New 360 front end coming in November?

By Oli Welsh Published 25 September, 2008

Rock Band 2 advertisement suggests so.

A Rock Band 2 advertisement in Xbox Live has given the first indication of when the Xbox 360 will receive its major interface overhaul.

The ad says simply, "Check out the New Xbox Experience coming in November!"

It also adds, "Coming in November, playing Rock Band 2 and meeting up with your band mates on your Xbox 360 will be better than ever thanks to the New Xbox Experience."

The front end revamp - which will introduce Avatars, the Prime Time interactive channel, a new party system and a radically different look to the 360 - was previously only scheduled for "later this fall". Microsoft has said it will launch simultaneously in the US and key European territories.

For more on the New Xbox Experience, read our full E3 impressions, article on Avatars, or watch the Eurogamer TV Avatar special.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (25) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • wellzy4eva #1 3 years ago

    I'm surprised Microsoft haven't offically responded to the rumours yet.

    Does everyone think there will be a "new facebook" like rejection by the users of the Xbox360 for this revamp, people refusing to go online and such?

  • bioreit #2 3 years ago

    Dunno. I mean, from all accounts you can just use the guide button to being up the in-game/in-movie dash - which is more streamlined and a lot more like the old blades-system. So if folk really don't want to use the new one, they can use that to get roughly the same experience as the old.

    Personally, I'm definitely leaning more towards this new interface now, though - shame about all the empty, wasted space, but it does look quite nice - very reminiscent of the Media Centre interface and I quite like that one.

  • stevencole7 #3 3 years ago

    Avatars are so Gay looking...

  • moggsy #4 3 years ago

    Just like to mention, before everyone starts moaning, that the new interface is optional - in that you can use the old blade style interface by pushing the guide button. I doubt many people will once they get used to the new one though.
    Edited by 2 at 25/09/08 @ 09:27

  • Xerx3s #5 3 years ago

    Gah! November? That's ages away! Was hoping that it would be in time for gears2.

  • andywilkie35 #6 3 years ago

    they were making a big thing of this update next Monday on my dashboard last night, hoping its going to be then but it probably wont be, gah! I think it looks great

  • smernicki #7 3 years ago

    i just wish they'd hurry up and bring the damn thing out or shut up about it

    subversive marketing (especially bad stuff) really does my tits in

  • Xerx3s #8 3 years ago

    "they were making a big thing of this update next Monday on my dashboard last night, hoping its going to be then but it probably wont be, gah! I think it looks great"

    What part of "THIS IS NOT THE DASHBOARD UPDATE!" is unclear exactly? ;)

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #9 3 years ago

    There was a notice on the dash last night which said the update was coming "this holiday", rather than "this fall", which I took to mean November rather than October. So I ain't surprised.

  • davc4 #10 3 years ago

    Guys the downtime is for MS to upgrade their servers etc for the new update possibly a little premature but there have been problems in the past with this kind of thing.

  • sharky_ob #11 3 years ago

    @stevencole7

    Tit

  • Darren #12 3 years ago

    @Xerx3s - Gears of War 2 is not released until 7th November so there's nothing to say that the New Xbox Experience dashboard won't appear just before then. I'm betting it'll appear late October/early November myself... unless it's delayed for some reason as these things sometimes are (well 'always are' in the case of Sony...!). ;)

  • agparrot #13 3 years ago

    It's a shame that even though we have to wait for the new dash, that some of the new functionality won't be here on Monday - would quite like the install game feature, and the 8UP group chat thingy - sure that could be done within the framework of the extant guide.

  • Xerx3s #14 3 years ago

    On the plus side, we can postpone buying those 60gb thingies.

  • SwedBear #15 3 years ago

    What I am a bit worried about is the "key European territories" comment. Are they saying the new dash won't launch in all territories at the same time? While I understand that UK and Germany is "key European territories", is Sweden a key territory? Or Denmark? Or the Netherlands?

    I'm looking forward to the rewamp. It's nice with a change now and then and I think the blades are in need of an update. I actually think the Avatars can be a bit fun depending on what they will allow you to do with them, a bit like the Mii's in some Wii-games (and talking about the Wii, that's an interface that is in desperate need of a upgrade - it's horrible once you start accumulating games)

  • groovychainsaw #16 3 years ago

    If it lets me get to my xbla games quicker ,then it will be much appreicated - it takes so long to browse through the hard drive and pick them all up for me to select one - about 30s at the moment, its really annoying. Hope they improve general interface speed and accessability (not something they have demonstrated much yet , i notice)

  • just4funUK #17 3 years ago

    Not to bothered about the consoles interface updates as I purchased it to play games on not look at the interface. But I wonder if this update will cause the RROD to surface on more of the earlier released Xbox 360's.Lets Hope not.

  • bonker #18 3 years ago

    "Err, microsoft said it was November ages ago."

    10 months ago per chance??

  • slave23d #19 3 years ago

    update is usually november anyways. No surprises there then.

  • daz_john_smith #20 3 years ago

    I've got a feeling we'll get this in early November and that the dashboard update might come on the disc for GoW2 for anyone who isn't online to upgrade also.

  • bioreit #21 3 years ago

    @ evilfoxhound

    I'd add that I also want the party chat feature. Finally, I can have good, secure chat with my clan mates in CoD4 without having to resort to the game channel. I also want to get any kind of definite answer regarding the streaming of movies *not* via NetFlix, seeing as my sis is moving to Thaliand in December. *sniff*

  • onyx_elite #22 3 years ago

    I'm really hoping the griefers calm down soon. I'm sick of all threads relating to the new xbox update being crammed with people bitching about it. Personally, I'm really looking forward to it and think some people have got way too much spare time on their hands for this to be such a big deal.

    It's just like the people that wouldn't shut up about the new facebook. Get over it, it's not a big deal.

    Also, those that think we're getting it on Monday need to follow the jump.

    http://ww w.xbox.com/en-GB/news-features/...

  • Hypnopedia #23 3 years ago

    "If it lets me get to my xbla games quicker ,then it will be much appreicated - it takes so long to browse through the hard drive and pick them all up for me to select one - about 30s at the moment, its really annoying. Hope they improve general interface speed and accessability (not something they have demonstrated much yet , i notice)"

    You're complaining about 30 seconds???!!

    Christ you really have got the weight of the world on your shoulders, pal haven't you??!!

    ;D

  • wellzy4eva #24 3 years ago

    I hope they don't release it around the same time as Gears of War 2, the traffic for that alone (on first couple of days) will probably kill XBL itself.

  • onyx_elite #25 3 years ago

    I'd add that I also want the party chat feature.

    Seconded. Would really appreciate a group chat seperate to the main game channel. Especially as the group channel is invariably packed with squeaking, swearing 13 yr olds with a 4 word vocabulary (douche, fag, gay and pwn)