NXE – Themes 2.0 and Friends Channel Options

[Xbox-Scene]

NXE – Themes 2.0 and Friends Channel Posted by XanTium | September 26 17:51 EST | News Category: Xbox360

From the Xbox PR Blog: [QUOTE] Ahhh Themes - There's been a lot of chatter about whether or not you can keep what you have, how they will look and how the new stuff will be different. We'll be tackling all of that today so pay attention! Also in this week's Developer Diaries, we're going to show you more on the new Friends Channel - another area we got a lot of questions about after we first showed it to you at E3. This fall, themes are getting even more detailed with the New Xbox Experience. Themes will take over more than just the background of your Dashboard - they will be present on every channel in cool, dynamic ways. Yes, I said, "DYNAMIC." Check out the screens that show the Underground Theme on the Dashboard and the Friends Channel. Every graphic on each channel will tie into your theme and change if you choose a different one. You can really see this on the Friends Channel - each of your friends' Avatars will stand next to a different graphic or environment. These graphics will match the theme you choose and will change dynamically as you navigate from channel to channel. But that's not all; the themes will be subtly animated. This is some pretty cool stuff when you see it. This is what your Dashboard and Friends Channel would look like with the Signature Theme - picture the bubbles in the background moving, shrinking, growing - you get the idea. Also on the Friends Channel, you'll be able to see your friends' Avatars rally when you host a LIVE party. You can see who is online and offline by what their Avatars are doing, too. Online? Your friends will emote and be able to wave you over to jump into their party. Offline? Well, they're snoozing, of course. Finally (and many of you have asked us about this) don't worry - you can still use the themes you previously purchased with the New Xbox Experience. They'll look even better over the new UI, especially in high-definition. Below is what a current "Gears of War" theme would look like this. [/QUOTE]

[MrFish]

Is my photograph of the Heathrow Express station from the very edge of the platform going to 'subtly animate'?

I'd be very surprised.

Sorry, Microsoft, but I just can't share your enthusiasm.

[troyBORG]

I like the new themes:





I hope they have more "styles" to pick from.


I like that back alley, police thing. I hope we can buy those kinda of themed skins.

This post has been edited by troyBORG: Sep 27 2008, 03:55 AM

[Charbless]

The way people always seem to come here and moan about everything soon the name will be changed to negative-scene.

I find what MS has done is really good the old dash looked very dated and clearly people are happy with that style on the Wii so why moaning for 360 which has far better functions.

At the end of the day it's a games console if you don't want to play games then just don't bother with it the other bits are a bonus.

[MaulerX]

I think this is lookig nicer and nicer the more they show us. I'm looking forward to it.

[tom_mandory]

i REALLY dont like it

[johnnyrico]

The way people always seem to come here and moan about everything soon the name will be changed to negative-scene.

I find what MS has done is really good the old dash looked very dated and clearly people are happy with that style on the Wii so why moaning for 360 which has far better functions.

At the end of the day it's a games console if you don't want to play games then just don't bother with it the other bits are a bonus.

well, some people don't need a fancy-schmanzy wii clone, they like the way the current dash is and don't feel the need for unnecessary change, they feel Microsoft should add more functionality instead.
eg: now they're selling the chatpad for text input in Messenger or friends, why not add a browser with no access to the HDD? basically a live-running browser so all cookies and such are just temporarily stored in the ram, or just give the browser access to a single cache file on the HDD and keep it away from the rest of the drive?

or maybe FINALLY improve codec support for the media center extender?

Microsoft should have allowed people to choose between the NXE ui and the classic UI, not put the classic ui in the guide and yet again force their decisions on their costumers.

This post has been edited by johnnyrico: Sep 27 2008, 11:33 AM

[hecz]

well, some people don't need a fancy-schmanzy wii clone, they like the way the current dash is.
Microsoft should have allowed people to choose between the NXE ui and the classic UI, not put the classic ui in the guide.

I personally like it, the old one is so slow and dated. I really want to know what are they going to do with


the already downloaded gamerpics?

This post has been edited by hecz: Sep 27 2008, 11:35 AM

[eduardor2k]

I like the new dash, let's wait to see it for ourselves..

This post has been edited by eduardor2k: Sep 27 2008, 01:25 PM

[xjustsumloserx]

I dont see how they are saying old themes are going to look better when they are cutting the bottom half of the theme off.

[midnightcharger2]

Just saw the GOW over the new dash and OMG how horrendous it looks. Taking a hardcore shooting game and blending it with a kiddie style dash. There is actually no middle ground at all between the two.

Now if they designed the dash to work with the users preferences, I could see this being a very "Eye Candy" style dash. Design the dash around the theme of the users liking. Lets say the GOW theme as posted. Put in user or predefined characters and have the foreground and back ground work together, then you have something that would be more appealing.

All I can say is "thank doG" that the main function of the 360 is not to look at the dash for extended periods of time.

[bucko]

800 points for an old theme, 18000 points for a NXE theme, haha just kiding,

Ill never buy themes, I rather put the money to a game!!

Seriously, I have yet to see something visually that will blow me away in NXE, the party feature is the only thing I am excited about.

Not turning into a bashing thread but since I own a PS3 as well I'm very excited for home than NXE. I watched a video of Home today and it seriously looks amazing. And I still laugh if Sony released Home earlier (prob wont happen but lol). It's a 0.98 not far away!

[juntistik]

I dont see how they are saying old themes are going to look better when they are cutting the bottom half of the theme off.

That is exactly what first came to my mind with these screenshots. I'm glad I'm not the only one that feels the same way. It looks/would look more sleek without the "360 globe" surface.

[disrockerdude]

so if i get a theme with girls in the background, would they be animated too?

[Fyb3roptik]

why not add a browser with no access to the HDD? basically a live-running browser so all cookies and such are just temporarily stored in the ram, or just give the browser access to a single cache file on the HDD and keep it away from the rest of the drive?

You really want IE7 on the 360? Yah no thx.....