Final 2007 Fall Dashboard update details and demo video

As promised, Microsoft is bringing some early gifts to your Xbox 360® just prior to the holiday season. Beginning at 0200 A.M. PST on December 4, 2007, 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, 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 eight million Xbox LIVE members worldwide (Xbox LIVE Silver and Gold) with no disc or hard drive required. If you don't have an Xbox LIVE account, you can easily sign up for the free network by connecting your console to a broadband internet connection.

[toughNAME]

you better surprise me with something, because this is looking awesomely disappointing

[Hugh Hefner]

How can you call this a dissapointment??? Read below, and this is only a partial list of what is coming.

"Xbox 360 Introduces New Features and Console Enhancements with the 2007 Fall Dashboard Update

Free system update hits connected consoles worldwide on Dec. 4; Xbox Originals, Family Timer and more available through download

As promised, Microsoft is bringing some early gifts to your Xbox 360 just prior to the holiday season. Beginning at 0200 a.m. PST on Dec. 4, 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, 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. "

[rubarb23]

serious question, does the ps3 allow you to do any of this stuff?

[Close_Second]

...can see now why it was delayed so long. You have to be kidding...this is it?!?

This really is disappointing.

[Lord Cheese]

that is the best avatar image i've ever seen. Have a bubble :O)

[projectile]

"enhanced video codec support"
Nice if divx and maby xvid was to come with the update.

edit: yeah i watched the whole thing and they have both:) only thing now i want is mkv, but that is probably never going to happen.
Also i hope the divx/xvid 5.1 sound is supported. That would really make my day! Now i dont have to buy a new computer with hdmi.

[Hugh Hefner]

1up confirmed Divx and Xvid are also supported.

[Marceles]

I can't wait to see the Xbox originals library, (mostly Psychonauts). Honestly...(and not to flame) Sony hasn't paid attention to the PS1 library that much on PSN, and I think the Xbox library available on Live will soon pass the number of PS1 games on PSN. There's only about 10 PS1 games available for download on PSN so far, but I can see Xbox adding alot of games frequently. Bring us the classics!

[SmokeyMcBear]

I can agree with you on that one.. although castlevania was a pleasant surprise, bascially japan gets all the love in that region, they get like 1-5 games a week on those updates.. dammit

yeah.. just 15 psone games on the us psn store.. i gave up counting at around 50 on the japanese psn store

[Marceles]

lol @ counting US games compared to JPN games...yeah that really sucks

[whoelse]

Yes they should definetly give out more PS1 games, but also in time, some PS2 games.

There are alot more PS1 games planned running up to xmas though.

[Noodlecup]

Lol @ gifts, how about a dashboard which doesnt freeze and the option to take out all of the dumb eye candy when switching between blades.

[Premonition]

I dont know if its just me but as some critics have been saying its kinda a pain to nav through xbox live, and it seems this just adds more to that.

EDIT: what are you getting at? So having a simple menu is a bad thing? Ive had a 360 before and trust me i rather do less searching than more searching.

[360Jamaican40GigFL]

if u ever used psn u would not complain about xbox live psn is what an online service shouldn't be

[Marceles]

It actually seems a little better to me...on Live now, all of those categories you see are broken up. You have to push a button to go to TV Shows or Movies, or Demos, then you have to push a button go to he filters that are split it up (Genres, New Arrivals, See All Videos, etc.). On the update, you just move left and right to go each separate category in the Marketplace. But now I'm wondering if they dropped the filters, and they just list everything and make you scroll all the way up and down...I guess we'll see

[Eamon]

Can you tell me whether DivX and Xvid Support allows the viewing of AVI files or not?

The video doesn't want to load for me...

[Mr Murda]

Towards the end of the video it mentions that .avi files are supported!

[Marceles]

good news, thx for saying that..i dont have audio at work

[Funky Town_TX]

since launch.

[BloodySinner]

I'm a little disappointed. All they have done is cleaned up the dashboard and made it more organized (neater as well).

[God of Gaming]

http://loadingreality.probo...

[Chris_GTR1]

wtf happend to clann support?! there was news about it just a couple days ago! damn it i guess it was all BS then!

[Salvadore]

Nice update.

[THX7168]

I don't think I want any of my "friends" knowing my actual name and location.

[ThichQuangDuck]

only thing good is divx support and i dont use divx i wish that leaked list would of been right

[360Crusader]

Sounds good to me. Any update is better then no update at all.

[eraroha]

I thought they were going to have clan support!!!. That is what I was motly looking forward to. I remember seeing screenshots of this feature. Does anyone else remember this?
If they arnt providing that a way to send mass invites would be nice.

[G_CodeMonkey]

when I can go to Gamestop and get them for cheaper, not tied to a particular console.

How about clan support? How about a web browser? How about a streaming news feed (similar to Wii channel)? How about some DETAILS about my friends, such as how many times I've played with them/what games/last & first time played them?

While I applaud the 6month updates & removing XBLA trials from gamerscore, I want more substance than putting more $$$ in M$' pockets and small tweaks to video play capability. They already get $50 from me each year plus they have advertising on the blades I pay for.. Quit nickle & diming me, its getting truly obnoxious, Bill! gCM

[Codeman420]

RSS FEED XMB ok ok its great that everyone is getting great stuff on both consoles. GRATS

[aba]

I have a ps3, but the psn is nothing to get excited about. Where the f**k is my in game xmb?

[AbyssGravelord]

You didn't read God of Gamings post look at all of the the things the fall update is bringing!

http://loadingreality.probo...