So, does this open the door for a "Home" environment on the LIVE service?

I'm forced to agree with your sentiment, but I just hope that one day I'll be able to traverse the LIVE space. Just think of the possibilities! Meeting and greeting various racists and biggots, gawking at Halo Wars banners, and drinking in the Viva Pinata Cantina.

I wouldn't say Sony is being any more original, they just mashed the Mii's and The Sims together. As far as MS is concerned on this one, though... Couldn't they be a tad more original?

I don't care about the Mii ripoff thing, I'm just mad about those generic little characters in that picture. I feel Little Big Planet has it right. Don't aim that close to home (no pun in tended).

This just seems pointless to me. At least with home you can walk around a digital world but this just seems to replace the gamer pics and so has even fewer functions than miis

This is just another example of the braindead BS that subs for actual creativity. Why bother to create something new when you can copy something successful and make money off of the dumbasses that buy knockoff shit all the time.

They don't need to match the success of the Wii and be profitable because they didn't spend money on the r&d. Nintendo did that and they market tested the freaking idea for them.

Fucking Microsoft.

This is cool, I want mine shirtless with a Darth Vader helmet :)
Too bad my console was banned :(

That is so desperate and pathetic it's sad. Wow.....

WORST IDEA EVER. I didn't even like the Nintendo version of them!

Eh, it's a new feature. You don't have to use it. Personally I don't think they look as distinctive as the Miis.

I hate motion controls. Too much margin of error. When I do something, I like it to happen, I don't like there to be a *chance* that it will happen.

i am not excited by this, just give me 4 man private chat and i am a happy man. also i don't see the point of this actually, also: "reflect who you are offline".
what's the point if i can make a picture with my xbox vision cam and then show how i am offline?

Bah, I just don't get how some people are hell bent to be a supporter of one game system. It's like your whole being is tied to the success of a console company. Strange.

I for one welcome our new avatared motion-controllered Xbox overlords. Why not copy something that people like. Imagine if nobody copied Ford's idea of the car. Can you imagine the Ford fanboy's when the first Chevy drove off the assembly line, " pfft, Ford had four wheels and an engine first. Lame."

Like I was sayingm, When I play my Wii the only thing I can think of is playing those games with better graphics. I'm a graphics whore, I admit that. The smeary, grainy, non-antialiased graphics of the Wii on my HDtv just don't do it for me. Why not on Xbox or PS3?

Great, little avatars, why not? You know you are going to make one. I am. I like the whole Home idea and plan to use it on my PS3. SO, why not a Home like thing on 360?

The thing is that all this stuff has been done before. Wii-mote isn't the first motion controller out there. It is much more advanced than some of those little games that plug into the TV, but it is still the same idea. Wii isn't the first use of avatars to represent a computer/video game user. Home isn't the first use of avatars interacting with each other in a virtual space. Live isn't the first online match making system out there. Companies copy what is appealling to people.
Xbox is doing just that, and I welcome it. I personally will enjoy these new features.

I wonder how much they'll charge us for all the little bullshit items to customize your avatar. More microtransactions, yay! It can't really be a forced change, can it? I mean, if you want to keep a picture instead why not? Maybe use both? I don't really get the point of this...

don't you hate when you realize you put THERE instead of THEIR 3 milliseconds after you hit "ADD COMMENT"?

I don't mind these "avatars" as long as there's a Mr. Destructoid avatar. If not, DO NOT WANT.

NO.

“I for one welcome our new avatared motion-controllered Xbox overlords.”

ZombieSpaceLord, you instantly win a thousand internets for the Simpsons reference there. That is all.

I don't think Microsoft can handle anything that resembles an MMO, they've already canned 4 projects if not more.

@ moot button

Hurray, I get to sit idly by as the mass of society celebrate mediocrity. Can I have what's behind door number 2?

looks like a mix of mii's and hot shots golf characters. gay. also another way to get peoples money by charging for outfits, hats, skin color/race. cant wait to see the price for an African American avatar is.