Insert Coin #2 Belated 360 Dash Upate, part 2

Hey ho, we're here again and this time we're continuing my extremely belated review of last year's xbox 360 dash update.

Last time I mentioned the fun I've had with the new codec support and how it has enriched my living room. This time, we're having a look at some of the other features that came with the latest dash update.
Obviously this isn't a comprehensive list of all the new changes, but gives an idea of what I consider to be the other important and/or cool changes, enjoy.

One of the notably immediate features is an increased speed when using the Guide button and all the friends, messages menus that are contained within etc. Now before the update, accessing the Guide was starting to get really painful, often faced with a surprising delay before responding. I was always convinced that it was a symptom of my 360 starting to show its age, I've had it for about one and a half years, and it was inevitable with the lousy reputation 360s have in terms of reliability. With the new update, accessing the guide was much faster, effectively instantaneous which is great. Now, it is possible on Windows machines to change a registry setting which is responsible for the millisecond delay between clicking on the Start Menu button, and then the menu actually appearing. Supposedly, sneaky IT people simply change this setting, and then demonstrate how much quicker the Start Menu comes up as proof that they have improved the speed of the PC. I am hoping that Microsoft have not done something as crafty as this. Although I'm sure they would not reveal how they have made the improvement, but hopefully it's not something as superficial as lowering the delay, or removing transition animations - stuff like that.

Another move which on the surface looks a little cheap trying to jump on the whole social networking bandwagon, is the Friends of Friends feature. I can be perfectly honest and say I took a quick look at some of my Live Friends' friends the first few days after the dash update, but have since not bothered. Apparently it is a work-around a limit of a maximum 100 possible Friends. Now, I have ~40, and to be honest, probably half of those should be pruned as I've befriended them back in my halo 2 days one eve, and never spoke to them/played with them again, mmm....

Another big change is the reworking of the Marketplace Blade. They've now split up the Video sections which go along with the movies which are now available, some even in HD so that's pretty cool, I am yet to purchase one, I don't know, I am always afraid I'm not getting my money's worth and with the non-tangible sensation of a digital download, that counts doubly. Included in the new marketplace is this introduction of the "twist" interface. Before the menus on marketplace with effectively a simple list, where you could scroll up/down and click through to reach lower menus, but now you can go sideways, OMG! It's not that revolutionary, but with the amount of content always increasing, it does make it a bit easier to navigate. Also incorporating the twist interface is the new Spotlight section. Again, this is quite useful, this just provides a very concise list of the new releases in each of the headings, movies, game demos, DLC content etc - I do find myself just having a quick check here if I have a spare moment it's good to see what new stuff has come out.

Speaking of which, another feature is that of "Inside Xbox". A new option on the Xbox Live Blade, thanks to moving both number of new messages and online friends onto the one option, again small changes to neaten up the interface. Now, Europe was getting screwed over compared to our American cousins as for us the Inside Xbox composed of Acey Bongos letting us know how we could spend our live points (whatever the online currency is called?!) on new Live arcade demos. America had the ability to watch streaming videos, some of which came from Major Nelson (a podcast of which I subscribe, it's pretty good actually and surprisingly neutral console-wise at times). Thankfully, that has changed over here, and I think it was around the time of the GDC that suddenly video content was being made available through Inside Xbox, including Major's Minute, which despite being tips/did-you-knows that most people already know, it's a very good start. Also, it has gone from a weekly update to pretty much a daily update - some days (like today), there's nothing there, but mostly there's something new to have a quick look at when I switch on the 360 after work.


I know, I know, this review-of-sorts is a bit late in coming, but it's here now and on the whole it is very good, some very nice changes indeed. '07 has been a very good year for the 360, there have been many contenders for Game-of-the-Year, most of which I have the please of owning, perhaps with the omission of The Orange Box (arg! don't hate me!).


Till next time folks, happy gaming, and to plagiarise the wonderful Consolevania - May you always hit a 1-UP.