Details on the New Xbox Experience

[arhun]

Here are a couple interesting takeaways from our tour of the New Xbox Experience:

• "There's nothing to announce" right now regarding a keyword search for the Marketplace. Let's hope they either a) add one in or b) drastically improve how we find things
• Playing games from the hard drive will work fine for multi-disc games; in fact, you can pick which discs you want to rip (for example, we're superstitious and we'd only rip odd-numbered discs).
• As an example, we were told that Devil May Cry 4 is approximately a 4 or 5GB installation and took about ten minutes.
• You'll need to keep the disc in the drive the entire time. This is about speeding up load times (and hey, bonus tip: no more noisy DVD drive while you're playing!)
• The alerts look the same – actually, like the entire interface, they look sharper, cleaner. Oh, and the sound is the same.
• Yes, you can still use your gamertag pics and your themes (in fact, they look a lot better now!)

Edit:

 

[Nathan H]

This updatre is due to be released in august and will automatically download to the xbox when you connect to xbox live.
Watching the video available on xbox.com it might be that soon we can download full games, rather than just demos or arcade games if you look carefully.
Can't wait, the only thing im not liking is the mii idea

 

[Archkronos]

I actually liked the blades, and the way you could navigate them with LB and RB, and I think it complemented the feel of the Xbox very well.

Admittidly, it was occasionally difficult to navigate and slow, and slightly cluttered, but those were the only problems.

What to they force onto us to try and fix it? A hybrid between Windows Media Center and Cover Flow.

The Xiis/avatars look rediculously stupid and childish, and I expect do not appeal to the main audience of the Xbox, currently.

If they were to fix this up:
+get rid of the avatars
+put what you're currently looking at in the center
+change the navigation sounds
+give us an option for us to use the Blade look
+let us make our own themes
+make sure no ads get let into the dashboard

 

[Spartan Erik]

Microsoft is trying too hard to copy something that isn't for the hardcore gamer..

They should stick with the tabs.. these Wii avatar things are absurdly lame for a hardcore console.

 

[Nathan H]

I agree, the blades are in my mind a core part of the x360. Easy to navigate and everything in easy reach. I seriously hope that when this update comes out that the look is optional cause i honestly hate the new one.

 

[Livewire]

If it turns out theres no way to go back to Blades I think I'll just sink my Xbox slush-fund back into more powerful PC's.

Seriously. If I wanted my Xbox to look like a Wii, I'd buy a Wii.


Edit: I should clarify, I don't have a 360 yet. Working on saving up the finances for it and a few games, but if they're gunna take away the Blades and make it something as hideous as that is, I'd rather go back to straight PC gaming. I don't need a system that's trying that hard to try and look like one of its rivals.

 

[Kayos]

If it turns out theres no way to go back to Blades I think I'll just sink my Xbox slush-fund back into more powerful PC's.

Seriously. If I wanted my Xbox to look like a Wii, I'd buy a Wii.


Edit: I should clarify, I don't have a 360 yet. Working on saving up the finances for it and a few games, but if they're gunna take away the Blades and make it something as hideous as that is, I'd rather go back to straight PC gaming. I don't need a system that's trying that hard to try and look like one of its rivals.

The interface isn't good but I think the features outweigh it. I mean the fact that you can copy games to the hard drive now for quicker loading and stream Netflix movies are enough to make up for it.

Plus Microsoft stated that there will be some form of the blade system, maybe not as full featured as the current one but it'll be there.

Information from Kotaku here.

 

[Livewire]

Irony; I can copy PC games to the hard drive and play them from there too (and have indeed done so), so I can't consider that a plus for the 360.

I like the blade system as it is - if they're going to remove functionality from it then why the heck even keep it?


More I look at this the more I question Microsofts sanity, as if I haven't done that enough lately... I'm gunna hang tight on that there slush fund, but as it is currently it's really looking like Tiger Direct and other PC hardware companies might be receiving my CC info for more parts.

