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Reminder: Xbox 360 dashboard update is now available photo

As promised, Microsoft have delivered the new Xbox 360 dashboard update today. I turned on my console first thing this morning, and after signing in to Xbox Live, was prompted to update. Like previous updates, this was extremely quick and painless.

So far, I'm digging the new streamlined interface of the dashboard, although the changes (after playing with it for five minutes) don't seem that drastic. Of course, there's the new stalker functionality, which I have to admit, I used once just to see how it worked. Today also marks the launch of the "Xbox Originals" collection, which will let you download classics such as Halo, Crimson Skies, Fable, and Psychonauts for 1200 MS points. There's also a free Psychonauts theme and gamer pictures, so don't miss out on that ... I certainly didn't.

The last thing I noticed was the new "Games Library," which only lists games on your hard drive (arcade titles, "Xbox Originals," and demos). Aside from listing the demos (and the Xbox Originals, which didn't exist prior to the update), I'm not quite seeing how this is a huge change. You can filter the games ("All games," "Arcade," "Recently played," etc.), but all of the lists look nearly identical, since the bulk are Xbox Live Arcade titles. Not listing retail disc-based games seems odd, and a bit silly.

I haven't had a chance to mess around with anything else (new codec support, eh?), since I've got the work of the Lord to do this morning (read: I have to write about videogames). So go on, guys -- fire it up, and let us know what you find lurking between the folds of the new Xbox 360 dashboard.


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41 comments | showing # 1 to 41

Baron Calico's Avatar
Baron Calico at 12/04/2007 08:14
Word is this update was supposed to remove XBLA demos from our gamercards. Any word on that?

Also, first?

Also also, cocks.
Baron Calico's Avatar
Baron Calico at 12/04/2007 08:14
Also also also, word.
Boolean's Avatar
Boolean at 12/04/2007 08:20
So if I buy a Xbox1 game, do the developers of that game actually get a cut of that?
Paustinj's Avatar
Paustinj at 12/04/2007 08:29
Trying to support Double Fine? Good man.

I'm just looking forward to upgrading my "child" account >.>
weedgan's Avatar
weedgan at 12/04/2007 08:36
Major Nelson: So how the fuck do you play this shit?
B-Radicate's Avatar
B-Radicate at 12/04/2007 08:56
I want to DL PSychonauts, but I also want to return my Premium and upgrade to an Elite this weekend, which means the less on my hrad drive to transfer (via flash drive, no less) to my PC, the better.
Necros's Avatar
Necros at 12/04/2007 09:07
I'll be checking this out once classes end for the day.
vampireblood's Avatar
vampireblood at 12/04/2007 09:26
I would laugh my ass off if someone recoreded majors minute and put the files on bit torrent for everyone outside the US to watch.

Could happen....
Doomtrain's Avatar
Doomtrain at 12/04/2007 09:34
Presumably they get a cut. I'm sure Microsoft had to cut a deal to get them onto the service.
BFeld13's Avatar
BFeld13 at 12/04/2007 10:12
Psychonauts is my theme now.
Cheeburga's Avatar
Cheeburga at 12/04/2007 10:16
I can't wait to get home to download that theme. :D
Corncobtacular's Avatar
Corncobtacular at 12/04/2007 10:21
Supposedly there's a hell of a glitch that comes with the update
PraiseChaos's Avatar
PraiseChaos at 12/04/2007 10:30
I just checked the update out. It didn't remove demos from my gamercard. I also might be dreaming, but I think the Dashboard moves much more quickly between menus now.

I just tested a video file using DivX 5 encoding. It works.
PraiseChaos's Avatar
PraiseChaos at 12/04/2007 10:32
Tested an Xvid file too. Looks like that works too :)
Baron Calico's Avatar
Baron Calico at 12/04/2007 10:35
D'oh!

Looks like XBLA demos won't be removed from our gamertags. They will no longer be put onto our gamertags though, at least. Too bad they weren't grandfather'd in, but that's fine regardless.
Baron Calico's Avatar
Baron Calico at 12/04/2007 10:35
D'oh!

Looks like XBLA demos won't be removed from our gamertags. They will no longer be put onto our gamertags though, at least. Too bad they weren't grandfather'd in, but that's fine regardless.
Shin Oni's Avatar
Shin Oni at 12/04/2007 10:57
@Praise Chaos

yes the menu does move faster. Which is fine. I always thought something was wrong with the old slow moving dashboard.

update's pretty though.
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 12/04/2007 11:02
@ Praise:

Yup, I agree that the menus move faster, too. That's good news. I was about to come into the comments and mention that! Glad to hear the video encoding works, too.
dronkmunk's Avatar
dronkmunk at 12/04/2007 11:11
Question...can I burn a data disc with Divx files and put that in my xbox and play them that way? Not a big fan of using a router..
Rosseh's Avatar
Rosseh at 12/04/2007 11:26
Everything runs faster and a got mahself a groovy psychonauts background. Still, I'm really disappointed there's no free stuff tab, which I really wanted and we don't get Major Nelson :(

Another problem is it still won't pick up my iPod Mini as a storage device for videos. It picks it up for pictures and music but not video, what's that all about?

