The New Xbox Experience: Avatars Preview

By Tom Bramwell Published 21 August, 2008

Rare shows off its new threads.

In hindsight - particularly in light of Sony's occasionally cringe-worthy PlayStation Home demonstration the year before, when Jack Tretton showed us his "tricked-out apartment" and Kaz Hirai addressed us from a virtual balcony - introducing The New Xbox Experience with a party of executive E3 Avatars was a gutsy move.

But as the digital Shane Kim knelt and beamed and virtual Don Mattrick rocked a cocksure pose with hands on his hips, the leafy corner of the UK where the electronic execs had been pieced together was quietly confident. At their desks in one of Rare's Twycross "barn" studios, no doubt, Avatars product manager Chris Sutherland and head of art Lee Musgrave were witnessing the culmination of weeks of planning and emails back and forth perfecting the look.

"There was a little bit of that on a couple of those," says Musgrave, as we go through a fuller Avatars demo a few weeks later when the dust's settled. Classic Microsoft: months of approval. "Where's the hairline? How big is my waist? I'm taller than that! All those kind of things." He won't name names. "All of those characters were built from assets that are part of this kit, so although they were actually characters we rendered out through a 3D application for promo purposes, it's all stuff that you could build with the assets in here."

Avatars, officially announced at E3 but clumsily outed a few weeks previously in the great Intellisponse implosion of mid-June, are Microsoft's answer to Nintendo Miis, PlayStation Home's player models and the characters wandering the massively-multiplayer virtual desert of Second Life, and despite decades of experience crafting interfaces in Redmond, the Xbox platform holder decided to turn to its expensive countryside gaming acquisition of a few years previously for design and implementation. "In terms of Rare being involved in this project, I think it was a very specific decision on Microsoft's part to get us involved," says Musgrave.

"We have the ability to develop multiple things at once. So there's an opportunity for us to use this in a very close-knit way with our own team to develop stuff, and that leads onto the fact we can then use those games as a testing bed to make the use of the Avatars for developers very simple. I think that's one reason why we got the nod to do this stuff. People like Scene It [one of the games that will use Avatars], for example, we've given a blob of stuff to them and it's been very simple for them to put Avatars into their game."

'The New Xbox Experience: Avatars' Screenshot 1

The executive Avatars on the left were all designed by Rare specifically for Microsoft's E3 presentation, but should be achievable with the final tool.

From an end-user perspective, though, Avatars are still untried. The Microsoft execs didn't make their own, after all. So apart from checking out Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts and Viva Piņata: Trouble in Paradise, we've travelled 90 minutes north of London to dig into the process. The most important thing to note, first of all, is that Avatars are an obligatory but easily dodged initial step in the New Xbox Experience. "When you create a new profile or sign in with an existing profile on the new dashboard, you're presented with the ability to make an Avatar," says Chris Sutherland, pad in hand, and if you can't be bothered, three clicks is all it takes to pick a random model and forget about it.

The same goes for people who don't want to dig down into it. Hit a button and ten random Avatars trot merrily onto the screen, and you can pick a favourite or hit another button to cycle in another random ten. Sometimes, says Sutherland, this is enough for anyone: Avatars are a simplified take on human characteristics, so even the randomers throw up the odd recognisable character. "Bald people tend to remind me of J Allard, but I don't know why," says Sutherland. Nostalgia, perhaps.

Starting either with a basic template or borrowing a randomer, users who do want to delve deeper can then start modifying in front of a virtual mirror. As with Banjo, which sports a vehicle editor, Rare's been cautious about this process. "If you give people too much creativity, it breaks things," Musgrave acknowledges. "Especially since we want that balance between something creative and not having it so you can touch every parameter to the nth degree - approachable and simple enough to get what you want and not overwhelm people."

Most people start with the hair, says Sutherland. "Hairstyles is the one thing we found people wanted more of, because it really identifies them. In some of the tests we ran, women in particular pick the hairstyle and say 'that's me', so we want as many as we can." There's a grid of various hairstyles, and you can move between pages and pages of examples. Interestingly, once Sutherland cycles the skin colour, the faces beneath the hair on the grid change to reflect this. "This is one of the ways we're differentiated from other systems," he says, no doubt referring to Nintendo's Miis, which use outlines and require a bit of experimentation. Here you can see at-a-glance exactly how the end result will look. It's a similar process for eyes, chins and brows, rather than a mass of slider bars.

The core, though, is clothing. "You're going to be able to customise and personalise yourself, so we'd expect people to change their facial features once or twice - and that's on the studies we've seen of people who edit with the Mii," says Sutherland, "and what we wanted was a reason for people to come back in here, and the clothing is one example of that. What am I going to wear today?"

The answer is: pretty much anything you can imagine. There will be thousands of items available in a catalogue (handled by Microsoft, so we don't get to see it - but we'll anticipate an elegant solution, since the whole point of Xbox Experience is handling sizable volumes of data), and you can leaf through a few - including seasonal collections and, presumably, a fair amount of game-related attire - and pick out items to bring to your wardrobe. "You've also got the option to save outfit combinations to your local drive," says Sutherland, "so if you've got a particular Tuesday outfit you can wear that, and if you've got something you want to wear for a particular game, you can do that." You can mix and match items as you like.

