Free Your Avatar feature coming to Live

By Ellie Gibson Published 12 February, 2009

Create your own ecards, try on new hats.

Microsoft has launched a new feature that allows you to create customised images starring your very own Xbox Live avatar.

Using the Free Your Avatar tool, you can choose from a range of backdrops and props such as birthday scenes, party hats and balloons. A special range of romantically-themed stuff is currently available for obvious topical reasons.

Plus you can upload your own backdrops and stick your avatar in front of the Eiffel tower, say, or on Catford Island. You can also "insert your avatars into your favourite movie scene", perhaps one starring Tera Patrick.

Once you've created your image, you can send it as an ecard. It's The Future, you know.

You can start mucking about with Free Your Avatar right now via Xbox Live, or over at Xbox.com.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Xerx3s #1 3 years ago

    /claws eyes out

  • kangarootoo #2 3 years ago

    /lost for words

  • syphaa #3 3 years ago

    Nice Tera Patrick ref'. :)

  • kangarootoo #4 3 years ago

    So I took a beach scene, and stuck me in the middle of it, and then I added a discoball 'cos I'm mad like that, and then I added a surf board and a guitar because they both show how cool I am am. And then I wrote the word COCK in the air because I could. It was a total blast!*




    *No, it wasn't.

  • LazyDan #5 3 years ago

    Unless these avatars start integrating with flagship games or they make some kind of MMO/Second Life area that isn't as gash as Home, they're not going to take off like Miis did. It works for Nintendo as the style of Miis integrates nicely with games like Wii Sport and Mario Kart (they could've even done Brawl really.) However I can't see my MS Avatar fitting well within Halo or Gears of War.

    Sort it out MS, avatars have a lot more potential than sodding spammy eCards.

  • BBIAJ #6 3 years ago

    Ummm... yeah.

    This is OLD news, and I mean extremely old!

    Major Nelson blogged this on the 15th December last year!

    http://ma jornelson.com/search.aspx?q=Fre...

  • kangarootoo #7 3 years ago

    "they're not going to take off like Miis did"

    Did Miis ever really "take off"? They always just struck me as being.... there. And I'm not sure what the impact would be, if they simply.... weren't there anymore.

  • kangarootoo #8 3 years ago

    @BBIAJ

    Well I guess this is just for the millions and millions and millions of us who don't read his blog.

  • Restart #9 3 years ago

    Errr... this "feature" has been around since Christmas. Bit behind in the news aren't you? Next thing you'll be posting New Years celebrations. o_O

  • Rowlsten #10 3 years ago

    There was a thing on xbox live spotlight about it too...

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #11 3 years ago

    Yeah, it's been around since Xmas, but the Xmas one was just for Xmas. I guess this means it's permanent.

    Not that I mind, I'm actually a big fan of Avatars, making me one of about twelve people here on Eurogamer.

  • DutchDemons #12 3 years ago

    i counted 5.....who are the other ones?

    *dislikes avatars*

  • kinky_mong #13 3 years ago

    You can also "insert your avatars into your favourite movie scene"

    I think there could be some comedy gold in waiting here other than what Ellie suggested. I'm thinking my avatar looking completely non-plussed at a scene from Oldboy or something else along those lines.

  • brooza #14 3 years ago

    I like the rape scene in Clockwork Orange*, can I put my avatar in that?


    *Not actually seen that film yet

  • Beano #15 3 years ago

    Seems extremely useless... gee...

  • teabagger #16 3 years ago

    Good God. Has it really come to this? I'm going somewhere quiet to stab myself in the face.

  • Markusdragon #17 3 years ago

    Avatars need a decent Machinima tool. THEN they'd take off, especially if it something people could collaborate with online.

  • metalangel #18 3 years ago

    I think photo editing so that it appears that my avatar is doing Julia Bond up the arse will be funny for approximately 0.3 seconds. Honestly MS, just admit you pissed money up the wall paying the overrated Rare to create these pointless avatars and we'll forgive you.

  • 8bitMofo #19 3 years ago

    AWESOME!!!!

  • Stu #20 3 years ago

    When is that 100:1 thing happening over here?

    That looked quite good and might give the avatars some reason for existence - at the moment they just seem pointless...

  • DoctorZoidberg #21 3 years ago

    I really don't get the avatar hate.

    First off, they are FREE! It cost you NOTHING. Even if you don't like them you've not lost anything...

    Also, I seem to recall there being an OPTION if you make one. It's not mandatory is it?

    Personally I like them, I think they add a (albeit cosmetic) bonus. I like the animations on Uno for example, and I like flicking through my friends list. They just add a bit of colour, and I'm sure over time they will be included in more things.

    Also at the guy above? Rare, overrated? Rare are one of the top British Studios. Have you not played Viva Pinata? Look at there back catalog, its a trip down gaming greats (mostly).

  • Machiavellian #22 3 years ago

    Personally, this does not appeal to me, but I can see this being something that my son would love. I will probably check it out and let my son give it a try. He has a few friends on live where I can see them sending ecards of their work to each other.

    On the Avatars hate, you have to remember that people forget that there are things out there that other people like that they do not. These people will always trash things they feel makes them look cool by saying negative things about because thats the COOL thing to do.
    Edited by 1 at 12/02/09 @ 15:28

  • miiiguel #23 3 years ago

    @ Machiavellian

    Buddy... you're making too much sense. :D

  • ronuds #24 3 years ago

    I hate avatars!

    /is cool :p

    So, we complain that there's nothing to do with avatars and they're pointless. MS introduces something more to do with them, and we continue complaining. :D

    Something we don't have to use or look at in the 1st place, of course...

  • Zomoniac #25 3 years ago

    Also, I seem to recall there being an OPTION if you make one. It's not mandatory is it?

    Yes it is. If you have the update downloaded a profile can't play a game without having an avatar.

  • CrumpetBoy #26 3 years ago

    Never mind all that, when will cross-dressing be enabled? Transvestite Avatars ftw.

  • metalangel #27 3 years ago

    Yes, I have played Viva Pinata - to 1000/1000. And my missus has swore and shouted her way through a fair old bit of it too ("eat the fucking sandwich, you stupid bastard swan!";). Rare *were* great, though Goldeneye/Perfect Dark aside their greatness hinged largely on how much you loved identikit cute-but-with-an-edge N64 collect em ups. Like Codemasters and Peter Molyneux, they now trade more on your nostalgia than actually still producing really good games. What truly amazing stuff have they made since MS spent all that money on them?

  • DoctorZoidberg #28 3 years ago

    Agreed they are not for the hardcore.
    BK Nuts and Bolts is a good game. As are the Viva Pinata's. I think the scales are tipped against them by the fact 80% of 360 owners seem to be chavvy twat's who must have big guns and lots of blood. I mean the 360 is CRYING out for a decent platformer. I wish so much that the new BK would have been a proper decent platformer.

    Anyway this is hardly the time and place, though I conceded that I started this!