Is The 'new Xbox Experience' Dashboard An Improvement? Options

[XanTium]

vote/discuss!

[africamagical]

it looks terrible, if i want that mii bs id get a wii

[minooch]

It looks good, but we won't know how it feels until we get our hands on it.

[orangpelupa]

look good, i hope he background is change-able.

but from the menu, you can see what "next option" but you can see the "previous option"

in blade, prev is left, next on right

[Little-G]

the dash is horrid, has microsoft been reduced to simply copying the wii?

give me the xbox1 dash anyday!

[Maturion]

I think this is an improvement. I always wanted to have a Xbox version of the Miis and now, here it comes.

[AzBat]

It looks good, but we won't know how it feels until we get our hands on it.

From the screenshots GamerScore Blog they will be. The NXE(New Xbox Experience) still supports all the dashboard themes and gamerpics. Supposedly you're not required to use the avatar.

First let me say, that I really liked the blade dashboard interface. However, it was getting bloated, cumbersome and didn't take advantage of all the screen real estate. So, it was very difficult in finding content in Marketplace and the Games Library(Live Arcade, etc). With that said I'm all for fixing those problems. So if that means replacing the blades, then so be it. Remember all the feature requests and fixes we all wanted? Remember all the rumored updates that was suppose to be in the Spring update? Can you seriously think all that could be done with the blade interface without making it worse? I don't think so.

Microsoft saw that the market was moving into a different direction than how they originally visioned the blade interface. This change is due in part to the popularity of the Wii and PS3. Believe it or not they have some influence. The amount is up for debate, but there's no denying they have an effect. I'm glad Microsoft saw that and took the initiative to revolutionize the experience.

The question is now: does the NXE succeed in fixing the problems and adding new features we want? I can't say for sure, but I think it's heading in the right direction. A lot people complain about the avatars, but personally I'm glad they're offering such a new experience. It will bring more casual gamers to the platform and that's always good. If the system stayed stagnant and was just always a hardcore platform then the system would have failed. Something had to be done to combat the unique elements of Wii(Miis, channels) and PS3(XMB, Home). I personally don't see how the NXE is a direct copy of either of those. It looks more like a progression of Media Center with a big influence from Apple TV Take 2.

What about the new features?

* Play from hard drive - I absolutely love this idea. Kudos to Microsoft for offering this! Yes, I know most complain about the need for the disc. But they had to do something to combat piracy. I do however see them improving this as time goes on. I could see them offering DRM for the disk that's associated with your GamerTag and system. That way you can transfer the license from the disc to the box. This way you no longer need the disc.

* Access to the Marketplace via the Xbox.com web site - About time! Now I can see what's available and queue up downloads remotely. Thank Sony for implementing that feature or we may not have gotten it.

* Live Party - About time too! Just chatting one-on-one cross game wasn't enough. Can't wait for this. However, it looks like it will only be voice and text. No mention on how video plays into it. I understand why they can't do 8 people video chat, but it would be cool if they offered 2 or 4.

* Live Primetime - Sounds neat. I always thought they would have something like this when PGR3 first came out with Gotham TV. Plus, remember they announced last March to bring unique original TV shows. I'm sure this channel will be used for that.

* Avatars - Like I said before, I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully I'll be able to dress my avatar as Batman. Ideas that were thrown around was that games could use achievements to unlock items for your Avatar. Also, supposedly other companies other than Rare will be able to make avatars too. There's a lot of opportunity here for cool stuff.

Finally, to all the complainers out there about the NXE. I'm sure most of you were also the ones who complained about the many failings of the blade interface too. You can't have your cake and it eat too. If you admit that things needed to be seriously fixed, then have an open mind when you first try the new update. Because after awhile you might actually realize that the change was well worth it.

Tommy McClain

[redwolf]

Any new improvement is a good thing... on the other hand... don't fix it if it aint broken

This post has been edited by redwolf: Jul 17 2008, 11:03 PM

[1nsan3]

m$ knew the wii was comming out with something along these lines so they said fuck the spring update and summer update lets try to beat nintendo to it. thats all m$ cares about is beating the competetors out of the gates. who cares how FAST you are!!!!

and this new dash...... makes the 360 seem like a childs toy... not a gamming machine. not evena media center...

once again way to bring out more junk m$!!

This post has been edited by 1nsan3: Jul 18 2008, 02:01 AM

[Jakary]

i dont really like the avatars, a gamertag is good enough for me

i dont really like the coverflow interface, it would be ok for just the marketplace, but the rest of the dashboard really doesnt need it

[ifucedurmom]

personally, from the pics it looks like a unorganized piece of crap. I mean im all for a new dash, i like change, but not this faggy wii rip off thing i look at it like this:

wii=family oriented
xbox=more serious

so wtf is ms doing with this new childish dash?

[nekrosoft13]

xbox serious?

omfg that is hilarious

[MrFish]

* Play from hard drive - I absolutely love this idea. Kudos to Microsoft for offering this! Yes, I know most complain about the need for the disc. But they had to do something to combat piracy. I do however see them improving this as time goes on. I could see them offering DRM for the disk that's associated with your GamerTag and system. That way you can transfer the license from the disc to the box. This way you no longer need the disc.

Never, ever, ever, ever going to happen.

The reason they can knock out these games at $50 is because all these disks are the same. For this kind of scheme to work the disks have to not be the same. Which means they can't be $50.


-But Bill? What about the way it works on the PC, where you get a disk and a code?
- That's retarded. The very idea of a console game with product keys is the most completely retarded thing I've heard of in my entire life. If the disk works without the code, then they've just given you two copies for the price of one. If the disk doesn't work without the code, then why bother with the disk at all? Just sell scratchcards that you can use to get the game off LIVE.

[stevey5036]

Just sell scratchcards that you can use to get the game off LIVE.

That very well could happen.

[Kallstar]

I think its an improvement without a doubt. At first when I created my Mii on the Wii, i didnt really care for the little guy. It just felt like an unnecessary step to just getting to the game... but then every now and then you have a bunch of buddies over playing that lame trivia game.. and all of a sudden you have your own little guy doing silly things on the screen, and even the cpu ends up picking a buddy you know.

SO it does add a bit more enjoyment to games. I have no doubt it will be much the same with the 360. Some people will immediately love it, few people wont really ever care, but even when you dont care its existance is not going to bother you.