Do you like the new 360 dashboard or not?
 

I have to say my initial impression was :wtf: Before it was fairly simple/nicely laid out and easy to find things. W/ the multiple menu directions and all sorts of new options it was easy to get lost. It took me awhile to figure out how to logout :o and I'm still not sure how to change themes. I guess once I play around w/ it a bit more the new one will be ok too, the fact it has a specific page of downloads associated w/ whatever game you currently have in the system is nice. I have to say though one major negative IMHO is the whole choose an avatar thing. First the fact it's mandatory is -ohbfrank- and if they are going to do such a thing they should add in non human shapes/avatars as well, I mean it's not like it really matters right?

Speaking of things that don't matter, what is the whole deal w/ the gamer points anyway? I know this has probably been discussed before, but I use my PS3 more than the 360 and I just setup a live account a couple of weeks ago so I haven't done much w/ it (the gold account is in the mail since it seems you can't really do much w/ the silver). So can you trade these things in for credits or something, or is it just something to show off?

So far its been okay. I just started it up and installed my first game (tales of vesparia) The avatar is pretty dumb imo. On the wii you had a choice in whether you wanted a mii or not but an avatar is mandatory??? Is there any way to delete them off the hard drive? I'm sure the new dashboard will take some time for me to adjust but so far not too impressed

It took me awhile to get used to it. The multiple panes are a bit much but the streamlined pop-up menu is nicer.

You change themes in My XBox. Scroll to the pane that has your avatar next to it. That pane has the option for themes.

Oh, and for folks wondering how to redeem codes like the ones for game and content downloads. Press the XBox button to bring up the new pop-up guide and scroll to the left. The last blade has the option to choose and enter codes.

I feel like it's an improvement. Something about the layout makes me feel less bombarded by ads than the last one. I'm sure it's the same amount, but it just doesn't feel as tacky. Also, the quick menu from the guide button seems nice.

Seems like more to me. I guess the majority of them are on the initial menu/slide show that looks like it can be turned off though.

I think it looks fantastic and is a much easier read. I thought the old one was great but this one is even better. Both blow the shit out of the PS3's dashboard though. Out of all 4 dashboards (old 360, PS3, and Wii) this one is by far the best in my opinion. Yeah, a couple of things seem to be in strange places but once you find them, it's no big deal (like codes and themes). It's just that you are used to them being in a certain place and they have moved. I do think it is odd to not have a dedicated window to redeem codes in the marketplace though.

As far as the Mii60's go (I coined that term by the way), I didn't think I would care for it but once I got going, I liked it. No biggie that it is mandatory. Choose a random one and move on.

I like it. Much quicker, much sleeker. A lot of good improvements.

I like it now that it works. But it is confusing, I will agree there.

I love the new layout and only have 3 gripes thus far:
- starting on the Spotlight page. I know they want you to see the ads, but I want to start on my Gamercard dammit.
- the Friends tab should be right above/below My Gamercard, as it is now you have to scroll past the Video Marketplace, and a couple others to get to them.
- Online status of friends seems to be acting funny. i.e. It shows a friend playing Gears 2, but not what mode anymore.

All for show. Mostly they are good for adding replay value to games. If you like to get the most out of your gaming dollar the vast majority of achievements have you do things in game that are off the beaten path. Things like speedruns, collecting things, and the like. More than just finishing the main game. The number values are completely arbitrary from game to game and mean nothing.

That's because the ads are gone except on the spotlight page... so there are fewer ads.

Is there any way to go back to the gamer picture I had before or do you have to use an avatar?

I like the XMB on PS3 and Miis on Wii so why wouldn't I like both of those things combined in one on 360. I still hate the ads, but at least they are all in one place and not spread all over the blades like it is a Nascar. Overall a nice interface, but as usual from MS it is someone else's ideas tweeked for their use.

Just go to gamer pic in the edit profile page........good or bad....your new avatar is there for good.....but you can still change your pic!!

P.S.
I am glad that I had a few gamer themes laying around.....it is nice to change things up a bit....

oh yea.......I am having fun with the new interface.....

:lol: rotfl :lol:

As opposed to nearly every feature in the XMB that was on the 360 a year or more prior? Nice spin.

I really like the fact that you basically have the entire original interface in the X-menu (pressing the big X button on the controller) and as such, I have no issues with the new layout. The use of the XMB or whatever people are calling it is a lot smoother than it is on the PS3 which is nice.

Considering how much the PS3 has stolen from the Wii (last second motion controls, Home as an avatar system) and 360 (Trophies, In-game external options (XMB Functions just not every single one), External music/music streaming during games), I have no qualms with the 360 doing the same thing nor would I have an issue with the Wii joining in on it.

Im warming up to it, but I didnt like it at first... Im sure I just need to get used to it more.

I like it. It may take a little while to get used to where everything is at but over all I think we are moving forward. I like the quicklaunch feature. You can jump between arcade or disc based games without going back to the dashboard.

