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Home Xbox Live updates

Fall Dashboard Update features announced, 360 finally getting DivX support

3:28 PM on 11.30.2007, Jordan Grim Devore 37 comments

     Xbox Live
We've all heard the rumors about what the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update might encompass, but there's no need for that anymore, as Microsoft has released a full list of features. Truth be told, much of it has already been announced, but there are some minor things that haven't been discussed yet.

First up, there's the new Xbox Originals service which will allow gamers to download select Xbox games at a rate of 1200 Microsoft Points per title. Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, Halo, Fable, Fuzion Frenzy, and Psychonauts will be the debut games for the service when it launches alongside the Fall Dashboard Update on December 4.

The Xbox Live Arcade Hits program will showcase the top XBLA releases. Best of all? These games will be reduced in price! The first 'hits' are Bankshot Billiards 2 and Lumines Live at 800 Microsoft Points each, and Marble Blast Ultra, Small Arms, and Zuma Deluxe at 400 Microsoft Points each.

Since I was unsuccessful in cramming every last update detail into four paragraphs, you'll have to hit the jump for the rest of the features. If you enjoy "obtaining" movies via the Internet, you'll be glad you did.

While not nearly as nice as a web browser, Inside Xbox, a feed that displays the latest Xbox.com news straight to your Xbox 360 dashboard, is still a step in the right direction.

It's hard to get your message across to Xbox Live randoms while conforming to your motto's character limit. Microsoft has decided to fix this by adding expanded bio's that will appear in your profile. Going one step further, the update will let you see who's on your friend's friend list.

In an attempt to beef up the Xbox 360's parental controls, there will be a "Family Timer" come December 4. Because, y'know, it's just too damn pesky to manually remove children from the videogame console.

Media enthusiasts will be thrilled to know that the update will add support for Mpeg-4 part 2 video files in AVI container. Streaming DivX and Xvid up to 1080p to your Xbox 360!? F**k yes! Forget about Xbox Originals and Inside Xbox, this is the one feature I truly care about.

Lastly, the Xbox Live dashboard interface itself is going to be re-imagined. Navigation looks to be much easier for the new game and video sections of the marketplace -- watch the above video to see for yourself.

And that's the Fall Dashboard Update in a nutshell. If you've dreamed of being a know-it-all in the field of Xbox-related updates, you can read up on every single minuscule improvement right here (thanks for the tip, Aaron).

What do y'all think? Is there anything Microsoft didn't include in the update that you've been dying to see? Clan support and IPTV anyone?


Next page: More Xbox 360 stories




king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 11/30/2007 15:32
Streaming Xvid to my Xbox = EPIC WIN
bleep's Avatar
bleep at 11/30/2007 15:50
Fill me in here, so the 360 doesn't have a browser right? so how do you find the DivX/ Xvid content to stream? I want to be able to browse to my favorite site for DivX stuff stage6 and watch all their videos through the XBox.....but it doesn't sound like this is possible yet right?
or am I missing something here...
Harkonnen's Avatar
Harkonnen at 11/30/2007 15:50
WOOOOOO DIVX!
BluDesign's Avatar
BluDesign at 11/30/2007 15:54
Xvid AVI CONTAINERS FTMFGDFMFBSEWIN!!!!!!!
Lord_Satorious's Avatar
Lord_Satorious at 11/30/2007 16:08
Marble Blast Ultra for $5? That's a buy, glad I didn't get it before, it's half price now. Don't care much about the other discounted XBLA titles. I hope other older XBLA games get marked down as well. Y'know, the ones that aren't selling quite so well as Puzzle Quest and Castlevania.

As for the downloadable original Xbox games, I already own the ones worth owning already, except Fable, but I can get a retail copy for $10, so why pay $15 for a virtual one?
ZServ's Avatar
ZServ at 11/30/2007 16:08
but lumines is already 800..
atheistium's Avatar
atheistium at 11/30/2007 16:24
Upset that clan support is still not there :/ TOID needs to be official!
tsunamikitsune's Avatar
tsunamikitsune at 11/30/2007 17:09
I didn't see anything anywhere about fixing the whole underage accounts thing and the removal of XBLA trials from the Played Games list. D:
Scrixx's Avatar
Scrixx at 11/30/2007 17:16
@tsunamikitsune it's official though :)

And to think I ever see a xmb type menu for the 360 :)

Looks awesome :)
EternalDarkWing's Avatar
EternalDarkWing at 11/30/2007 17:26
GameVideos has such a shitty flash player.

