Major Xbox Live update coming soon [update 1]
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ May 1st 2006 at 12:55PM }
Tomorrow, Xbox Live, Xbox.com, and the Xbox forums will be offline (from 5:00 am – 6:00 pm ET). Microsoft
is using the down time to install a major update, which is likely to support plans to feature E3 coverage on
Xbox Live. As Microsoft gears up to test the limits of its digital distribution service, the internet is erupting
with speculation as to which features could be added.The obvious new addition would be the ability to download (all of those E3 clips) in the background. And while there are a host of other 'wish list' features that could also be integrated, reports suggest that the update will not affect the Xbox 360 dashboard.
[Update: ruled out "Tsunami" as codename (used for Xbox Live 3.0 update) and revised possible features.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brandon @ May 1st 2006 1:02PM
Major Nelson said there wouldnt be an update, so either this is wrong or he is a liar?
MaX PL and the 360 r4pe Tr4iN @ May 1st 2006 1:10PM
Major Nelson did say there is an update.
Jim @ May 1st 2006 1:12PM
I hope this involves adding a more organized interface for the marketplace.
Jon @ May 1st 2006 1:13PM
I don't really see anything special about those rumors. Is it just me?
Voicemail, text, clan support, stats...we already have that...
Sloopydrew @ May 1st 2006 1:17PM
Downloading in the background is essential, as is faster downloads. Don't we already have voicemail? I use the "add voice" to messages all the time. What I'd like to see added is the ability to send text messages from your computer to people on the Xbox Live, and vice-versa. And maybe some of those patches that keep being promised. Those would help.
Mattias @ May 1st 2006 1:19PM
Major Nelson did say there's an update planned for tuesday, just not a dashboard upgrade. The update is made to the xbox live service and xbox.com, not the dashboard.
jmel @ May 1st 2006 1:20PM
You guys are a bit out of touch with your news here.
You do realize that most of what you "speculated" upon, already exists?
Not to mention "Tsunami" was back in 2004?
http://xbox.ign.com/articles/508/508307p1.html
Good lord, you guys need some help in your news dept.
jaemz @ May 1st 2006 1:21PM
Background downloading, even if it is only while watching DVDs or playing XBLArcade titles/using the dashboard is much needed.
I think we will see streaming video added for the E3 event.
Tucker @ May 1st 2006 1:27PM
I'd also like to see music selections remain persistent throughout - even if they add a "switch to in-game music now?" reminder or something. It's kind of a pain to be listening to music in dashboard, then switch over for a cheeky game of Geometry Wars only to have to go back in and re-select music, and then do it AGAIN when I quit the game.
I know it's nit-picky, but having persistent voice chat kind of spoils us and makes us want everything to be persistent, regardless of game or location in the dashboard.
Dan @ May 1st 2006 1:27PM
this is a quote from Major Nelson from the xbox.com forums.
"On Tuesday May 2th from 0200-1500 PT Xbox Live, Xbox.com and the forums will be offline for maintenance.
During this time, Xbox.com, the forums and Xbox Live will not be accessible.
Click this link to find out what time the maintenance will begin in your time zone
Thanks for your patience
Major Nelson"
JimmyHACK @ May 1st 2006 1:30PM
Maybe a $50 rebate page will be added so it will be free online to play like it should be :)
Brandon @ May 1st 2006 1:34PM
He said in his most recent podcast there would be no update, also whether he is a "fruit" or not is irrelevent, go back to mississippi.
Stevie @ May 1st 2006 1:36PM
If it really is a "major" update, I'm hoping for an option to switch the annoying Dashboard sounds off, and possibly a faster and seamless in-game Xbox Guide interface.
Sloopydrew @ May 1st 2006 1:37PM
Major Nelson is like Microsoft's Mario. Only not quite as real. I stopped visiting his page a few months ago, once and for all. His info. is usually bad, and despite what he says, he's nothing but a glorified mouthpiece for Microsoft. Is there something less than a grain of salt I can take what he says with?