I like it, and the Netflix, after some early probs, is amazing. I am getting HD on some shows, and the shows that are not offered in HD, I get the highest quality no prob. Set up both xbox's in the house real easy, now my kids don't have to wait for their cartoons to get here in the mail.

Well, I shrugged. I never really use the 360 interface - I just go straight to game and play.

I'm fairly impressed with Netflix as well, although the "determining video quality" part seems random. Sometimes one bar, sometimes three, sometimes four. Still, it's a nice bonus feature for no extra charge.

Too early to really tell - ask again in a couple months.

This was enough for me to give it a thumbs down. I would rather go back to the old dashboard because of it.

It's easy enough to just delete that blade. It's an option right from the start up menu.

I wasn't crazy about the new dashboard -- with the old themes, even my favorite ones looked ugly and unintuitive. Once I switched to the free Night Premium theme, I quite like it now.

Wait...how do you delete the blade? I haven't seen that option at all.

I'm using the Rock Band 2 premium theme right now...I'll probably switch between that and the Night.

Crap, maybe I was wrong. It looks like only the Welcome channel can be removed right now.

That sucks... I was kind of hoping you could trade them in for the points that let you d/l things. I guess you have to shell out money for those though :(

New + Free = :up:

Just kidding. Yeah it's nice and I like some of the new features but after all it's still more or less just a way to get to the game.

The old dashboard was getting fairly clunk with the amount of content they have out now. I was still fine moving around and finding everything easily, but I use my 360 every day.

Things I like:
- Install to Hard Drive
- Showing DLC related to the game on that game's tab in the "My XBox" section
- Party system
- Netflix
- Having more stuff available on the guide
- Deleting 0 GS games (finally got rid of all those old XBLA trials!)
- Quick Launch
- "Friends playing this game" popup
- More

It's okay. Some things are hard to find. Like yesterday I wanted to change my theme -- it's not in the same place as it was in the old system.

Netflix streaming is pretty cool, but I guess that's not really related to the dashboard.

I like the Dashboard, but I'm surprised that the blades/menus outside of the main interface looks so cheap compared to the original. But I do like the layout of everything, and should more when I get used to it.

Hit the guide button and it's right there on the first page of options, IIRC.

I like the streamlined look on the guide overlay...and the overall slickness of the interface (very zune like). HOWEVER, the friends section is slow as shit. It's easier to press the guide button, and look at the friends list from there...

On G4, they did a test of how much load-times were reduced by installing to the hard-drive, and the short answer is "not much". On GTAIV, it reduced the initial load somewhat, but the loading throughout the game was only reduced by a second here and there.

The install didn't help with texture pop-ins with MassEffect, or with it's crazy elevator load-times either. So the only real benefit will be less wear/tear to the disc-drive.

Yeah, there was a link on CAG to a site keeping track of the new load times vs. disc based times. Most were all 10 seconds or less. So hardly worth dropping money on a new drive for that reason alone.

It did say that load times between songs in multi-song sets in RB2 is much quicker now, which is cool.

If developers actually start coding for the hard drive install, you could get better in-game performance as well.

I like it as much as the new Facebook. It went from side tab simplicity to tab after tab after tab of menus. Turning party chat on and off is a pain.

I saw no real benefit in Fallout 3, and I think some load times seemed longer. However, without the drive spinning, I found I could turn the volume down. It is funny how load I had it, just to hear over the drive.

I guess I would vote :shrug:

I did not have any issues with the old style. Most of the time I would start up, go to play game and that's it. Now is seems more involved.

The avatars are nifty, but I will probably have no real use for it.
The friends thing is a non-issues, since I don't chat or play online.
Netflix is moot, since I don't have gold membership.

In all, it is a good looking upgrade, but nothing added that I was dying to see.

The only thing I like about the new one is the hard drive installs (which apparently doesn't matter) and Netflix. Other than those I hate it.

Most thing aren't in the same spot and the Mii's are useless. I really hope they don't start incorporating them into games like Rock Band.

If there was a choice to go back to the old layout I would in an instant.

Start the system, it boots to "Spotlight" press down once to "My Xbox" and it defaults to the game in the drive. Click 'A.' That's 3-4 fewer clicks than the old dash. By the same token, Guide button, left, Games library. Roughly the same as the old dash as well.

Want fewer than that? Enable "auto-boot" when you pop in a disc.

The PSP also uses the XMB for its dashboard and was released months before Microsoft even unveiled the 360. I don't get the hatred for Sony's XMB. I think it's by far the most elegant dashboard for any of the systems and also the most intuitive.

As for the new 360 dashboard, I'm going to need to spend some time getting used to it before I can judge it. I like the appearance of it more than the old interface, but I don't care for the forced avatars (though some of the premium themes look pretty cool). I'm still trying to figure out where everything is, which I couldn't spend much time doing last night because Left 4 Dead kept calling my name...