 

[Kayos]

Irony; I can copy PC games to the hard drive and play them from there too (and have indeed done so), so I can't consider that a plus for the 360.

I'm fine and dandy with the humongus capibilities of the PC but to Xbox owners loading off the hard drive and not having the loud ass DVD drive spinning up all the time is a big perk as well as the hopefully shortend loading times. Care or not, it's a big deal to a lot of people who own the system.

I like the blade system as it is - if they're going to remove functionality from it then why the heck even keep it?


More I look at this the more I question Microsofts sanity, as if I haven't done that enough lately... I'm gunna hang tight on that there slush fund, but as it is currently it's really looking like Tiger Direct and other PC hardware companies might be receiving my CC info for more parts.

I don't care what you do with your money but anyone buying a gaming system for a UI and not for games pretty much defeats the purpose of a console. If you're looking for a media center, even though the 360 is one of the best media extenders, you could probably find a laptop or build a pc that does the same thing.

I really don't care for the UI either, but as I posted before, they aren't doing away with the blade system, as seen in the picture, so I'm not too worried nor would I if it didn't. I don't use my Xbox for the dashboard, I use it to play games.

 

[Livewire]

I'm fine and dandy with the humongus capibilities of the PC but to Xbox owners loading off the hard drive and not having the loud ass DVD drive spinning up all the time is a big perk as well as the hopefully shortend loading times. Care or not, it's a big deal to a lot of people who own the system.



I don't care what you do with your money but anyone buying a gaming system for a UI and not for games pretty much defeats the purpose of a console. If you're looking for a media center, even though the 360 is one of the best media extenders, you could probably find a laptop or build a pc that does the same thing.

I really don't care for the UI either, but as I posted before, they aren't doing away with the blade system, as seen in the picture, so I'm not too worried nor would I if it didn't. I don't use my Xbox for the dashboard, I use it to play games.

I'll give you the games point, but let me explain a bit more why I'm not particularly concerned with that for the moment.

As of right now theres 2 main games I was insanely interested in - Gears of War (1 not 2 cause I haven't played 1 yet), and Mass Effect, both of which hit on PC.

I'll also give you the xbox360 load from harddrive point if you've already got the system. If you didn't already have it though it just means it got up to par with that particular aspect of PC's



And yes I was looking for something to add to the media center, cause for the moment the PC I plan to use as one is a tad bit underpowered, although I can fix that with around $300-400 (price of a 360 or close to if memory serves). Just seemed easier to get a 360 if it'd do the same thing, but if it's going to get an ugly-as-sin interface (my opinion) and lose functionality on the Blade interface, I'll stick with either Linux or Windows and make that media center pc. Granted I hate both Linux and Windows appearance, but that's fixable with a few mouse clicks and some downloading of themes


I'm still holding off though, it ain't August yet, and maybe Microsoft'll either have a change of heart or at the VERY least keep the Blade interface intact and let users swap between the two by choice.

Just don't get the idea behind changing the entire look of a system after it's been out this long either though, maybe THATS why I'm so against the idea...

 

[Kayos]

I'm still holding off though, it ain't August yet, and maybe Microsoft'll either have a change of heart or at the VERY least keep the Blade interface intact and let users swap between the two by choice.

Just don't get the idea behind changing the entire look of a system after it's been out this long either though, maybe THATS why I'm so against the idea...

They aren't going to change there mind and there's no way to switch it back to the old interface, at this time at least.

 

[shadowlusterx]

I'm sorry, but that looks really bad and looks like it's going to end up destroying Xbox360. Seriously, what the heck are they thinking.

 

[Archkronos]

This strip from Penny Arcade basically sums up all the E3 briefings. Including what Microsoft are trying to do with this dashboard update.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2008/20080716.jpg

 

[Clinton]

This layout looks better than the blades but it's a shame they couldn't come up with something more original. The avatars are flat out crap.