Live to get next big overhaul at Xmas

By Ellie Gibson Published 13 January, 2009

Plus little updates throughout the year.

Aaron Greenberg has told Eurogamer there won't be another big update to Xbox Live until the end of the year.

However, the Microsoft exec said, the nature of the technology powering New Xbox Experience means it's easier to introduce new features - and we can expect to see plenty of smaller updates in the coming months.

"The great benefit of the design is that we're able to add new features, new channels and things like that pretty quickly. So yeah, you'll see us do more regular updates throughout the year," he said, speaking in an interview published today.

Does that mean no spring update, then? "We will definitely package some things together, but we haven't specifically committed to doing just two big updates," Greenberg stated.

"We want to add new features when they're ready. Then, for holiday perhaps, we'll do something big. But exactly how that will work remains to be seen.

"Primetime's going to be a significant update," he continued, referring to the new channel unveiled last year. "Others will be coming in the spring, but we won't necessarily have a day when the switch gets flipped."

In the same interview, Greenberg confirmed Microsoft has yet to reveal its full games offering for Christmas 2009.

"I can safely say that if you're an Xbox 360 owner today, you will end 2009 with a whole slew of new features, new content, new partners, new games that today you don't know about," he pledged.

Read the whole interview for the full banana.

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.

You may also like...

Comments (24) 3 years ago

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

  • GamesConnoisseur #1 3 years ago

    More regular but smaller updates done in the background? If so that is great compared to the big update/installations fest on PS3 that some says increase risks of locking up PS3 though not experienced it myself. Consoles from now on will always have updates as the operating system will get more complex and requiring refinements.

    Okay with all this if done with less visible interruptions.

  • bioreit #2 3 years ago

    @ GamesConnoisseur

    I haven't experienced any freezes or lockups on my PS3 yet, but the nature of its updating process means that if I fancy a quick half hour on a game, I usually don't bother any more, because the last few times, it's meant I've been sat looking at a download/update progress bar for many, many minutes.

    It's almost at the stage where I have to prepare myself for playing games on the PS3 and think "Right, I've got two hours, so cut out 45 minutes while I make sure all the games I'm likely to want to play are updated, so I'll leave that to sort itself out while I play on 360."

    Fun it ain't.

  • awb83 #3 3 years ago

    I have to admit that I much preferred the old dashboard to this new XNE nonsense

  • Lutz #4 3 years ago

    Any chance you could:

    1. Make the interface consistant. Having to use mini-blades to redeem a code for example is retarded
    2. Speed the thing up? Getting from mini-blades back to my game or the dashboard shouldn't take upwards of 15 seconds at times.

    So far I'm not impressed with NXE. It takes longer to do stuff, it's more crap to wade through, and themes are now a joke given that you only see half of 1 picture, not all 4 of them. The *only* benefit to me from NXE was the HDD install.

  • linksdad #5 3 years ago

    I was totally shocked and appalled at the size and way that PS3 updates itself and its games. And whats all this 'cant be downloaded in the background' crap. Took me nearly an hour after having connected it for the first time to get it patched up and to install LBP and then patch that.

    PS3 is probably best left unconnected.

  • Toothball #6 3 years ago

    Think they'll fix the HDMI vs 5.1 audio issue before Christmas? Been pretty content with NXE otherwise. Party chat has helped things plenty in being able to talk to friends while hopping in and out of game lobbies. Would prefer if it would default to something other than that Spotlight thing, as I usually want to get to my games first.

  • Fab4 #7 3 years ago

    I hope the 'missus' doesnt find out about the new partners.

  • Doctor_What #8 3 years ago

    Hmm... The NXE is very underwhelming. People made an avatar then haven't touched it since (those that bothered in the first place). As Lutz said, the only thing I've felt the benefit from is the HDD install, but I've got a 20GB machine because I was an early adopter, so I can only get one game on there. Anyway, it feels a bit weird to have to do a rip of a disk onto my machine because the machine is so noisy to start with, and even afterwards isn't exactly what you'd describe as quiet although it is less intrusive.

    The PS3 updates are also a pain - no background downloads, often they are slow (they really need to improve their connection speeds).

    I know what Bioreit means about having to plan to play a game! With both systems I make sure the disk goes in the machine half an hour before I want to start playing just to be sure that there aren't new updates available that will hold up the evening. The SingStar update was a real pain in the butt when that came through and I hadn't planned ahead on a Friday night. Lesson learned: don't bother with updates if you want a quick bash on a game.

