Microsoft released an Xbox Live update today, an overhaul with changes big and small that once again proves that Redmond has the leg up on the competition when it comes to expanding its video game/online entertainment service.
Included in this update, which goes live today, are among other things, avatar changes to facilitate integration with the upcoming Kinect motion-based controller, and new family settings that keep mature content from appearing on the dashboard. My focus, however, is the big three—the redesigned dashboard, ESPN content, and the new Xbox Live Music Channel.
The New Xbox 360 Dashboard
The first thing you'll notice about the new dashboard is its back-to-basics design. Its content rows (My Xbox, Game Marketplace, etc) are comprised of equidistant, front-facing squares instead of the overlapping squares of the current version. It's far more minimal and has an easy-on-the eyes light green-and-white color scheme, which is designed to facilitate easy access to controller-free Kinect-based games. As I cycled through different sections with the wireless controller, I could envision someone doing it by waving a hand left or right in front of the Kinect's camera.
ESPN on Xbox Live
ESPN on Xbox Live (included for free with a Gold membership) will feature more than 3,500 live and on-demand sporting events streamed from ESPN3.com. The sporting content will include everything from college football and basketball to MLB to NBA to international soccer.
But in order to enjoy this content you have to make certain that you have the right ISP; when I signed into ESPN, I was informed that I couldn't view streaming and on-demand content because my ISP wasn't affiliated with ESPN3 (there's a long list of compatible sites at on the ESPN Web site). If I were able to access ESPN3, I would've been able to dive into seven-person voice chat while watching an event, and make cash-less, friendly bets with friends with the "Predict The Winner" feature.
Still, I was able to access some ESPN content. Upon launching the service, I was greeted by an odd, arena-like environment that featured avatars looking up at monitors displaying different sporting clips. The avatars proved distracting with their subtle movements; thankfully, pressing the "A" button blew the video up to full screen, pushing them out of view. But all was not well; when I selected the one that featured the Carmello Anthony trade rumors, I was shocked by how the crisp preview image transformed into a blurry mess when the video began to play. Granted, it became tolerable after approximately 5 to 10 seconds of buffering, but the standard-def channels didn't look appealing on a big screen TV. ESPN for Xbox Live will house HD content, but I didn't come across any in my time spent with the service (they may very well be exclusive to the ESPN3 section that I couldn't access—I'm awaiting confirmation from Microsoft). Cool DVR-like on-screen controls let me pause, fast, forward, or rewind a video stream.
I'm not particularly certain that this will appeal to diehards who mostly likely have the cable channel itself, but it may prove attractive to the casual fan who wants to tune into Monday Night Baseball on occasion, or the increasing number of people who are downgrading their cable packages or outright cutting the cord.
Xbox Live Music Channel
The dashboard update brings with it the new Music Channel where music fans can stream an unlimited number of songs using Zune Pass (you can experience it using the free 14-day trial, or paying $14.99 per month, or $44.97 for 3 months). Rage Against The Machine's "Guerilla Radio" was crisp and loud, and I liked the subtle images of the band that were displayed in the background as the music played. If you already have a Zune Pass, this is a nice treat as suddenly your Xbox 360, which is a part of many people's home entertainment centers, can utilize stereo equipment to fill the home with tunes. Last.FM, featured bands, and other music-related content fill out the channel.
The Big Picture
At the time of this writing I couldn't test the dashboard update with Kinect (check back for our full Kinect review on November 4), but I'm eager to see if the much-hyped motion controls can handle menu navigation. If it can deftly recognize my hand movements and make navigation a seamless, natural experience, Microsoft may have another winning update on its hands.