Do you feel that in this age where every nation is connected, corperations still want to separate us into territories? Not just with region coding for profit and such but even information comes out late on european official websites yet you can just easily type a few extra letters and go to the US site and get the news months in advance.
saxiums's Avatar
saxiums at 12/04/2007 11:32
o.0 pretty colors. i still wish they had some way to transfer movies I 'own' on my my 360 hard drive. Any one know of a move around this, or am i stuck with my spare external using a usb port?
AaronLindes Neighbor's Avatar
AaronLindes Neighbor at 12/04/2007 11:36
Has Ipod support been updated yet? After Itunes or Ipod update 7.?? the 360 would only read it as an audiobook, and my playlists stopped working.
Shin Oni's Avatar
Shin Oni at 12/04/2007 11:36
anyone waish to let me know why my 360 isn't picking up the little bit of xvid video files I have on my laptop? cause....i'd like to know just to try it out.
dronkmunk's Avatar
dronkmunk at 12/04/2007 11:52
Answer to my question: Yes
king3vbo's Avatar
king3vbo at 12/04/2007 11:56
I cant wait to try out the Xvid and Divx support
SmokeyB's Avatar
SmokeyB at 12/04/2007 12:41
@Shin Oni
You need to make sure your video files are loaded in your Media Player 11's library for them to show up on your 360.
Shin Oni's Avatar
Shin Oni at 12/04/2007 12:54
@SmokeyB
ah I see now. media player had the sharing files off. now I can be one happy fool watching stuff on the tv over the pc.
vexed alex's Avatar
vexed alex at 12/04/2007 13:45
@ Corncobtacular

"Supposedly there's a hell of a glitch that comes with the update."

I don't really think loosing your XBOX.com forum posts from switching your live I.D. is really a big deal. There's no real damage other than you may not have full XBOX.com functionality for a while. Stop being so over dramatic.
Namelessted's Avatar
Namelessted at 12/04/2007 14:34
the new update is made of sex and win
kawitchate's Avatar
kawitchate at 12/04/2007 14:49
i was hoping for another way to categorize the Live Arcade library (like into TRIAL games and FULL games eh?) but sadly, no, i just have a huge list of 100 games - they even went BACK a step and got rid of separating them by genre (at least i couldn't find it, it was late when i was playing around with it).
Orionsaint's Avatar
Orionsaint at 12/04/2007 15:04
The biggest thing I noticed was the size of Xbox originals. Fable is 3.5gb! Damn, time to buy that 120gb HDD.
BlackbeardonGuitar's Avatar
BlackbeardonGuitar at 12/04/2007 15:06
I wasn't able to get any of my bootleg videos to work yet, damn it, ah well, thats why I got a new pc screen anyways. But watching new episodes of the Office on my 360 would be rad.
BlackbeardonGuitar's Avatar
BlackbeardonGuitar at 12/04/2007 15:08
"Do you feel that in this age where every nation is connected, corperations still want to separate us into territories? Not just with region coding for profit and such but even information comes out late on european official websites yet you can just easily type a few extra letters and go to the US site and get the news months in advance."

I would assume part of that has to do with international copyright issues.
Dexter345's Avatar
Dexter345 at 12/04/2007 15:43
Free Psychonauts theme? I'm there.
Rosseh's Avatar
Rosseh at 12/04/2007 15:56
If it were to do with copyright then at least they could set up some kind of in joke acknowledging that we all know already. I just feel really segregated from the rest of the world. They have definitely been improving with simulataneous releases as of late, especially the big online games, although that's a no brainer really. You can't launch an online game 6months after another territory has got it and got bored of it.

But still, with other games you don't get to talk about the games with the rest of the world because they're already bored or lost the passion you have when you first play. Sure, you can import and chip and whatnot but you're not supposed to do it and it's kind of frustrating. Then some of the companies [Read: Nintendo] get pissy that so many people use modchips. I wonder why? This will now be referred to as the "Animal Crossing Equation."
saxiums's Avatar
saxiums at 12/04/2007 15:56
o.0 pretty colors. i still wish they had some way to transfer movies I 'own' on my my 360 hard drive. Any one know of a move around this, or am i stuck with my spare external using a usb port?
Lord_Satorious's Avatar
Lord_Satorious at 12/04/2007 17:23
You know what's sad? There will be more people downloading and playing Halo: Combat Evolved online than Crimson Skies.
bmaupin's Avatar
bmaupin at 12/04/2007 17:39
Crimson Skies?! Xbox 360 now has 100% more Wil Wheaton!
Rosseh's Avatar
Rosseh at 12/05/2007 05:06
Another problem with the update I noticed; When you load up a DivX or XviD file it prompts you with "A media update is required to play this file, please connect to live and play again." So you connect to live and download the optional media update you already have.

So the video plays and its all good right? Unfortunately as soon as you disconnect from Live the video becomes unplayable again and the same prompt appears. So you have to be connected to Live to watch DivX. What the hell is that about?
Mr FunGuns's Avatar
Mr FunGuns at 12/05/2007 16:59
It still looks the same, but it moves alot faster and smoother. Beats any other console online service out there
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