Spring Cleaning for Xbox 360

Mathiasa · 05-26-2006, 09:04 AM

Article at IGN
Images from IGN

Spring Cleaning for Xbox 360
Microsoft updates Xbox Live in a dozen handy ways. First details and images.
by Douglass C. Perry

May 25, 2006 - Ever since the November 22, 2005 Xbox 360 launch, gamers have been exposed to Microsoft's slick, bladed interface, Xbox Live Arcade, Marketplace, and the actual gameplay functionality of Xbox Live itself. The top-down subscription network will see a big update next week when Microsoft deploys a huge new upgrade, enhancing dozens of sections to the interface to make it easier to use, faster, and more functional.

As part of Microsoft's plans to constantly grow and improve Xbox Live and the thriving economy it's created, the company will update the system twice a year, in spring and fall. Next week's deployment (Microsoft wouldn't pinpoint an exact day) will be its first big spring cleaning, which will affect three major areas of the system, Xbox Live Marketplace, Media, and general usability. In other words, based on user feedback, criticism, and input, Microsoft's 70-person development team fixed a bunch of things and made user functionality smarter and faster. The automatic update will take place when you connect to Xbox Live and takes approximately one minute to download.

In the Marketplace, gamers will now find new categories for downloads. So, if you want to differentiate a movie from a game download, it's now easier. Download sections are clearer: you'll find games, media and entertainment, demos and game videos, and themes and game pictures categories, as opposed to one section for downloads and then a confused search thereafter.

Also under the marketplace menu, you'll also find a new menu link called Active Downloads. Guess what that means? You'll be able to queue up to six different, be they movies, game demos, or themes. The download feature is niftier than that. You can have six downloads queued up and play a full retail or Xbox Live Arcade game simultaneously without interruptions or slowdown, according to Microsoft. You also can prioritize the order in which you download the items mid-stream, if you want to. Finally, if you want to play a multiplayer game, the downloads will automatically stop and pick up when you finish playing online. Nifty.

New functionality has been added to movie and game trailers, too. Once you've downloaded a flick, you can get to the actual movie one step quicker, since Microsoft eliminated a menu in the process. You can now go straight to watch the movie and control it with fast forward, review, pause, stop, and play options with the 360 or the universal remote controller. We watched the Halo 3 trailer being downloaded, played, fast-forwarded, etc. Microsoft also added bookmarking functionality to movie playback -- though that functionality is always on, requiring players to manually turn it off.

Xbox Live Arcade games will be better organized. When you go to download a game, a new header, Newly Released Downloads, enables you to see the most recently released available games. You can also search by choosing an "All" category, or by selecting Arcade Game by Genre (which is more familiar). Once a game is downloaded, you can go directly to the game to play, as Microsoft has again eliminated a step to get you to play that game faster. That's important because previously, the game was often a little hard to find once it had been downloaded.

Changes to the Media section might send little shivers of relief up your spine. Music is now seamlessly integrated into your desktop to such a degree that you can now play the music of your choice while playing a game with fiddling around. Microsoft demoed the functionality to us by using a CD with the song "Big Pimpin'" and playing Geometry Wars Evolved simultaneously. HAWT. Basically, your choice of music overrides the in-game music. You can also choose to have your music override movie or game trailer music, too.

The new update has many built-in uses for the upcoming USB Camera, due to ship this September. The first game to use the camera is the Xbox Live arcade game UNO, but Ubisoft's Rainbow Six: Vegas enables players to map their face onto an in-game character (like Neversoft first did with Tony Hawk's Underground). World Series Poker also uses the camera and several additional Xbox Live Arcade games will use the camera. Microsoft stressed other notable games will make use of the camera, though it wouldn't reveal which ones. We'll just settle on speculating that perhaps Gears of War, Mass Effect, Too Human, Forza 2, and maybe even Viva Pinata will possibly use it.

Finally, and most importantly, Microsoft fixed the start-up functionality. Now, if you have left a disc in the system and boot it up, there's an option to go straight to the main desktop, as opposed to automatically (and frustratingly) launching the inserted game. You won't have to stop the game, and then switch to the desktop.

Next week's spring update is filled with dozens more additions, such as the ability to see the battery charge level of a backward compatible game on the Guide blade, easier to find themes, and more.

**SLaYeR** · 05-26-2006, 10:39 AM

thank god, yet another reason why i choose microsoft over sony, they listen to what the customers want.....

Tv x GriM · 05-26-2006, 10:40 AM

only hit ctrl + c
and ctrl + v
lmao

Mathiasa · 05-26-2006, 10:52 AM

Fo sho!

Tv x GriM · 05-26-2006, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeOneAndOnly

Fo sho!

lmao! well it was worth doing it, will help a lot of people!

Pantera House · 05-26-2006, 10:55 AM

yea, i hate when i turn my 360 on and i want to go to the dashboard...but it loads the game i have in, this is awesome

transmitable25 · 05-31-2006, 06:41 PM

sweet...anyone know exactly what day??

PAINTBALL CRAKA · 05-31-2006, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slayer7979

thank god, yet another reason why i choose microsoft over sony, they listen to what the customers want.....

no way, sony rapes everything
thats why when PS3 comes out, bill gates is gunna kill himself, cause he knows he can't compete

KilLer Bk · 05-31-2006, 07:44 PM

No offense but i dont have the attention spand to read that.