  • Ryze #9 3 years ago

    I'll end 2009 with a whole slew of new partners?!

    360 delivers!

  • Doctor_What #10 3 years ago

    @ Toothball: MS get their advertising revenue from the Spotlight, so that's why it's always the default place to start. You'd think that adverts wouldn't be necessary in a paid-for service and that Sony would be more likely to add them to their dashboard. I've been waiting for that to happen since launch, but there's no sign of that coming... yet.

  • DFawkes #11 3 years ago

    I'd have preferred if NXE was optional, I liked the old way. NXE is alright, but it's a bit like getting home and finding out someones moved everything around in your kitchen for little reason - but at least they've added a TV. A new thing is nice, but now I can't find the bloody HP sauce!

  • bratmandu #12 3 years ago

    How about they give us some friggin IPTV? I'm sick to shit from my housemate's PS3 crap PlayTV with the no signal all the time. Get a 360 version in the mix. Do it now, I know you're reading this Gates!

  • kinky_mong #13 3 years ago

    I'm very happy with the NXE. Yes there's unnecessary fluff like the Avatars and the advertising, but Party Chat is a great addition and I've had no problem with the mini-blades being slow to close.

  • Xerx3s #14 3 years ago

    360 IPTV was actually demonstrated again at CES btw.

  • ryohazuki1983 #15 3 years ago

    "Think they'll fix the HDMI vs 5.1 audio issue before Christmas"

    Is that an issue where theres no sound when playing DVDs? Everytime I want to watch a DVD I need to unplug the HDMI cable and put it in again to get sound. VERY ANNONYING.

    Just thought its not only DVDs it happened after I downloaded Dark Knight from the marketplace.

  • Rash' #16 3 years ago

    The problem with IPTV for me is it appears to be subscription based and limited to BT. Playtv by contrast is a freeview PVR which are now becoming the norm' interms of freeview boxs.

    bratmandu, I've not had any probs' with my Playtv. May be your area that's responsible.

  • bratmandu #17 3 years ago

    'Rash, you're probably right - it is the area, but with IPTV the signal would depend on my net connection, which is 20meg. IPTV would be preferable to waggling some crap aerial about - what is this the olden days?

  • tomnol #18 3 years ago

    I have to admit that I much preferred the old dashboard to this new XNE nonsense

    Same here. It's a totally awkward and ugly cover-flow rip-off. Plus every time I have to watch my Avatar do 'funny' postures I feel tempted to smash my flat screen TV.

    Make it optional, FFS, and bring back the no-nonsense original UI.

  • sneetch #19 3 years ago

    @tomnol
    "Same here. It's a totally awkward and ugly cover-flow rip-off. Plus every time I have to watch my Avatar do 'funny' postures I feel tempted to smash my flat screen TV.

    Make it optional, FFS, and bring back the no-nonsense original UI."

    It's really more of a rip-off of 'Windows Flip 3D' from Vista than Andrew Enright's and Jonathan del Strother's Cover Flow (however, neither of them presumably care either way as they sold it to Apple sometime in 2006).

    The previous UI was kinda shit, it was slower and have people forgotten that you couldn't even scroll the product description text boxes in Live marketplace? You had to wait for them to start scrolling themselves.

    Obligatory anti-Microsoft sentiments aside the new one is much better, much slicker and faster.

  • TOOTR #20 3 years ago

    Why oh why oh why is there still no clan group support for Halo at the very least and even games like L4D?

    I'm going to write to points of view...

  • Numbat #21 3 years ago

    I do prefer the last update but microsoft still can't do logical - I mean it's still not clear where to find things. I'm sure the menu system could be easier to navigate - perhaps microsoft could employ Apple to design the next version LOL!

  • GiarcYekrub #22 3 years ago

    How about iPlayer

  • JackB #23 3 years ago

    NXE is awesome. Much better than the old blade system. I view more content than ever before, but it's laid out so well. Well done!

  • mazzl #24 3 years ago

    i like the NXE, but it's a bit strange that some stuff is only on the mini blades.
    i WANT A BROWSER!!!!
    BROWSER!
    BROWSER!

    and youtube! ow yes that can be done via an BROWSER!