On May 12, 2005 the world of gaming as we know it will forever change. We've all heard rumblings of the next generation of gaming, but Microsoft will officially unveil the first true details, including gameplay footage, on MTV in just under two weeks. Many have speculated on what MS and MTV will be showing, but we think we have a pretty good idea of what you will and won't see.

Hosted by Lord of the Rings star, Elijah Wood, the 30 minute preview will show just enough to whet our appetites, but you won't see or hear everything. Since the show is only 30 minutes in length, hosted by a major movie star, and airing on MTV, don't expect more than maybe 15 minutes of Xbox 360 goodies. You'll have at least two commercial segments, and we all know MTV commercials last an eternity. Plus, Frodo didn't agree to this for a mere flash of camera time. You can bet he'll have a lengthy introduction segment, plus several "mainstream" comments before and after each commercial break.

In addition, MTV doesn't cater to the hardcore gaming crew. It's unlikely we'll see hardware specs, or extensive details on the next Xbox Live or the games. The May 12 unveiling is aimed at the world audience; the average gamer. They don't care about how many polygons the Xbox 360 will be pushing. All they want are some good looking games to drool over, a price point, and perhaps a release date for those early adopters.

So what will we see on May 12? Well, we expect the name Xbox 360 to be officially confirmed as the final name for the console. You'll also definitely see a nice helping of in-game footage, most likely from Perfect Dark Zero, Project Gotham Racing 3, and several other first party titles. Third parties may also get into the action with Dead or Alive 4 heavily rumored as a launch title, and we all know how well Team Ninja's games show the abilities of a new console.

Xbox Live will be mentioned, but you probably won't hear any kind of details beyond the fact that your existing account will likely be transferable. Microsoft will probably touch on some of the standard Xbox Live 360 features that will be implemented into all next generation Xbox titles as well. Other than that, exact details on how the next generation of Xbox Live will work will likely be withheld.

Other features that will probably be touched on include multiple versions of the console releasing. Early reports indicate that there will be an optional 40 GB hard drive, and it's very possible that MS will offer multiple bundles for the Xbox 360 to help make the console more affordable, but still maintain some of the favored features of the original Xbox.

Wireless gaming will also be a key feature of the MTV unveiling. It's widely known that the Xbox 360 will feature wireless controllers, which will be a big hit among the mainstream gamers. And if those leaked photos of the system are any indication, MS plans to include DVD playback right out of the box. While most homes in the US already have a DVD player of some kind, it's definitely a feature that many mainstreamers will take into account during the MTV unveiling.

A release date and price point would be a nice touch to end the special, but it's unlikely Microsoft will be specific with either. The price point will be competitive, and it's fairly safe to say that at least one version of the Xbox 360 will retail for $300 or less. However, with probably a good six months to go until the console hits store shelves, it's unlikely MS has settled on a confirmed price. In addition, a release date this early would be quite surprising. We expect to hear MS announce a tentative release date of Fall 2005, or possibly a specific month (November?), but don't expect much more than that.

The May 12 MTV unveiling of the Xbox 360 will be short and sweet, but it's definitely something that all gamers should tune in to. If nothing else, it will show us some of the first true Xbox 360 graphics (the Madden commercial was only an artist's rendition), and give us a nice preview before all of the goods are provided at Microsoft's pre-E3 press conference on May 16. We'll have more information on Xbox 360 and the MTV special as the wonderful month of May swiftly approaches.