Pantera House · 05-31-2006, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAINTBALL CRAKA

no way, sony rapes everything
thats why when PS3 comes out, bill gates is gunna kill himself, cause he knows he can't compete

Halo3 + Resident Evil 5 > anything ps3 has to offer....period

05-26-2006, 09:04 AM	#1 (permalink)
Mathiasa GV Elder Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Internet Posts: 4,566 DeOneAndOnly	Spring Cleaning for Xbox 360 - 05-26-2006, 09:04 AM Article at IGN Images from IGN Spring Cleaning for Xbox 360 Microsoft updates Xbox Live in a dozen handy ways. First details and images. by Douglass C. Perry May 25, 2006 - Ever since the November 22, 2005 Xbox 360 launch, gamers have been exposed to Microsoft's slick, bladed interface, Xbox Live Arcade, Marketplace, and the actual gameplay functionality of Xbox Live itself. The top-down subscription network will see a big update next week when Microsoft deploys a huge new upgrade, enhancing dozens of sections to the interface to make it easier to use, faster, and more functional. As part of Microsoft's plans to constantly grow and improve Xbox Live and the thriving economy it's created, the company will update the system twice a year, in spring and fall. Next week's deployment (Microsoft wouldn't pinpoint an exact day) will be its first big spring cleaning, which will affect three major areas of the system, Xbox Live Marketplace, Media, and general usability. In other words, based on user feedback, criticism, and input, Microsoft's 70-person development team fixed a bunch of things and made user functionality smarter and faster. The automatic update will take place when you connect to Xbox Live and takes approximately one minute to download. In the Marketplace, gamers will now find new categories for downloads. So, if you want to differentiate a movie from a game download, it's now easier. Download sections are clearer: you'll find games, media and entertainment, demos and game videos, and themes and game pictures categories, as opposed to one section for downloads and then a confused search thereafter. Also under the marketplace menu, you'll also find a new menu link called Active Downloads. Guess what that means? You'll be able to queue up to six different, be they movies, game demos, or themes. The download feature is niftier than that. You can have six downloads queued up and play a full retail or Xbox Live Arcade game simultaneously without interruptions or slowdown, according to Microsoft. You also can prioritize the order in which you download the items mid-stream, if you want to. Finally, if you want to play a multiplayer game, the downloads will automatically stop and pick up when you finish playing online. Nifty. New functionality has been added to movie and game trailers, too. Once you've downloaded a flick, you can get to the actual movie one step quicker, since Microsoft eliminated a menu in the process. You can now go straight to watch the movie and control it with fast forward, review, pause, stop, and play options with the 360 or the universal remote controller. We watched the Halo 3 trailer being downloaded, played, fast-forwarded, etc. Microsoft also added bookmarking functionality to movie playback -- though that functionality is always on, requiring players to manually turn it off. Xbox Live Arcade games will be better organized. When you go to download a game, a new header, Newly Released Downloads, enables you to see the most recently released available games. You can also search by choosing an "All" category, or by selecting Arcade Game by Genre (which is more familiar). Once a game is downloaded, you can go directly to the game to play, as Microsoft has again eliminated a step to get you to play that game faster. That's important because previously, the game was often a little hard to find once it had been downloaded. Changes to the Media section might send little shivers of relief up your spine. Music is now seamlessly integrated into your desktop to such a degree that you can now play the music of your choice while playing a game with fiddling around. Microsoft demoed the functionality to us by using a CD with the song "Big Pimpin'" and playing Geometry Wars Evolved simultaneously. HAWT. Basically, your choice of music overrides the in-game music. You can also choose to have your music override movie or game trailer music, too. The new update has many built-in uses for the upcoming USB Camera, due to ship this September. The first game to use the camera is the Xbox Live arcade game UNO, but Ubisoft's Rainbow Six: Vegas enables players to map their face onto an in-game character (like Neversoft first did with Tony Hawk's Underground). World Series Poker also uses the camera and several additional Xbox Live Arcade games will use the camera. Microsoft stressed other notable games will make use of the camera, though it wouldn't reveal which ones. We'll just settle on speculating that perhaps Gears of War, Mass Effect, Too Human, Forza 2, and maybe even Viva Pinata will possibly use it. Finally, and most importantly, Microsoft fixed the start-up functionality. Now, if you have left a disc in the system and boot it up, there's an option to go straight to the main desktop, as opposed to automatically (and frustratingly) launching the inserted game. You won't have to stop the game, and then switch to the desktop. Next week's spring update is filled with dozens more additions, such as the ability to see the battery charge level of a backward compatible game on the Guide blade, easier to find themes, and more. __________________ The "Lets Drop It" Thread

05-26-2006, 10:39 AM	#2 (permalink)
SLaYeR Administrator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Manchester, England Posts: 5,535 I SAS I SLaYeR	thank god, yet another reason why i choose microsoft over sony, they listen to what the customers want..... __________________ GT: I SAS I SLaYeR - Let me know you're from GV or i wont accept.....

05-26-2006, 10:40 AM	#3 (permalink)
Tv x GriM GV Elder Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: in your mum. Posts: 2,379 ITNE JordaNo	only hit ctrl + c and ctrl + v lmao __________________

05-26-2006, 10:52 AM	#4 (permalink)
Mathiasa GV Elder Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Internet Posts: 4,566 DeOneAndOnly	Fo sho! __________________ The "Lets Drop It" Thread

05-26-2006, 10:55 AM	#6 (permalink)
Pantera House GV Elder Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ont, Canada Posts: 2,959 PANTERA HOUSE	yea, i hate when i turn my 360 on and i want to go to the dashboard...but it loads the game i have in, this is awesome __________________

05-31-2006, 06:41 PM	#7 (permalink)
transmitable25 GV Elder Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,522 transmitable25	sweet...anyone know exactly what day??

05-31-2006, 07:44 PM	#9 (permalink)
KilLer Bk GV Regular - Level 7 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: In a house Posts: 187 killer Bk	No offense but i dont have the attention spand to read that. __________________ Made by mee

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