Microsoft announced the Xbox360 release dates today. Here in the States it’ll hit store shelves on November 22nd just in time for the biggest shopping day of the year. Launches in Europe and Japan will be on December 2 and December 10 respectively. There should be around 15 to 20 games available at launch with 25 to 40 by year’s end. Microsoft wants to take over the lead in the home console market and is doing everything they can to make it happen.

Meanwhile Sony continues to play its cards close to the vest with no mention of whether there will be more than one version of the PS3 offered or how much the final price will be or even if the hard drive is standard or an add-on. This has driven all kinds of speculation on the net as to what Sony’s next move will be with the most popular idea being a price drop for the PS2 this Christmas, something Sony continues to deny will happen.