PixyJunket

Microsoft Japan recently held a small press briefing detailing some of the new features bundled into the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update. With the help of Engadget Japanese's Ittousai we've been able to pinpoint what relevant changes are in store for next Tuesday's update. The most significant addition is the reorganization of the "games" blade (pictured above), which now features the "Games Library" (in place of "Xbox Live Arcade"), in addition to the old "Achievements" and "Played Games" sections.

When opened, the Games Library is nearly identical to the current XBLA menu, with a vertically-scrolling games list and an info box appearing for the highlighted game [Famitsu image]. New, however, is a horizontal sorting menu, broken down by filters like "All Games," "Arcade," "Demos," and "Recent Downloads." (This new horizontal and vertical organization is not unlike Sony's XMB design -- Microsoft calls it "twist" navigation.)

Additional Fall Update features:

* Top level of "marketplace" has been reorganized and reduced to four categories: "Recommended Content," "What's New," "Game Store," and "Video Store" (below top level, categories will be navigated with a twist, just like the Games Library)

* "Personal Profile" added to Gamer Profile; text field allowing approx. 500-1000 characters, providing space to publish name, nationality, region, and self introduction. (Further social networking tools to accompany 'Friends of Friends' functionality)

* XBLA demos deleted from "Played Games" and Gamercard lists

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/27/36...d-by-ms-japan/

RichC2

To be blunt, all I'm really hoping for is more codecs for the video player.

movieking

The link is blocked for me at work, so any chance of xvid being true?

PixyJunket

I copied and pasted the whole thing, no mention of codecs.

They added this to the article though: Note: This feature set is by no means complete, and we should expect to see variations in and additions to the North American update, which will be made available on Dec. 4th.

Mopower

Yea a bunch of useless stuff.

PixyJunket

I like everything mentioned so far.. a personal profile, interface improvements, the ability to delete clutter from your game list (I wonder if it's anything or just XBLA demos), downloadable OG Xbox games, further backwards compatibility (posted in the other thread) and probably more to be announced. The only thing I could ask for is a native 1080p dashboard, but that's minor.

aktick

2nd...a lot of the other stuff sounds like it might be kind of nice, but nothing that will get me excited. Give me xvid and I'm one happy camper.

Michael Corvin

Awesome. Although it should allow you to remove any zero point game you don't want on there. I guess this is a start.

Canis Firebrand

Demos never should have made it to your played games or gamercard score lists to begin with.
At least they are removing them now.

PixyJunket

They are there only for XBLA games because the demos ARE the full games.. just "locked." There are some XBLA demos that will notify you that you received an achievement and if you buy the game during that session, you'll automatically keep it.

Canis Firebrand

And if you buy it, then it should go on your played games list and be counted in your gamerscore. Not before. I usually try all the demos. I don't need them clogging up my recently played games list or inflating my total possible gamerscore by 200 and total games played by 1 with each demo I try.

CKMorpheus

Here's hoping for xvid and divx support! Is there anyone we can email to request features? Maybe if enough people request it they may listen?

Michael Corvin

I've had that happen to me a couple times, and upon buying the game did not unlock the achievements. Weak. Then again, the ones you can manage in the demo are usually the easiest ones in the game and can be earned again just as easy.

xmiyux

I want a category in the marketplace that collects everything that is free. I love getting a free episode of a TV show (a couple times it has hooked me to downloading more shows) but hate trying to watch for when something free pops up.

Spiderbite

That's a great idea. I always wondered why there isn't a free section. There are some websites that list the free downloads but many of them haven't been updated in awhile.

Another for them removing unplayed/unbought games off your gamertag.

sracer

This is a wish and rumor that keeps surfacing right before each dashboard update.

The Xbox360 will NEVER support XviD and DivX... you read it here first.

KurrptSenate

I still can't imagine how DL'n OG xbox games is so appealing to people

i guess it's easy to charge a premium for laziness

dgmayor

Supposedly in a recent interview with the president of DivX, he stated that yes the fall update would have support, then quickly backpeled saying that they were in talks with Microsoft. This plus the support of DivX on the ps3..well I have to think it'll be in there, just won't be majorly talked about.

PopcornTreeCt

I want to be able to delete gamerpics and themes I downloaded!!

sracer

Yep... that too is par for the course... there's always some obtuse discussion about it by someone semi-official. Never happens though. Don't count on the fact that the PS3 has it as "proof" that it is coming to the 360. The PS3 has web browsing capabilities... the 360 still doesn't.

The thing to keep in mind is that Microsoft is all about the Marketplace, pure and simple. People find it hard to believe but the primary function of the 360 and now the Zune is to get people to the marketplace. Anything that gives owners a CHOICE other than what is on the marketplace is going to be avoided.

That means no browser and wmv (and just recently H.264) video codec support.

fumanstan

Personally, i'd still say XviD or DivX support will hit the 360. I don't think the audience that buys TV shows or movies on the Marketplace are the same that would be downloading and streaming the same thing.

That and I think Microsoft cares enough to match Sony.

CKMorpheus

I thought you can do that already?

dgmayor

Not to mention that the new stand alone media extenders support it now, and it was kind of a big deal when they were announced that they did.

sracer

That's right. And Microsoft doesn't care about those who are downloading and streaming... they only care about the Marketplace. So what is in it for Microsoft to provide XviD and DivX support on the 360? How do those formats fit in with their Marketplace goals and mission? I'm not talking wishfulness here (I too would like it to support those formats).


Why do you think that? There's a long list of features for the PS3 that WERE NOT and STILL NOT available on the 360. That tells me that Microsoft doesn't put much weight in those things.

RichC2

Folding and 2nd OS aside, whats contained on this "long list of features"?