Prepare Thyself: New Xbox Experience Tomorrow
This is it, Xbox 360 gamers: tomorrow we'll say goodbye to the blades of our beloved dashboard and welcome a tiered 3D window array. Change is in the WiFi, my good friends!
Instead of blades, we'll welcome eight categories of horizontal boxes such as "Welcome," "Friends," "My Xbox" and "Video Marketplace." We'll also see a lot of ads, which appear to be one of the real reasons behind the redesign. And while at least three of the new categories seem to be devoted entirely to ads and XBL notifications, we'll be getting Avatars and "parties" (non-game-dependent groupings of friends, kind of like Xbox-wide guilds, who can chat to each other even as they're playing different games - or on different sides of the same game). Surely that's enough to distract us from the ads.
No? How about the new game search feature, Spotlight? Or the ability to buy games and game updates from Xbox.com when you're away from your console?
Still not convinced? Microsoft's also beefing up the Video Marketplace with a Netflix viewer, as I'm sure most of you have heard. Netflix's HD content will be available through the "Video Marketplace" channel and should be good to go for current Netflix subscribers, with only a small additional update required. HD video quality will be the first thing I check out on the new dash - Sony's video store delivers HD movies at 720, for instance, with stereo sound. I'm hoping that Netflix brings an audio upgrade if nothing else, since high definition and surround sound belong together.
tiny dancer
Posted to Hot Stuff, Miscellany on 18 November 2008
· Comments (13)
Other stuff like this: avatars, dashboard, microsoft, netflix, new xbox experience, xbox 360, xbox live
Wow - They have confirmed Netflix HD? I was trying to catch up on this since the original announcement stated that HD would not be an option via Xbox. Now, I'm stoked! *off to cancel Blockbuster and subsribe to Netflix*
I wonder, are you able to delete stuff you don't want/need, like the Avatars? Because I'm never going to bother making one, don't give a damn about them, and the HD space they take up would be put to better use literally any other way.
As it stands, the only reason I'm allowing the update is the Netflix streaming, which I intend to abuse the hell out of. A shame you can't have that without getting the whole new update since that's all I care about and I *hate* the new "look", but I suppose I'll have to deal with it. Maybe they'll release an update to let you "skin" the OS to look like the current dashboard but keep all the new features.
@Klubby
Ya, it is 720P from what I can tell. I have watched a couple of the HD movies. I do not have a surround sound setup here so I am not sure if it indeed outputs surround sound from the HD stuff.
@Shin Gallon
No, you can not just delete the avatars. It is a part of the update. You do not have a choice in whither you have an avatar, just like you had no choice as to whither you had a gamer pic or not. The space used is negligible anyway. The update it's self is not an optional one either. You WILL have to update to be able to do anything with Xbox Live, including gaming or even just chatting.
I could not be less excited about this update.
I am fine with the Blades system.
I do not want/need another Mii/Avatar/whatever.
I do not use, nor intend to use Netflix.
I don't want another two or three pages of ads to have to wander through to get to the features I want. (ie PLAYING VIDEO GAMES ON MY VIDEO GAME CONSOLE)
thank you Microsoft, for taking up more of my dwindling hard drive space with your useless garbage!
Looking forward to it very much!
Well I personally love NXE. It feels completely natural and I'm already used to it. There are some things I dislike (Network Testing no longer shows NAT or any info) but in a whole I think the update is grand. netflix's hd looks superb if the connection is good. Downside is that you must have a gold membership to use Netflix.
As for fillerbunny9
"I am fine with the Blades system."
-Then you'll love the guide menu as it is more or less a free-floating blades system.
"I do not want/need another Mii/Avatar/whatever."
-That sucks, but they are being integrated into games - SceneIt!, Uno, couple other live games and who knows what other ones to come. Select a premade one if you don't wanna go through the hassle of making one.
"I do not use, nor intend to use Netflix."
-I do and it's great. If you don't wanna use it then don't install it. It'll still be in the video marketplace, but won't take up HD space.
"I don't want another two or three pages of ads to have to wander through to get to the features I want. (ie PLAYING VIDEO GAMES ON MY VIDEO GAME CONSOLE)"
-All the important stuff is right up front. The first row of things is sign in, games library, and the standard system things. Another row is Friends, Another Market Place and then the last is off announcements ("ads"). You never have to look at them if you don't want to, unlike the old version where half the screen is ads.
"thank you Microsoft, for taking up more of my dwindling hard drive space with your useless garbage!"
-The total size is 128MB. If you don't plan on installing games or using any of the update's features you should be set on space.
So is the streaming Netflix only available to Xbox Live Gold members?
I was able to download the NXE a few weeks back with the preview program and i love it so far... one thing i must say is that tiny dancer is making it sound like there is nothing but ads on this new update. its not true... the only place i notice ads is in announcements and even then they don't even look like ads... its hard to explain... soon you guys will see. trust me... its awesome... and to those who think this new update will make them go through all these pages and screens just to get what they want (which is play games) just hit up on your d-pad when you sign on and all you need is right there... game disc, profile, game library, etc. or just hit the xbox guide button and you will have your blades for easy access to everything... [sarcasm] i know i know hitting one more button when you turn on the system is too much work [/sarcasm]
change is good
Got it at 10 p.m. tonight and absolutely love it. My avatar looks like me 10 years ago. Very fun to make. My old theme was reformatted and looked great. NXE gets a 9.5 out of 10. Thanks M$ For releasing it a day early!!
I'd rather just keep using my gamerpic (the one I paid money for...thanks Microsoft!) than a stupid Mii ripoff. I'm half tempted to unplug my 360 from he internet, but there's 2 games I still want from the online store. Now I'm wishing I'd bought them already...
I think thats the one thing people do not understand yet. YOU CAN STILL USE YOUR GAMERPICTURE
again YOU CAN STILL USE YOUR GAMERPICTURE. Microsoft did not take away the gamer picture option... you don't have to have your avatar as your gamer picture.
Okay, so I downloaded Xbox Dashboard: 75% More Advertisements edition, and managed to skip the Avatar bullshit by hitting the Guide button and exiting out right a the beginning. Thankfully it hasn't since tried to force-feed me that useless crap again.
However, my old wallpaper picture is fucking destroyed. What little of it that does show up over the top of the weird ground thing is obscured by (shock of shocks) boxes of advertisements!
I'm *so* glad I let this update download...
re: ship
I have Final Fantasy XI installed on my HDD. to say that HDD space is at a premium on my 360 would be an understatement.
I also now need to wander through more screens to get to My Xbox, because a cahnnel of ads is more impaortant, and unlike the welcome screen cannot be hidden.
I still don't want/need avatars, and while I think Hardwood Spades incorporates the hideous little things, it doesn't add value in any way for me.
I am in agreement with Shin Gallon on this wholeheartedly, Microsoft has destroyed the aesthetic of my dashboard in favor of more advertisements for me to wade through. the ONLY consolation is that HDD access times seem to be a bit peppier than they were before. I don't think it was worth it, though. . . .