Microsoft has announced another 250GB bundle for the Xbox 360. This one includes Forza 3 though without a customized console like we found in the Modern Warfare 2 bundle. Unfortunately for you US types, the bundle will only be available in the UK and South Africa.

This is the third in a pretty sweet lineup of 360 bundles over the past few days, obviously designed to compete with the 250GB PS3 bundles Sony has been showing. The bundles have some strange differences, though, and not just with regard to region.

The Halo bundle, for instance, forgoes the 250GB hard drive, something that would be great for all those Bungie Pro users looking to save additional game content locally, for a copy of Halo 3. The Modern Warfare 2 bundle seems to be the only one with a customized console, but it doesn’t include customized controllers. And of course there is the region issue. Why some and not others? Why not standardize these things across the board? And for god’s sake, why won’t they sell the 250GB unit as a separate periph?

As the holidays loom closer I’ll be interested to see what else comes out of Redmond. More bundles, or just more tweaks to the existing SKUs?

Remember that 250GB Xbox 360 that’s been floating through the rumor mill? At a press event today, Microsoft announced a Limited Edition Xbox 360 Elite bundle for Modern Warfare 2, which includes the massive hard drive.

The bundle, which retails for a measly $399.99, is available for pre-order today and includes a customized console, two black wireless controllers, a copy of the standard edition Modern Warfare 2, and that whopping 250GB hard drive. As with all new Elite packages, the console only ships with a composite cable. Regardless, this is an incredible deal. For an extra hundred bucks you get a controller, more than double the hard drive space of the regular elite, and a copy of one of this year’s most anticipated games.

You can check out the full bundle and pre-order now at Amazon.

Since Sony announced the PS3 Slim, Microsoft has been fighting to gain some press coverage, and it’s a fight they intend to win. In the latest Redmond leak, an Engadget tipster found a 250GB Xbox 360 Elite bundled with two controllers and Forza 3 (which you’ll recall also isn’t out yet), all for €280.

The bundle, which translates to about $400, is a pretty sweet deal. Granted, you no longer get that HDMI cable, but you will get two controllers and what looks to be a great game along with some extra hard drive space. Honestly, the hard drive space doesn’t thrill me. Sure, it’s nice for adding movies and downloading games, but this is something Microsoft should have done years ago.

The best news of it all may be that some intrepid hackers will find new ways to use the extra space. If you aren’t aware, the current 360 hardware only allows connections from the specific size hard drives Microsoft sells. It is possible to hack together your own HDD, but you’re maxed out at 120GB, which is truly pathetic. Though doubtful, the update could mean Microsoft has lifted that restriction.

Source: Engadget