Microsoft Xbox 360 December Update Official Details Revealed

[malware]

As promised, Microsoft is bringing some early gifts to your Xbox 360 just prior to the holiday season. Beginning at 02:00 a.m. PST on December 4th, the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update will be available for all connected Xbox 360 consoles free of charge, bringing an array of new features and enhancements to the leading gaming and entertainment system. Among the key new enhancements are the previously announced Xbox Originals game download service, Family Timer parental control feature, DivX support and expanded social networking experiences. Xbox 360 owners can also look forward to enhanced navigation, profile and video features and Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits.


This free update will be digitally distributed over Xbox LIVE to the more than 8 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide (Xbox LIVE Silver and Gold) with no disc or hard drive required. Gamers without an Xbox LIVE account can easily sign up for the free network by connecting their console to a broadband internet connection. New features and enhancements include:

MORE DOWNLOAD OPTIONS:

• Xbox Originals - With this new service, announced on Nov. 13, consumers can download-to-own full original Xbox games that were previously only available at retail. The digital shelves will always be stocked with classic titles, such as "Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex" "Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge," "Halo," "Fable," "Fuzion Frenzy," "Psychonauts," and more as the catalogue grows over time, at 1200 Microsoft Points per game.
• Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits - On Xbox LIVE Arcade, the Arcade Hits program kicks off where some of the best selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games will become available at permanently reduced prices, making it easier than ever for everyone to build a library of downloadable games! The first games to become Arcade Hits will be "Bankshot Billiards 2" and "Lumines LIVE," which will be available for 800 Microsoft Points each, and "Marble Blast Ultra," "Small Arms" and "Zuma Deluxe," which will be available for 400 Microsoft Points each. With free trial downloads for every game and over 100 games to choose from, Xbox LIVE Arcade offers something for every member of the family.

NEW WAYS TO KEEP UP TO DATE AND CONNECTED:

• Inside Xbox - A new direct feed brings current news straight from Xbox.com into the Xbox LIVE Dashboard providing members an easy, predictable entry point where they can discover what's new in: game releases, events, and Xbox LIVE Marketplace offers.
• Enhanced online profile - Members interested in sharing a few more details about themselves will have the option to go beyond their motto and further personalize their profile with an expanded bio. The extended bios will be visible to "Friends Only" or the entire Xbox LIVE community.
• Expanded Friends List access - A quick and easy way for gamers to expand their personal community on Xbox LIVE, members will be able to see the Friends Lists of other Xbox LIVE members, boosting their social networking experience on the service.

ENHANCED OVERALL EXPERIENCE AND CONTROL:

• Enhanced Parental Controls - Family Timer, a strong and flexible new addition to the Xbox 360 Family Settings, enables parents to set the amount of time their Xbox 360 can be used on a per-day or per-week basis by their children or other members of the household.
• New video features - The convenience of full-screen movie previews and enhanced video codec support further expand the options when it comes to the Xbox 360 entertainment experience.
• Easy-to-use navigation features - With several noteworthy changes in the Xbox LIVE Dashboard, from the new Game Store button to the Video Store button to enhanced visuals and descriptions in the video library, Xbox LIVE members can find what they want, when they want it.

These features are just some of the new enhancements Xbox 360 owners can expect as part of the Fall Dashboard Update. On December 4th a list of all the new features and improvements will be posted at: http://www.xbox.com/live.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[UnXpectedError]

YAY! Divx support

 

[SK-1]

Man, every time I get motivated to buy a certain console, another manufacturer comes out with a better deal.

 

[Atnevon]

Yar, me maties be toasting to Divx. Me can now play me DvD-RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRs

 

[HookeyStreet]

YAY! Divx support

I 2nd that YAY!

 

[HookeyStreet]

Man, every time I get motivated to buy a certain console, another manufacturer comes out with a better deal.

Forget about the PS3, the 360 is by far the better system

 

[MilkyWay]

yeah now i can watch all my downloaded videos plus it means better quality. it also makes the ps1 downloadable games seem inferior now, well just have to see what happens on the day said that the servers will be packed and depends when its available.

really who would want a ps3 when you can have a pc and a 360

 

[F-22]

Xbox360 FTW!!! Let's see what kind of Japan-surge the 360 gets once Lost Odyssey is released!

 

[MilkyWay]

lol why do people in japan never buy the 360 its a great console and why is the ps3 starting to outsell the wii when the ps3 hasnt changed much to warrant a surge in sales?

cant wait for the update tho

 

[F-22]

From what I have gathered, the japanese are too proud to support US electronics. Even tho the iPod smashes MP3 player ever conceived in Japan, loads of japanese still buy the Sony/Toshiba knockoffs. Japanese ppl in general aren't very good at FPSs , and they don't like the fierceness of western competetiveness (and trash talkers).

 

[effmaster]

From what I have gathered, the japanese are too proud to support US electronics. Even tho the iPod smashes MP3 player ever conceived in Japan, loads of japanese still buy the Sony/Toshiba knockoffs. Japanese ppl in general aren't very good at FPSs , and they don't like the fierceness of western competetiveness (and trash talkers).

Exactly!!!

They think the 360 is a joke quite honestly and evn though the 360 has more exclusive Japanese development than before, its not going to garner much sales with only 1 or 2 good RPG's every year.

If they (Microsoft) wanted a true Japaneses company that would send them skyrocketing to greatness in Japan then they would buy Namco up when the next xbox system comes out.

 

[MilkyWay]

I think you cant just base a console on one type of game anyway xbox 360 has plenty of multi format games and exclusives, i think that US gamers are mostly the ones who trash talk because they outnumber the rest of the world so are bound to have more trash talkers. I think that Japanese people are great at FPS you know, really just depends on the individual person same for any nation really. I think that the 360 is the best console to buy because it has more exclusives and currently the 360 has at least equal sometimes better quality visuals, mostly because all the ps3 has is multi format games and are generally coded from the 360 version which is far easier to code and optimise. I dont know why people say the xbox needs a web browser because really i think that if you have the internet you generally have a pc. Why have a ps3 for doing pc stuff.

The xbox 360 has a far better online (xbox live) compared to the playstation network, id happily pay for a year for xbox live because you get good servers that mostly guarantee a person to play on any game, also get free demos that ps3 hardly gets, xbox live has bigger choice of downloads and has servers that are maintained to a good degree, also we get good dashboard updates that add a lot of new useful features.

The ps3 version of half life 2 orange box has been delayed btw just another reason not to buy a ps3. Ah, EA keep ruining games for the better!

Dashboard update should add a lot of useful features!

pride i call it stubbornness!

 

[Wile E]

Wow, It's about damn time we have divx support. But I think I'll stick to my ps3 for my media needs. I like the interface for it better.

 

[WarEagleAU]

Ok, what does Divx support oh wait...nevermind. ::HAHA::

Stupid me. I was gonna say something along the lines of HD DVD Divx playing but then I corrected myself.


About time Divx(Xvid) support come along. Some of the best looking movies are encoded in Divx(Xvd)

 

[MilkyWay]

yeah i will stick to my PC for media, but i like how i can now play my dvds on my tv now when im playing a PC game. oh it might make me try to get the media centre extender working again if there stuff for that. because i can only plug the 360 into the router it costs £50 for a wireless adapter rip off this means i can either plus it into the pc for extender, streaming media or plug it into router for xbox live.