The rumors are in, and the news is true – Microsoft has publicly confirmed and announced that there will in fact be a special edition Final Fantasy XIII Xbox360 bundle on release day. The ‘Final Fantasy XIII’ 250GB video game console bundle will obviously include a monstrous 250GB hard-drive as well as nice little extras:

• Xbox 360 Elite Console
• Final Fantasy XIII video game
• Xbox 360 250GB Hard Drive
• 2 White Xbox360 Wireless Controllers
• 1 Xbox360 Wired Headset
• 1 Ethernet Cable
• 1 Standard Definition Xbox 360 Composite A/V Cable

We are still a little disappointed to see that Microsoft has still not included any high-definition cables with their expensive Final Fantasy XIII bundle! None of the other bundles have included this as well, however any HDMI cable will suffice for your TV’s connection. The inclusion of 2 Xbox360 controllers and the Wired Headset should be a huge plus for any gamers out there who are in desperate need of an Xbox360, or a new one for the matter of fact. The newer consoles that have been released since last year are said to have the newer and quieter BenQ drives which have hopefully fixed the ‘three red rings of death’ issue that has plagued Microsoft since the inception of the Xbox360. Even more so, additional content will be available via download which will include custom avatars and hopefully some new and cool DLC for all those Final Fantasy junkies out there. It has also been noted that Microsoft will not be adding anything to the console itself, as it will remain the plain white version, however rumors have sparked that custom faceplates will be available as an added accessory in the near future.

Do yourself a favor, if you need an Xbox360 (or a new one) head to GameStop now and pre-order! These units will be sure to sell, and at $399 are probably worth the price. Final Fantasy XIII, the 2 Xbox360 controllers, and the Wired Headset are almost $200 alone, giving you a brand new Xbox for approximately the other $200. Of course this unit has the biggest hard-drive to date, and will definitely be sufficient for all your high-definition video gaming, movie watching and music lovin’.

With a release date of Tuesday March 9th, Microsoft and Square Enix are expecting huge sales for Final Fantasy XIII. The game first became available in Japan on December 17th, and has sparked raving reviews and a new calling for all Final Fantasy fans out there. Unfortunately this will be the only bundled version of the game available outside of Japan. As most of us gamers already know, game and console bundled packaging are usually only reserved for highly anticipated game titles, and Final Fantasy XIII is surely right up there. It’s a good thing that Sony and Microsoft aren’t overdoing the game bundling, as most often people get pretty mad when they just bought a console and then their favorite game is bundled with it the next month. Often these rumors are kept pretty quiet, but the news for Final Fantasy XIII has leaked.