Purchased themes will work with New Xbox Experience

by Randy Nelson { Jul 17th 2008 at 8:30PM }

Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has settled it. "It" being the question of whether Xbox 360 Dashboard themes downloaded (and even purchased) before the upcoming New Xbox Experience rolls out later this year will be rendered useless with the switch to a different UI. The answer's a welcome one: they'll work just fine with the new Apple TV-esque interface.

To (literally) illustrate the point, Major Nelson uploaded images of the NXE with an existing theme applied to his flickr gallery. It isn't explicitly stated in the accompanying captions, but we'd venture a guess that the background image will change as you page through the new category "frames." With this mystery solved, you can now go back to complaining about all of the things you actually wasted money on.

[Via X3F]

Tags: dashboard, e3-2008, major-nelson, New-Xbox-Experience, xbox-dashboard

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

nick @ Jul 17th 2008 8:40PM

Who cares, what i really wish i knew is if videos bought off of the market place transfer to the next gen xbox...

Arturo @ Jul 17th 2008 8:47PM

who cares?

I have no idea how much money must have been spent on themes by how many people since the 360 launched, but I'd wager that it's a good amount...

It's like when people say, "Halo? People still play this?" *face palm*

Tiptup300 @ Jul 17th 2008 9:14PM

How the hell does this look like apple tv!?

Apple TV is a big black background with buttons that have 100% opacity Glow on them. It looks god awful, this looks nothing like that!

John McPoop (PSN:johnnynumber5) @ Jul 17th 2008 9:35PM

The Apple TV interface is much better than this IMO. The problem with Apple TV is not the interface but its the device its self. The Apple TV Flash 2.2 Software adds much needed functionality to the device. I got it for an Christmas present this year and I was pretty happy with it (Apple TV that is) and then purchased the 3rd party software and that made the thing incredible. In all honesty I would suggest purchasing a Mac Mini and have that function as a much better Apple Tv even though it has no HDMi.

However, I do agree the two interfaces look nothing alike. I really do not see the comparison between the two. It reminds me more of the feature in Vista to go through the various different open Windows.

deaftly @ Jul 18th 2008 10:41AM

Its based on Aero, not fucking Apple. If it was based on Apple, MS would charged you $10 to upgrade.

Vcize @ Jul 18th 2008 11:54AM

Or you could built an HTPC for less than a Mac-mini costs and get 10x the functionality and decoding power.

BIG C @ Jul 17th 2008 8:44PM

thank you jesus. those colors would get old so fast

Oscar @ Jul 17th 2008 8:45PM

Looks schmexy!

Seriously though, looks a lot better than what I thought it would be.
Maybe it could transform some of the cheesy free themes I have which
were ruined by menu colours, and make them looks classy.

Oscar @ Jul 17th 2008 8:46PM

*sigh*...

Why did my comment format like that >_< Also look*.

Mr.ESC @ Jul 17th 2008 8:47PM

Cool.

John McPoop (PSN:johnnynumber5) @ Jul 17th 2008 8:47PM

I wonder if all of the ads will return ... The new interface is certainly more pleasing for themes but this current build shows no ads

Hala Madrid!! (Madrileno hasta la muerte!) @ Jul 17th 2008 9:02PM

Of course there will be ads. But I'm guessing that they'll be at the community and primetime sections.

Vcize @ Jul 18th 2008 12:09PM

So what is people's deal with ads on the interface? They're advertising STUFF YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THROUGH SAID INTERFACE. Most of the time it functions as a quick way to get to the content from the main menu and often lets you know about content you would have otherwise not noticed.

It's not like they're advertising for Sprite or something.

Am I the only one who actually LIKES the ads so I know when a new cool demo/trailer is out that I'd like to download if didn't see it on here? I mean, I don't like go through checking the new releases on the demo page every day to see if there's anything new up, that would get old real fast.

ces @ Jul 18th 2008 2:32AM

I believe avatars are the lamest think that could happen to adult gamers altogether. The "themes" are pretty pointless too in the new interface.

Mr.ESC @ Jul 17th 2008 8:57PM

I like the avatars and some themes are cool especially the free ones.

(No seriously the best themes so far are free)

Arttemis @ Jul 17th 2008 9:06PM

If I can disable these god awful avatars (a trait all avatars share in any console's UI), then I'd be absolutely ecstatic!

I have no attachment to the current blades system as it's entirely too cluttered, and the update's new additions (again, aside from the avatars) seem great.

Hala Madrid!! (Madrileno hasta la muerte!) @ Jul 17th 2008 9:19PM

What the hell is wrong with the avatars?
Nintendo did it, Sony is gonna do it, Why can't Microsoft?