I hope there are some great new updates for Xbox Live (streaming video, as a poster mentioned above, is another feature I've been hoping for). Maybe they'll let us use pictures of ourselves as our gamerpic.
This is a one in a million, but wouldn't it be great if we could finally start buying and selling user created content with MS Points, as promised at last year's E3? Here's to hoping!
dubz @ May 1st 2006 1:38PM
I really would like it if they allowed voice chat with more than one person at a time.
ChronoZaga @ May 1st 2006 1:47PM
I bet they're working on disallowing the DVD-ROM firmware hacking, too.
Intangible 360 @ May 1st 2006 1:50PM
There is an update, but there is not a dashboard update! Major Nelson gives accurate views and opinions but idiots twist and misunderstand what he says and then get angry when there twisted interpretation of what MN said would happen, doesn't happen.
I repeat there is an update, but it is not a dashboard update!
Jeremy Wright @ May 1st 2006 1:50PM
I'd be happy with just background downloading. I want to be able to select a bit to download, go play some game for 3 hours and then be able to come back to the downloaded piece of data.
I hate having to leave the 360 on all night just to grab the Tiger Woods demo. Even if the system just used 24Kb of data, it'd still be better than what it is now.
#10: Right, we'll see who else does a free "Live killer" and for how long the "free" lasts.
#14: You can do this already... I've never set one up, but I've been in chats with 4 people (though 2 were Softies, so it could have been some new feature, I'm not sure).
Jason Cross @ May 1st 2006 1:55PM
I'm pretty sure MSN/Live Messenger integration is already in there, as are alerts. I have an Xbox Live tab on my MSN Messenger that shows who is logged in and what they're playing and so on. Maybe an expansion of the alerts?
HaloFans @ May 1st 2006 2:02PM
There is no DASHBOARD update as stated in MajorNelson's blog cast.
There is an update for Xbox.com though.
Isurus (at work) @ May 1st 2006 2:11PM
My guess is that they are going to be testing the servers that will hold the content for E3 and getting content ready for upload, so that is why everything is going to be shut down for up to 24 hours. Major Nelson already said in his podcast that a dashboard update will NOT be included in this update, which I'm guessing means there will be no added functionality to the 360 just yet (i.e. no background downloads, etc. with this update).
mgs0lid @ May 1st 2006 2:21PM
ok it says possible to that content
Other possible features include:
dsub @ May 1st 2006 2:32PM
umm. you already can retain saved games when you delete a profile. In fact, it asks you what you want to do with the saved games when you delete a profile. I'm pretty sure this was a fix in an earlier update. I'd like to see some cool stuff like the ability to swap game saves over XBOX live! with your friends. Like say I create a team in Madden, or a Car in NFSMW, or a map in FarCry insticts...to be able to send/recieve that stuff to/from friends online.
Joe Smith @ May 1st 2006 3:31PM
Not called Tsunami -- that was the first update to Live on the first Xbox back in 2002 or so.
Jouten Za @ May 1st 2006 5:17PM
"...whether he is a "fruit" or not is irrelevent, go back to mississippi..."
Exactly Brandon. I was wondering what that had to do with this blog entry.
Daveoc64 @ May 1st 2006 5:34PM
Tsunami was released in the Summer of 2004.
It's signifant features were the ability to send/recieve user created content, clan support and messaging within games/with invites in the dashboard.
Those features however, were still dependent on games to implement them.
Isurus @ May 1st 2006 6:53PM
Hey, you guys may want to update this again. According to Major Nelson's blog, this is for MAINTANENCE only. No upgrades coming with this downtime.
http://www.majornelson.com/archive/2006/05/01/Xbox-Live-Xbox-forums-and-Xbox-dot-com-maintenance.aspx
Dirk Dorkelson @ May 1st 2006 7:17PM
"Major Nelson also sounds like a fruit..."
Hey, let's keep the hate speech on Joystiq to a minimum, i.e., zero.