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Xbox pictures materialise on the Net

Will Knight ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 03 Jan 2001 17:18 GMT

A US gaming site has revealed what it claims are the first pictures of Microsoft's future gaming console, the Xbox, much to the annoyance of the software giant.

Microsoft has refused to confirm whether the pictures are genuine.

A Microsoft spokeswoman however, says the company is considering asking the site -- Planetgeforce -- to remove the pictures. The console's final design was due to be officially unveiled by Bill Gates at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Saturday.

"They aren't official Microsoft pictures," says the spokeswoman "Microsoft isn't commenting on it because it doesn't comment on rumours. Official stuff would go on the Xbox site."

Planetgeforce says the pictures were taken from the gaming publication Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) magazine. They show the XBox as a black, square device with a large X and a green light on its top. The pictures have literally been scanned from the pages of the magazine and reproduced without permission from either Microsoft or EGM.

EGM magazine confirms the pictures came from its magazine, which has not yet gone to publication.

For complete gaming news, see GameSpot UK.

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