QJ Quick Impressions: Xbox 360 Spring Update |
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Well most of of our readers with an Xbox 360 know that the Spring Dashboard Update was released earlier today and after having a little bit of time to fool around with everything, I'm going to be giving you my impressions on the update as well as talk about a few features that Microsoft really needs to put into the 360. The update includes 125 new features that go between the main "Background Downloading" feature to smaller known features as Showing “Last Played Game” selection in Xbox Live Arcade first before enumerating all games (when Arcade game was last game played).
It truly is a wonder why some of these new features weren't already implemented into the 360 when it launched in November, but at least Microsoft is starting to add the functions to their infamous BOX. Downloading demos and game trailers (especially during E3) have always been such a chore to do as once you started a download you couldn't navigate the menus, play games or even accept a chat request until the download was done - unless you wanted to cancel it. On that note, being able to download content from the Marketplace while doing anything and everything except playing a multiplayer game over Xbox Live is now possible thanks to the free update, and what a great feature it is. With the Download manager you now have a queue with up to six pieces of content that downloads in the background.
Another big feature included is the ability for the Xbox 360 to recognise the upcoming Xbox Live Vision Camera when it is released later this year. It looks as though right now only the Vision camera will work with the 360 as I tried to connect the EyeToy for PS2 and a normal PC webcam to the 360 "just to check" if they would be compatible since they both connect via USB. Just in case you haven't guessed yet they don't work, but it was worth a shot.
A lot of the other improvements included in the update deal with system issues involving the DVD and Music players, Localization, The Memory Area and many more miscellaneous fixes. Two of the new audio features included are the ability to switch between games and dashboard without the custom soundtrack being cut off and the fact that custom music now pauses, instead of stopping, when games override the background music. This is the feature that I will use the most out of all of the improvements because I love to listen to my own albums when playing over Xbox Live Arcade and now I don't have to get my music back up because of the systems settings.
While the update helps with a lot of the issues that was holding the 360 down, there are a few additions that don't seem to help, and some that are nowhere in sight. The way the Marketplace was remodeled is a little different and takes a few seconds longer as there are many more options to sift through just to see if there are any new downloads available. Another one of the features: "Personal gamer pictures allowed as Gamer tiles – displayed only to those on your Friends List" doesn't really seem to be "personal" pictures, but just selecting a different gamer picture from the same list to display "only to your friends."
Overall this is a great "First" step from Microsoft for the 360 and hopefully they will keep with their word and give us a major update twice a year. One of the future improvements I hope Microsoft deals with is the private chat system that just allows you to talk to one person at a time outside of a multiplayer game. Instead of having to switch channels I think they should replace "channel 4" with a chat room option where everyone could have many of their friends in one room without having to play the same game together. That is my personal pick for future improvements in the updates; if you have any go ahead and share them by commenting below.
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Comments
Cool! Where do I Update? I have an XBox 360 Premium with the latest edition (4th Shipment) and I have Gold Membership with 12 Months Xbox Live. I'm New to Xbox Live since I got this from my 21st Birthday (April) and I don't know anything about the Spring Update.
major nelson said that the first thing people are gunna do is rush and see if any usb camera works. i guess he was right
Pinoy you will be directed when you first turn on your console connected to live and to MVP I actually tryed connected them when I first downloaded UNO when it came out and earlier today as well with the update hehe
How come in his screenshot (the first one) theirs a kameo ad? I've never seen anything in that bar accept the XBL logo.
i would definately have more than one person allowed per channel. i dont know why they didnt have this from the beginning. i like the idea of the 4th channel being just a huge chat room for X amount of people, but i think each channel should support at least up to 4 people. 3 even would be nice. also, id like to see the option of when you put a cd in the tray and close it, it doesnt auto-boot the game. For all those OCD people like me lol. Would also like for it to be able to detect external hard drives
to El, for me there is usually a bunch of idfferent ads from that one you see on my screen there to the pgr3 downloads to Brett, glad it's not just my group of friends that want more than one person chats and although there is nothing to do about putting a game in after booting you can change the options for start up with the disc although you probably know that. I'm glad to see your ideas for improvement and hopefully Microsoft will check into it as well
Showing “Last Played Game” selection in Xbox Live Arcade first before enumerating all games (when Arcade game was last game played). this doesn't work. it still creates a list before showing the last played title.
It baffles me that more than 1 on 1 chat wasn't included from the start, but 6 months later? This is ridiculous. What could possibly be so hard about it? And I'm sure there's wayyy more people who would want that over booting to the dash when a disc is in the tray (seriously, wtf is so hard about pressing the disc eject button instead of the power button to turn it on?)
i think there should be an option to disable the sign in to xbox live straight away so you can set your status ie off line etc, at times you just want to be left alone without upsetting or gamers feelings.
The personal pictures thing is of no use now but in the future it will allow you to take a pic of yourself which only your friends can see so no kids get exposed to my ugly mug!
Is there a way to download this update to a PC then put it on a CD? It looks like so far you need XBOX live.
For all those that want multichat... On a Major Nelson interview with the Dashboard guys, he addressed this. At the time they said there wasn't a way of doing it. They do point to point, and it eats up a lot of bandwidth, so adding another person would degrade performance too much. Hopefully they find a way of resolving this in the future though... even if it cuts out for multiplayer games like background downloading.
I think multichat would be a very good improvement, also there is no option to prevent the console of booting the game once it is already running, but there is now an option to go straight to the dashboard instead of loading the game once it is first powered on if the CD is already in the console. The top thing I would like to see added is a web browser & yes I have thought of the potential of getting viruses, but Microsoft can create a browser that is specific for the 360.
What´s up with the Update and the Firmware Exploit? Any kind of experience?
Why would anyone put the Burger King Guy on there Backround. That guy is scary man. Although the Little Note "Where is your God Now" is hilarious. O yea and the update is ok. But i would rather download and play multiplayer games at the same time. Well cant get everything u want.
Ummm you can turn auto sign in off. You always could lol.
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