Confirming long-standing rumors of two different Xbox 360 set-ups, Microsoft today officially announced two differently-priced SKUs for the North American and European markets. The Redmond, WA company will offer a premium system for $399.99 and a core set-up for $299.99.

The premium and core systems will sell for, respectively, £279.99 and £209.99 in the UK and €399.99 and €299.99 in the rest of Europe. Microsoft said it will announce Asian-market news at the Tokyo Game Show in mid-September.

Microsoft remains officially silent on a release date, confirming only that it is on target for "holiday launches" in all three territories. Since rumors regarding all Microsoft products have generally panned out so far, IGN expects a fall ship date (November) for X360 in North America and Europe.

The premium, or "Xbox 360" package ($399.99), is designed for the hardcore, HD-ready gamer, while the Xbox 360 Core System ($299.99) is your basic set-up.
Full story: IGN