By the way, you will not be able to remove existing XBLA trials from your list. However, when the update hits, no new ones will appear anymore.
kariomart's Avatar
kariomart at 11/30/2007 17:26
Divx support. FUCKING FINALLY. Goodbye buying XBL tv show eps, hello torrent everything.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 11/30/2007 17:28
Psychonauts... can't wait to download it.
jimjo's Avatar
jimjo at 11/30/2007 17:33
clan support, where in the fuck is the clan support!?!?! and hey everybody, been along time =]
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 11/30/2007 17:49
Wow, looks like a great update! I'm pumped.
Clockwork's Avatar
Clockwork at 11/30/2007 17:49
I've been waiting for this video. Thanks man.
Joe Burling's Avatar
Joe Burling at 11/30/2007 19:25
bleep, the 360 has no browser (it could potentially be a security risk). You download or rip the divx files to your computer and stream it from there. =)

I am very excited about this dashboard update. I think the family timer is a step in the right direction. Love the divx support. Love the bio. Love the marketplace update. Like all dashboard updates, it's not a huge overhaul, just some nice additions and changes that make me happy time.
RAB's Avatar
RAB at 11/30/2007 20:10
sickest update ever. nice blatant reference to hardcorepron streaming from my 360.
woot.

anybody think microsoft could actually be working on a browser? who knows how that would work out. considering the use of an analog stick.


also, hardcore pron
RAB's Avatar
RAB at 11/30/2007 20:12
also, sarcasm
Shin Oni's Avatar
Shin Oni at 11/30/2007 20:51
great. now I can watch my anime on the freakin hdtv without having to constantly stair at the laptop screen. life's alittle better now.

Microsoft has just killed some of their business
T-y-l-e-r's Avatar
T-y-l-e-r at 11/30/2007 21:34
I heart weezer as well
bleep's Avatar
bleep at 11/30/2007 21:40
ah ok, I don't really know wtf is the deal with 360....thanks the info Buck
dr3nd4r's Avatar
dr3nd4r at 11/30/2007 21:56
DIVX Fuck Yeah, finally the epic amount of tv series, anime and assorted porn on my hard drive can have a good use.
vampireblood's Avatar
vampireblood at 12/01/2007 02:28
People who are currently unaware, you CAN watch Divx/Xvid etc files on the Xbox 360 already just not native.

What you have to do is setup a program which will allow you to transcode video files on the fly so they can play on the Xbox 360.

This requires a PC
An Xbox 360
Networking from the console to the PC
Software

There are Many different softwares out there, I use transcode 360

Its amazing at how well this works but native Divx and Xvid support is great because that means higher quality files.

And according to that video they had 1080P Divx running smoothly so I'm very much looking forward to playing around with it!

If Microsoft brought out updates like this Alot more often I'd pay for them :D
Hicksy's Avatar
Hicksy at 12/01/2007 02:43
tversity is also a program good for streaming divx movies photos and mp3 folders to your 360. and u can be runnin an old xp computer to do so.
sleepingagain's Avatar
sleepingagain at 12/01/2007 03:47
and they are adding Burnout 3, which might be my favorite racer.. EVER... and online was fun as hell.
wonky360's Avatar
wonky360 at 12/01/2007 07:59
Divx / xvid support is great, I can finally access video without converting it. My NAS drive will be much more useful now. I am surprised that this functionality is here though as divx xvid is more or less a piracy format. Not that I mind of course.
pierrerodriguez's Avatar
pierrerodriguez at 12/01/2007 08:25
would i be right to say that i won't have to convert to fucking wmv every time i want to watch a movie on 360 now?
Harkonnen's Avatar
Harkonnen at 12/01/2007 12:31
@vampireblood

You are right, that's actually what I did until now. I used TVersity. It certainly solves the problem, but streaming a transcoded thing is not really as convenient as watching it natively. For instance, if you want to fast forward, you won't be able to do it immediatly upon starting playing, and until the whole stream is transcoded, and even then you will need lotsa free disk depending on how long is the thing you're playing...

Also, my TVersity server started malfunctioning, but well, that's a completely different issue :)
iRaf 's Avatar
iRaf at 12/01/2007 12:47
why the fuck isnt clan support in there, you suck microsoft.
Zero Iscariot's Avatar
Zero Iscariot at 12/01/2007 13:05
gamespot sucks!
DGX Goggles's Avatar
DGX Goggles at 12/02/2007 13:50
All I needed to hear was Divx/Xvid support. FUCK YEAH! Though I would be a bit dissapointed by the lack of clan support if they didn't have that.
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