A fashionable look at the new Avatar Marketplace

by Dustin Burg { Jul 24th 2009 at 2:00PM }

Seeing as we just got our mitts on the new Xbox 360 dashboard, we figured we'd share the dash love with a preview of the upcoming Avatar Marketplace. Click through the gallery to experience Avatar shopping, view the stylish pirate apparel and, if you're daring enough, take a peek after the break for a look at Avatar cotton swabbing. Yes ... cotton swabbing.

Gallery: Avatar Marketplace Preview

Tags: avatar-marketplace, avatars, dashboard-update, xbox-360

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

T @ Jul 24th 2009 2:04PM

$2 for a cotton swab accessory? Yeah...pass. I know this means the end of free Avatar gear, but I guess it was a good run while it lasted.

Snowblind @ Jul 24th 2009 2:10PM

Major Nelson has said the free gear will continue coming.
The paid stuff is mostly for game related gear, like the Halo t-shirts and these Monkey Island items.

T @ Jul 24th 2009 2:17PM

That's good to know. Hopefully they can keep the variety up...and introduce a damn color change feature.

tenor77 @ Jul 24th 2009 2:37PM

I agree that $2 is stupid, yet I oddly want it. I can just imagine playing 1v100 and being the guy in the mob with a Q-Tip.

Must....fight....urge......

Womble @ Jul 24th 2009 8:08PM

"Free" being a relative term for Gold subscribers.

Seriously, this stuff is insane. $2 for a Halo ring noone will ever see? $2 for a necklace?

And $10 to change a gamertag? Fook me.

christsbattle @ Jul 24th 2009 2:05PM

lol I like that you made a video for us just for that.

ScottG13 @ Jul 24th 2009 2:05PM

Given the tons of free stuff they've put out in the last 8 or so months, I'm ok with this. Especially if free stuff keeps getting released. Its a good balance.

phinnvr6 @ Jul 24th 2009 2:07PM

Ugh, the 360 avatars are soooooo gay looking

Snowblind @ Jul 24th 2009 2:10PM

Insecure about your sexuality much?

NaeemTHM @ Jul 24th 2009 2:17PM

@Snow

Maybe it's an orgasmic comment. Like "UGHHH IT'S SOOOOO GAY!" *shoots load*

phinnvr6 @ Jul 24th 2009 3:02PM

more like, wow this is the lamest thing i've ever seen I can't even look at them.

Tiptup300 @ Jul 24th 2009 6:28PM

It's the hips, they all look like lesbians.

The_Punisher @ Jul 24th 2009 2:07PM

I didn't want these things when they were free, why in the hell would i pay for them?

They're virtual clothes and accessories.

...

NaeemTHM @ Jul 24th 2009 2:14PM

Hey it's working for second life and Home right?

The_Punisher @ Jul 24th 2009 2:22PM

Well, for Second Life it is, but then again you can create whatever you want there.

And is it working for home? I haven't heard much on actual SALES, and besides that, Home and SL are virtual worlds. What do you do with an avatar exactly?

I've honestly yet to see the point of them.

goboColossus (LIVE, PSN - gobopop) @ Jul 24th 2009 2:30PM

Joy Ride is coming out this fall. 1vs100 is a public Avatar Showcase of sorts. There is that Avatar Golf game leak/rumor too. Right now, I think the only game with full on Avatar Integration is Keflings (Band of Bugs too, but you don't directly control your character).

I agree, this is wasted right now... But when the actual Avatar games start coming out though - and I hope they do - it will be a worthwhile investment to some.

RedSonRising @ Jul 24th 2009 2:37PM

amen to more avatar games. i love my avatar but without something to do she just sits on my dash lookin cute and cuddly. keiflings looks like an n64 game to me, very lo res, i love 1vs100 but i dont play every night. i need more games for my avatar!

Haohmaru (PSN - DimmuBurgerKing XBL - A Real Puppet ) @ Jul 24th 2009 2:40PM

Well, she doesn't give any numbers, but: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008/12/sony-home-items-selling-like-hotcakes.ars

I'll admit I bought the E. Honda fat suit for the lulz. The comments I received from the dorks and the weirdos pretending to be girls looking for cyber more than justified the couple of bucks I spent for that outfit.

Snowblind @ Jul 24th 2009 3:29PM

Yeah, I think my biggest problem at the moment is the lack of use for the avatars. 1vs100 is really the only place you can see other peoples, that alone should be pretty amusing once we have more costumes available.

Joyride should be great too, as it's free and is apparantly actually quite good.

RedSonRising @ Jul 24th 2009 6:04PM

what is this JoyRide and why havent i heard of it before?

its google time

Enkeixpress @ Jul 24th 2009 2:07PM

God damn it!

Give the new dashboard to everyone! , what have you've got to hide, Microsoft!?

I'm sick & tired of this "I'm superior to you, so I get this & you don't" rubbish!!!

goboColossus (LIVE, PSN - gobopop) @ Jul 24th 2009 2:14PM

I wish it were the case, but if they can manage to get this out to even 5-10% of Xbox LIVE users, it will alleviate the some of the guaranteed strains come actual launch day. If it means Xbox LIVE will continue to work as well as you'd expect come 08/11, I can live without it for a week or two (though I did sign up for the preview, just 'cause).

