Soon, the Xbox 360 dashboard you know will be a thing of the past. Despite earlier beliefs that there would be a classic view available, this is not really the case. Within the next two months, the dashboard will be replaced with the New Xbox Experience. It's about time.
Let's face it, the current Xbox 360 dashboard is clunky and inefficient. It's hard to find what you're looking for, it's a pain to navigate, and updates tend to be massive undertaking for Microsoft. The New Xbox Experience has a slick design, is easier to navigate, and utilizes Microsoft's Cloud Operating System. That last bit really doesn't matter to the average gamer, but what it means is that it will now be very easy for Microsoft to makes updates and swap out elements of the dashboard without having to do a huge production. So if something is broken or if MS decides to add a blade, it will be easier to do. Hopefully that means an ever-evolving dashboard that gets better every few months.
One of the focuses of the NXE is creating easier navigation. Just futzing around for a half hour proved that it was definitely easier to find things. Want to hunt down a specific game on Marketplace? There's an alphabetical dropdown list, as well as a better sort by genres. I was able to get to things quicker without question. And once you do find a game (either on Marketplace or in your collection), you'll find some real improvements with each listing.
Let's say you're interested in Duke Nukem 3D. Once you find it on Marketplace, you'll have everything you need on the screen. You can play or buy now, check every single piece of DLC (sorted by most recent), see screens, stream a video preview, read a full description and look at the Achievement list.
The new dashboard is radically different than what you're used to with your 360. One of the more prominent changes is the removal of the old theme system. Before you get your panties in a bunch, know that your old themes will work in the new dashboard. In fact, they will work better. Version 1 themes appear as static backdrops on the dashboard. Because the dash is much more open, your theme won't be completely covered with texts and ads. Most likely you will discard your v1 themes in favor of version 2 themes once you see them in action.
Version 2 themes not only give your dash a unique background, but change just about every visual aspect. In the community section, for example, the stations where your friends' avatars stand will change to match the v2 theme. So you can imagine that a v2 Gears or Halo theme would create a very immersive look rather than just being a cool desktop image.
Okay, so the New Xbox Experience sounds good, but you still wish the old view existed. Well, it does in a way. Hitting the Guide button on your controller opens a smaller and reorganized version of the old dash. It's grey and unattractive, but it uses the old familiar sounds and has similar navigation. Its functionality, however, is different. From what we could tell, this isn't an all-in one dash option that can be used exclusively, but instead a polite wink at what we came to know over the past two years.
The guide dash has four blades, most of which are focused on helping you interact with friends and get to the next game. You can quickly monitor active downloads, check your Achievements, and scan your friends list. The best aspect of the guide dash is the ability to quick launch into a game. You can do this while in the main dashboard, while watching a movie, or while playing another game.
If you're playing Texas Hold 'em and decide instead you want to play Fable II (which is sitting in your disc drive), hit the guide button and quick launch to Fable II. You'll hope from Texas Hold 'em right into Fable II. You can quick launch into any of your XBLA games or what's in disc. This works nicely when you're waiting for friends to log in. You can do something solo, then quick launch into a game with friends when everyone is online.
Of course, the big to do with NXE is the addition of avatars. Though they look an awful lot like the competitor's brand, creating an avatar on Xbox 360 gives you a lot more options. There are a number of head shapes to choose from as well as noses, eyes, and hair styles. It's simple enough to scan through the various face parts and quickly design your avatar. And there are enough combinations -- far more than with Miis -- that you can get some good variety. It's so easy to do, we were able to make fairly accurate avatars for Presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain in about five minutes.
more here
Let's face it, the current Xbox 360 dashboard is clunky and inefficient. It's hard to find what you're looking for, it's a pain to navigate, and updates tend to be massive undertaking for Microsoft. The New Xbox Experience has a slick design, is easier to navigate, and utilizes Microsoft's Cloud Operating System. That last bit really doesn't matter to the average gamer, but what it means is that it will now be very easy for Microsoft to makes updates and swap out elements of the dashboard without having to do a huge production. So if something is broken or if MS decides to add a blade, it will be easier to do. Hopefully that means an ever-evolving dashboard that gets better every few months.
One of the focuses of the NXE is creating easier navigation. Just futzing around for a half hour proved that it was definitely easier to find things. Want to hunt down a specific game on Marketplace? There's an alphabetical dropdown list, as well as a better sort by genres. I was able to get to things quicker without question. And once you do find a game (either on Marketplace or in your collection), you'll find some real improvements with each listing.
Let's say you're interested in Duke Nukem 3D. Once you find it on Marketplace, you'll have everything you need on the screen. You can play or buy now, check every single piece of DLC (sorted by most recent), see screens, stream a video preview, read a full description and look at the Achievement list.
The new dashboard is radically different than what you're used to with your 360. One of the more prominent changes is the removal of the old theme system. Before you get your panties in a bunch, know that your old themes will work in the new dashboard. In fact, they will work better. Version 1 themes appear as static backdrops on the dashboard. Because the dash is much more open, your theme won't be completely covered with texts and ads. Most likely you will discard your v1 themes in favor of version 2 themes once you see them in action.
Version 2 themes not only give your dash a unique background, but change just about every visual aspect. In the community section, for example, the stations where your friends' avatars stand will change to match the v2 theme. So you can imagine that a v2 Gears or Halo theme would create a very immersive look rather than just being a cool desktop image.
Okay, so the New Xbox Experience sounds good, but you still wish the old view existed. Well, it does in a way. Hitting the Guide button on your controller opens a smaller and reorganized version of the old dash. It's grey and unattractive, but it uses the old familiar sounds and has similar navigation. Its functionality, however, is different. From what we could tell, this isn't an all-in one dash option that can be used exclusively, but instead a polite wink at what we came to know over the past two years.
The guide dash has four blades, most of which are focused on helping you interact with friends and get to the next game. You can quickly monitor active downloads, check your Achievements, and scan your friends list. The best aspect of the guide dash is the ability to quick launch into a game. You can do this while in the main dashboard, while watching a movie, or while playing another game.
If you're playing Texas Hold 'em and decide instead you want to play Fable II (which is sitting in your disc drive), hit the guide button and quick launch to Fable II. You'll hope from Texas Hold 'em right into Fable II. You can quick launch into any of your XBLA games or what's in disc. This works nicely when you're waiting for friends to log in. You can do something solo, then quick launch into a game with friends when everyone is online.
Of course, the big to do with NXE is the addition of avatars. Though they look an awful lot like the competitor's brand, creating an avatar on Xbox 360 gives you a lot more options. There are a number of head shapes to choose from as well as noses, eyes, and hair styles. It's simple enough to scan through the various face parts and quickly design your avatar. And there are enough combinations -- far more than with Miis -- that you can get some good variety. It's so easy to do, we were able to make fairly accurate avatars for Presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and John McCain in about five minutes.
more here