Seriously, you guys complain for the dumbest things.

John McPoop (PSN:johnnynumber5) @ Jul 17th 2008 9:39PM

Sony is not really doing avatars like this. These avatars are more like the Miis in the Nintendo Wii. I know Home is avatar based but it is not like they will replace your gamer pic though they should because the selection is pretty sparse and you can't use a custom picture. Maybe the new PSN account setting that goes between devices will allow custom pictures.

Arttemis @ Jul 17th 2008 9:43PM

Sure, they *can*. And sure, the other companies are doing it...
But that doesn't mean it's not ridiculous.

All I asked for was the ability to disable them; that seems pretty damn sensible to me.

ces @ Jul 18th 2008 2:32AM

All I'm saying is that gamerpics are cool. The avatars are childish and the Ps3 is going to have avatars in Home, and that's something like Second Life, it has nothing to do with your gamertag! I should leave Wii out of this because the online experience is pathetic and I regret buying it. you can't even meet new people. Adding people that you know is a pain, you don't even have a nametag AND there s like 4 games online altogether.
I really Love the Netflix feature though, that is nifty as heck

AwesomeTown @ Jul 17th 2008 8:48PM

Yea, definitely looks better with a theme. Also, as much as I feel for those with themes they purchased and wondering if they will work, I don't think I would ever pay for one. It's doesn't seem right.

Benny @ Jul 17th 2008 9:10PM

Most people only purchase them because of Microsoft's lameass 2100 points packages.

No matter which XBLA games you buy there's always some points left over for a theme. Or horse armour.

AwesomeTown @ Jul 17th 2008 9:16PM

I gotcha, good point. I pretty much do that with Rock Band songs.
Still though, I'd much rather save them than pay for a theme.

KVN @ Jul 17th 2008 8:48PM

That's great but i wonder what options the have for the floor,the fonts and the channels(boy has this become a copy cat society....well i guess it's nothing new).As you can see that gears of war background really clashes with the rest of the interface.

loof @ Jul 17th 2008 8:48PM

I dunno why you keep referring to the theme as Apple TV-esque when it's clearly based on the current vista and media centers interfaces.

Nick the Hero of Canton @ Jul 17th 2008 9:24PM

It looks like a combo of the Media Center and that thing the iPod does with album art.

John McPoop (PSN:johnnynumber5) @ Jul 17th 2008 9:40PM

It certainly looks like Cover Flow and the Vista interface combined.

Jim Halpert DM @ Jul 17th 2008 8:50PM

Well you heard it...."The NXE" that's what we should call it for now on. I saw it here first.

Jody Anthony (gamertag and psn: JodyAnthony) @ Jul 17th 2008 8:50PM

i'm more interested in if every game thats already out has an icon for the disc like that lego batman one

Awesome Indeed @ Jul 17th 2008 10:50PM

I'm sure they would... that would be a pretty dumb thing to overlook. It would be one of the easier things for them to do.

Shaq-Fu @ Jul 17th 2008 8:55PM

When will Microsoft let us make our own theme? Like upload photos or change background color and whatnot

OMGOMG @ Jul 17th 2008 9:01PM

You can upload photos for your theme. Been able to since launch.

Shaq-Fu @ Jul 17th 2008 9:05PM

thanks, out to try that right now :D

trotskylite @ Jul 17th 2008 8:56PM

looks way way better than straight grey, but they need to have some way to change that floor because ugggghhh

Saria the Cat @ Jul 17th 2008 9:06PM

Looks a lot cleaner and the shots from the flickr gallery seem promising in terms of user-friendliness, which the previous schema lacks.

ThePerfectCompanion @ Jul 17th 2008 9:11PM

LOVE IT!

pakkman781 @ Jul 17th 2008 9:26PM

What about gamerpics?

J-Boogie @ Jul 17th 2008 11:41PM

You can still use them if you don't wanna use an avatar.

Benny @ Jul 17th 2008 9:44PM

I think somewhere along the line MS have said that you can continue to use your gamerpics instead of the new avatars, though they will be recommending everyone switch.

Arttemis @ Jul 17th 2008 9:44PM

Yes, those should work too (I believe in the upper right corner).

Kamizar @ Jul 17th 2008 9:52PM

And thus my old concern was resolved...

Dwag @ Jul 17th 2008 10:10PM

Can they show how gamerpics are gonna be implemented now cause everything they've shown is okay cause I'll adapt but gamerpics are important and so far they've been sidestepping it with these pics. Is there a way to change the floors colors? At least to something flashy or black,blue,red but grey I'll even take white over that or maybe even make the Theme take up the whole entire thing.