T @ Jul 24th 2009 2:15PM

It's called a Beta test. Untwist your knickers before you post next time.

goboColossus (LIVE, PSN - gobopop) @ Jul 24th 2009 2:17PM

It isn't a beta test. You don't beta test two weeks before launch. This is a clever way of organizing a slow rollout of the final build.

sony boy @ Jul 24th 2009 2:09PM

do people really buy this stuff?!?!?seriously.

oh wait...http://playstation.joystiq.com/2009/01/09/one-million-dollars-worth-of-goods-sold-in-home-so-far/ nevermind.

Robert @ Jul 24th 2009 2:11PM

Hmm, for $2 I can get a piece of virtual clothing or a community game I can actually interact with. For the price of an entire outfit I can get a fully-featured Arcade Game. I'm definitely going with the aviator goggles.

Vcize @ Jul 24th 2009 2:19PM

And that community game will last you all of 10-15 minutes before you're done with it, whereas the avatar gear could still be sitting on your avatar 2 years from now.

Don't get me wrong, I doubt I'll ever buy any avatar gear, but I can see the appeal it would have to some people. $2 to have your avatar carry around a freaking energy sword for the next 2-5 years is worth it to plenty of people.

Let's not forget, people pay more for costume packs that they can only use in individual games that they wont be playing 2 months from now already.

HazyCloud @ Jul 24th 2009 2:38PM

If I could get my avatar to sport a pair of Rock Band branded drumsticks, I'd pay 5 bucks for it and wouldn't think twice.

copa @ Jul 24th 2009 2:11PM

You know what completely kicks ass in NXE, and enhances my play experience every time I get online? The party system.

You know what was fun to dink around with for five minutes, and I have never looked at again? The avatars.

Akuma FTW @ Jul 24th 2009 2:12PM

I want a big sword. Make it so Microsoft, Engage

EagleX @ Jul 24th 2009 2:13PM

Wait,
we have to pay for game related items, like the halo t-shirt someone mentioned here?
doesnt it unlock once you finish the game/finish certain achievements?
teh suckz0rs.

Aurailious @ Jul 24th 2009 2:21PM

It'll be a combo of both. You winsome stuff, you buy others.

Nihilism98 @ Jul 24th 2009 5:39PM

You win the stuff you don't want, and buy the stuff you do.

Enkeixpress @ Jul 24th 2009 2:17PM

I just really want to take a look at those new Video Display options, they mentioned in the preview program details..

... Yes, I'm a tech geek..

Tony @ Jul 24th 2009 2:18PM

Free for me and that's it. $2 is way too much for a polygonal hat to put on an avatar and never use otherwise. $1 would be pushing it, honestly.

Thank god for companies like Twisted Pixel who let you unlock avatar clothes, gamer pics and premium themes just for buying their games.

RedSonRising @ Jul 24th 2009 2:32PM

there will be other unlockables from other companies. we already know theres an ODST dropsuit for example. if $2 is too much for you i think a $250 xbox 360 probably cracked your bank account.

Tony @ Jul 24th 2009 2:40PM

I know there are other unlockables, but the fact remains that for a long time many of these companies have been charging $2+ for what amounts to a pack of small JPGs.

I have a fine job. Money itself isn't the concern, but I'm just not about to throw my money away either.

I mean, really, four of these and I have a new XBLA game. That's ridiculous.

PedoJokerBear (aka Deeznuts) @ Jul 24th 2009 2:21PM

make me dante you bastards.

AndyS @ Jul 24th 2009 2:26PM

It would seem like the right marketing play would be to give away a lot of the game specific stuff free. Whether through achievements or just adding them for use for anybody.

That gets the game out there virally to friends on the service. When they see your avatar supporting a game, it probably means you've liked it, and maybe they get interested, too.

But I'm sure most of this stuff will be for sale. We'll see soon I suppose. I'm interested to see what 'Splosion Man has avatar wise, since that's the first game supposedly giving avatar clothing/gear for achievements.

Macedonia Mafia @ Jul 24th 2009 2:29PM

Can you remove the sphere so you can see your whole wallpaper now?

Haohmaru (PSN - DimmuBurgerKing XBL - A Real Puppet ) @ Jul 24th 2009 2:41PM

This, PLEASE. :(

RedSonRising @ Jul 24th 2009 2:29PM

could one media outlet to post the other half of the avatar marketplace? every preview ive seen previews the same stuff. what about the women's wear?

RedSonRising @ Jul 24th 2009 8:20PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93WUWFOqK5w

im so getting those pom poms @ the 3min mark

Noxat @ Jul 24th 2009 2:31PM

Whatever happened to the "micro" in microtransaction? If these things were maybe 10-50 MS points I might have bought some just to kill off some extra points laying around, but anything over a buck for a virtual dress-up item is excessive to me.

Cody @ Jul 24th 2009 4:05PM

virtual dress-up item(s) (are) excessive to me.

paperless @ Jul 24th 2009 10:05PM

Exactly what i think.

Jonathan @ Jul 24th 2009 2:32PM

are the avatar awards working in this preview?
i hope i get something spiffy for completing all those games :p

goboColossus (LIVE, PSN - gobopop) @ Jul 24th 2009 2:37PM

Microsoft needs to hurry up and explain Avatar Rewards or there will be a lot of confused people worried about why all their 100% games haven't yielded any prizes.

AFAIK, the only way an older game will produce Avatar Rewards is if the game is patched to do so (I don't know if MS is even allowing them to patch it in though without new content though). It also don't believe it is a mandatory feature for new games either.