of about £20 off the RRP of the game, with the original Xbox Live Starter Kit, sans game, still available for €59.99 (£39.99).

© Copyright 2004, gamesindustry.biz