Xbox 360 users were hit with a mandatory update to live today. It’s an upgrade for the New Xbox experience and most likely why Live was down for a night about a month ago. So, what’s new about it?
Avatar Marketplace: For everyone who thought they were running out of ways to spend their money here is the avatar marketplace. Now you can buy clothes and props for your avatar to wear and interact with. This gets a big fat no thanks.
Games on Demand: The idea of having older 360 games that are Platinum hits available for instant download through Live is great. The prices for the games are not. There is no retailer getting a cut of this, so why are the games at the same price or a higher price than they are in stores? I’m not going to spend $30 on Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga or Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion if I can buy Star Wars for $20 or Oblivion’s Game of the Year Edition for $28 on Amazon.com. Not all of the downloadable titles are terrible priced, but do some research before you buy.
User Ratings: This is a great addition. Along with a Top Rated section for downloads this should ensure that the cream of Xbox Lives crop rises to the top. Only time will tell how much it will actually help though.
Party Improvements: If you lose the connection to your party you will be instantly reconnected now. This is something a lot of people have been hoping for since this interface was released.
Netflix Browsing: No longer will you be forced to find a movie on your computer at Netflix.com before it can become a part of your instant queue. Xbox Live browsing is here, with a tab for ‘movies you’ll love’, if you’re a Netflix subscriber this will most likely be your favorite of the new additions.
Netflix Parties: I originally thought watching a movie with someone over the internet was a bad idea, but the more I thought about it the more I think it has its purposes. If there was ever a time you wanted to show someone a specific scene in a movie or TV show, but weren’t able to be in the same room as them this is perfect. You’ll know you’re both watching the exact same scene at the same time making it a lot easier.
Those are the main additions to the Xbox Live experience. If you want to see a page listing all of the changes, including the smaller details, head over here.
