What do you want to know about the 'new Xbox experience'?

129 Comments by Justin McElroy Jul 14th 2008 6:05PM
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, E3

So, we're going to be talking to Xbox Live boss John Schappert in a few and we're just stumped about what to ask him about all the changes to Xbox Live ... OK, no, we're not actually stumped, we're professionals after all. But let it never be said that we didn't try to make you feel a part of the team.

We have some ideas of our own, but we really do want to know what's on your mind. What do you want to know, nay, need to know about Avatars, Xbox Live parties and all the rest? Oh, but act quick, we're talking to him just a bit.

Tags: e3-2008, john-schappert, xbox-live

(Page 1) Reader Comments

Benny: Jul 14th 2008; 6:08PM

I think the question on everyone's lips is: what's going to happen to all the paid-for themes and gamer pictures?

Megawaffles: Jul 14th 2008; 6:10PM

gah you beat me to it! dam taking time to write my question lol

Thatoneguy64: Jul 14th 2008; 6:14PM

The regular Dashboard isn't gone, it's still in the Guide you bring up in-game.

It's in Major Nelson's post at his site: www.majornelson.com

To quote: "Dashboard built into the new Xbox Guide. For everyone who loves the blades interface, it’s not going away; they are now built directly in to the new Xbox guide. Every feature and option is available right from the guide. You can even access your full games library at all times. No matter where you are (in dash or in game), immediately call up your games played list and directly launch a game. "

robert: Jul 14th 2008; 6:16PM

YO listen, PLEASE ask him what in game dashboard is like.

nxtiak: Jul 14th 2008; 6:18PM

The xbox themes are pretty much only backgrounds for different blades. nothing special

Benny: Jul 14th 2008; 6:21PM

Regardless of what they are, they've still been paid for by Xbox users and it's a matter of principle rather than practicality.

I must say the new bladed Xbox Guide does look pretty sweet, but I can't see it making use of themes. I could be wrong though.

007craft: Jul 14th 2008; 7:19PM

look at the top right corner of this picture right here posted on joydstiq. Your gamerpic is right there... see it? And for themes, which are actually just 4 different backgrounds, can easily be used as a background instead of they grey part, and then cycle between them on a timer.

Furthermore, your a dumbass if you purchased any gamerpics and themes, so if they did become nulified, I laugh at you sir.

Benny: Jul 14th 2008; 7:36PM

I didn't purchase any gamerpics or themes, but some people do. Why should they be ripped off? Just because you don't derive any benefit from spending money on these things it doesn't mean nobody else does.

Take your self-certified importance elsewhere.

theturtle363: Jul 14th 2008; 7:40PM

@007craft, maybe so but if YOU look at the gamerpic it's a picture of his Avatar! Why do you have to be such an ass? Some people like gamerpics and themes. I personally bought a Batman theme. Why does that make people stupid?

NATO_Duke: Jul 14th 2008; 6:09PM

Will there be a price drop in hard drives so that we can actually use the install feature and the movie downloads from netflix?

rv: Jul 14th 2008; 6:43PM

YES!

Also, will there be mkv support?

anonim1979: Jul 14th 2008; 8:11PM

COPY to DVD ISO image.
NOT install.

Installs are for PS3 ;)

Knight Marquise: Jul 14th 2008; 6:49PM

And a follow up to your lowering of the HDD prices, will they be coming out with larger HDD's we can buy.

(Both the wifes & my 120gb is full-and with optional game installs coming....wow)

Sunny: Jul 14th 2008; 6:51PM

Or could there possibly be an enclosure that will let people install their own hard drives? A man can dream, right?

Tommy: Jul 14th 2008; 7:07PM

You don't download the movies from Netflix, it is a streaming service. At least it is if it is the same thing as the netflix set top boxes.

Megawaffles: Jul 14th 2008; 6:09PM

do our themes work with this new interface? if not why dont you lower the price for charged ones saying they will be defunct otherwise

also are you going to have netflix in uk?

Esko: Jul 14th 2008; 6:09PM

Check on what kind of customization the background of the new experience will offer. that grey/silver is pretty bland. and what happens to all our current gamerpics and themes?

Lewis (GT: StoneRevolver): Jul 14th 2008; 6:09PM

Avatars are a step in the wrong direction.

NATO_Duke: Jul 14th 2008; 6:11PM

Thats not a question.

tmacairjordan87: Jul 14th 2008; 6:19PM

No it's not a question but the staff should relay that statement to him anyway.

Benny: Jul 14th 2008; 6:23PM

Yes, they're so casual that by the time FFXIII comes around, there'll be no hardcores left to play it.

OH NOEZ!

Jim Halpert DM: Jul 14th 2008; 6:10PM

What happens to the money I've spent on gamerpics and themes?
Where's "Inside Xbox"?
Are we going to to more streaming video over xbox live?

Paul: Jul 14th 2008; 6:10PM

How about wtf is up with the new dashboard, it looks beta and ugly as sin

CGamble20: Jul 14th 2008; 8:58PM

Its not bad. But why fix what wasn't broken?

