Gear: Microsoft Confirms 360 in November?

"Press release for PC controller hints at a November release.

Microsoft today announced its "Xbox 360 Controller for Windows" product, which we're taking as an alternatively packaged and yet standard Xbox 360 wired controller geared towards PC gamers, likely including a CD with drivers and an enhanced manual. When Microsoft originally announced its XNA development platform it said that next-gen Xbox controllers would work on Windows XP-based PCs, so that isn't really anything new.

The interesting part about the nearly factually-void press release is that the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows is due in November, giving credence to the longstanding rumor that Xbox 360 will indeed launch in November. As this looks to be exactly the same wired controller that Microsoft will ship with its Core system and as an accessory, it only makes sense that it will hit stores the same day as the console-targeted package.

While it would have been cool if the system launched the day after Thanksgiving, it seems like Microsoft is getting ready to tell us that Xbox 360 will be coming our way sometime during the month of November.

One last odd part about this is that the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows will retail for $44.95, while the standard wired Xbox 360 controller sells for $39.95. We're assuming any knowledgeable gamer will pick up the console-packaged version, download the drivers and save $5, but that might just be us."