RobLink (Alex Kidd incarnate): Jul 14th 2008; 6:10PM

Will avatars be mandatory?

Magnificen7: Jul 14th 2008; 6:11PM

To answer your question now, it is a mandatory update, so it sure looks like it.

NateNinja: Jul 14th 2008; 6:10PM

How bout a trophy room for all our achievements to show off to our friends?

bnookala: Jul 14th 2008; 6:11PM

Will there be microtransactions in buying clothing/accessories for your xbox live avatar?

Obie: Jul 14th 2008; 7:26PM

Oh God help us all.

100 Ms points for a pink beanie!

Casey Vincent: Jul 14th 2008; 6:11PM

Are avatars going to be limited out of the box, with microtransaction purchases to fill them out, or are they going to be freely updated?

What happens with your party if you jump into a game that doesn't know about them (if I take my party to Halo 3 or COD4 will we jump right into a lobby together)?

Are the games in the "Primetime" section free? ad supported? or full titles that you purchase like the rest of XBLA?

Autopsy15: Jul 14th 2008; 6:11PM

Ask him how unoriginal they can be before they become Nintendo.

Heh: Jul 14th 2008; 6:34PM

Don't care that people voted you down, just thought you should know I giggled slightly at your post.

GrossGreg: Jul 14th 2008; 7:29PM

I agree; my question was going to be:

Can I transfer my Mii to the Xbox and just use him as an avatar?

I kid, I kid...

Autopsy15: Jul 14th 2008; 7:43PM

I lol at the anger of the fanboys.

tmacairjordan87: Jul 14th 2008; 8:06PM

Yeah the theme for them this year wasn't originality that's for sure.

Mii knockoff with the customization level of Home's avatars? Check

Singstar knockoff? Check

Eyetoy game knockoff? Check

Hell they even took an exclusive game and are using that now too.

I was really happy with banjo nuts and bolts, gears 2, fallout 3, and the announcment of banjo 1 coming to xbla though.

Averna: Jul 14th 2008; 9:15PM

the dashboard looks like a cross between Mac's coverflow and Sony's XMB with some Miis thrown in for good measure.

The blades are great. They were original and semi-easy to use. They should have just refined the blades... they even could have sprinkled some Miis in there is they still wanted to...

Brett from Atlanta: Jul 14th 2008; 6:11PM

Is the use of these (gay) avatars mandatory to operate the dashboard, or is it an optional thing like HOME and the XMB?

Xoviet chiK: Jul 14th 2008; 7:23PM

Is the use of the term "(gay)" mandatory, or is it reserved for irreverent jackasses?

Brett from Atlanta: Jul 15th 2008; 2:33AM

You can't honestly look at those avatars and tell me they're not homosexual. No man is gonna feel even the slightest bit masculine playing dress up with a glorified virtual doll. So yes, (gay) applies here, and no, the term isn't reserved for "irreverent jackasses", rather for people who are trying describe something that is pretty homosexual as...well gay.

Assassin: Jul 14th 2008; 6:12PM

So with the live party... can you ask him how that all works? Will you be able to roll as a party and voice chat together in games - just the 1-8 of you? Meaning, if you wanted to play a game of Halo 3, 8 on 8, can you simply all join up in your own chat room and chat while you play Halo 3 without needing to press a button to talk? And once the game ends, you are still talking with your party instead of joining the in-game chat? What about separate games? Can each person be playing their own single player game while chatting?

Ryan: Jul 14th 2008; 6:12PM

as far as netflix, will it be their entire library of content or the already available view instantly garbage?

Matt: Jul 14th 2008; 6:12PM

They made it sound like they'd be adding additional content to their Mii's, err, avatars as we go on. I want to know if that's just going to be added or am I going to have to pay a fee if I get a cool new haircut.

Also one a lot of people are asking about is what happens to their pics and themes that they bought; Is the new dashboard optional?

qbix: Jul 14th 2008; 6:12PM

Ask him this:

"How do you plan on handling ads in the new interface?"

"Speaking of ads, will Gold members be able to disable them in the future?"

Jcarpio: Jul 14th 2008; 6:23PM

I keep seeing complaints about ads.. you all do know they're ads about content inside the marketplace right?

not some random "buy coke" billboard

tmacairjordan87: Jul 14th 2008; 8:08PM

That's wierd because I've seen car ads, shoe ads, and upcoming movie ads just to name a few.

Espiox: Jul 14th 2008; 6:13PM

What happens to themes and gamerpics?

Will features like HD-DVD, Live Messenger and Media Center be supported? Is anything being dropped in the next update or does everything make the transition intact?

Can we have some more, high-res screens?

Banstyle: Jul 14th 2008; 6:13PM

Ask if Avatars will replace Gamerpics.. or how will they be integrated together? Lots of people purchased Gamerpics.. it will be interesting if they become obsolete. Same with 360 Dashboard Themes.. how will those change? What will happen to the ones we bought?

ShelkartMarne: Jul 14th 2008; 6:13PM

Will we be able to *generate* costumes/etc for our avatars or will we be limited to pre-rendered stuff? If the latter, will we have to pay to get more?