Upon which note, the conversation goes the opposite way, as Eurogamer TV's Johnny Minkley innocently inquires about the naturist community, and your badly-dressed correspondent mentions, er, amputees. "I think the smallest we'll go is bikini," says Musgrave. "You can imagine the political conversations that surround this sort of thing in terms of ethnicity and gender and, as you said, amputees [a pause] and a whole variety of stuff."

Fortunately, Rare also foresaw an obvious problem here: programmers aren't terrific dressers. "Although we've built them, the source and ideas for the designs come from fashion graduates," Sutherland says. Musgrave elaborates: "We didn't feel qualified as a bunch of developers to make the decisions ourselves. We thought hard about the best way to do it, and got in a bunch of people who were younger, much trendier, much more interesting in a fashion sense." Just so. "That's the overriding thing about the whole avatar project: the underlying character represents you in some way, and communicates your personality in some way on Live, so you can change what you wear as easily as you would with a real-world wardrobe."

'The New Xbox Experience: Avatars' Screenshot 2

Avatars will be a key part of your new-look gamercard, but you won't have to spend loads of time making one if you don't want to.

Cynics will point to Microsoft's massive Xbox Live Marketplace income and steel themselves for an onslaught of sponsored ranges and expensive designer Avatar outfits, but Musgrave reiterates Microsoft and Rare's previously stated desire to give clothing away as bonuses too - as developers currently do with Achievements and gamer pictures. Does this mean they're doing that with Banjo and Viva Piņata, then? "That's...probably something I can't talk about!" Musgrave blanches. "To what extent and how that manifests itself is something I think will be quite fun. It's not going to be a T-shirt with a Banjo logo on it or anything like that. It's going to be fashion-inspired or IP-inspired or Xbox-inspired, so as cool and compelling as possible."

And of course it's meant to be fun. We don't get to handle the Avatar tools ourselves, but Sutherland shows off a few elements. "So one of those is the ability to move your head around with the right analogue stick," he notes. "If I move the head left and right, it will have an effect on the character. These are little things that, they're not called out on the menu or anything, but just things people can discover." Like the Miis, then, it's about building people's affection for the tool. "Yeah, so hopefully they'll sit here and play around with it and have a bit of fun."

That'll be important, too, if Avatars are to achieve every character-customisation tool's dream and drive a million novelty Hitlers into the wild. Musgrave rolls his eyes a bit. "We have internal emails like you wouldn't believe - all sorts of Solid Snakes and Hitlers and the Chuckle Brothers and there's all sorts. It's proof of the versatility of it. We try to encourage it, so a lot of people have it installed on their kits here and just mess with it and post it around to say 'I've made Jennifer Aniston' or something."

Which is exactly what we want to hear. After all, Xbox Live Primetime's 1 vs. 100 game-show is coming up soon - a TV-style quiz with a real-life host, and a key element of Microsoft's hope to not only dominate the living room, but to transform Xbox 360 into a nightly event. And if the first episode isn't populated ninety-eight Hitlers, Santa and Britney Spears, facing off against a bewildered Z-list reality sleb with a bunch of digital cue-cards, we'll be bitterly disappointed.

Avatars will be released as part of the upcoming Xbox Experience dashboard revamp later this year.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (105) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • Zomoniac #1 4 years ago

    STUPID AND WRONG.

  • lambtron #2 4 years ago

    What's with all the Simon Cowell "waistband up to the armpits" style trousers?

    Between this and home I despair :(.

  • mkreku #3 4 years ago

    I'm about as interested in this as I am about Home or Mii's.

  • Agent_Orange #4 4 years ago

    Ok thats a little silly, if I wanted crappy avatar things I would have bought a wii. Can you opt out of having an avatar? And just keep your old gamer pic?

  • JHuxley #5 4 years ago

    @mkreku

    Agreed. Sony and Microsoft's attempts in particular reek of design by committee.

  • stepneg #6 4 years ago

    I like the new look dash but have to say the avatars look like a load of shit just like Home and Mii's, utterly fucking pointless.

  • SeesThroughAll #7 4 years ago

    The whole thing is optional, people. No need to freak out.

  • Widge #8 4 years ago

    is it not free though? both this and home?

  • Tomahawk #9 4 years ago

    These are rubbish, they should have made cool little chibis to cutomize, also blatant Mii rip off

  • Widge #10 4 years ago

    Aren't we just being a bunch of moany bastards? I mean every time someone does something, its shit. New IP? Its shit. Sequel? Its shit. New functionality? Its shit. New hardware revision? Its shit.

  • agparrot #11 4 years ago

    digital Shane Kim knelt and beamed and virtual Don Mattrick rocked a cocksure pose

    phnarrrr.

  • absolutezero #12 4 years ago

    Its not an option. Its a core part of the new dash. Say bye bye to all those gamer pics you bought, oh and themes look like ass now aswell.

    HOLY SHIT THOUGH LIFE STYLE CLOTHES AND I CAN GIVE MY AVATAR WICKED TATS

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #13 4 years ago

    Well I like 'em. I like Miis, too.

    1 vs 100 is a great idea, as well.

    And you still keep your gamer pics...
    Edited by 1 at 21/08/08 @ 11:47

  • Dizzy #14 4 years ago

    "Its not an option. Its a core part of the new dash. Say bye bye to all those gamer pics you bought, oh and themes look like ass now aswell. "

    Not true. You can keep your gamerpic instead of an avatar.

  • rudedudejude #15 4 years ago

    Board Meeting:

    "Nintendo have sold 10 billion more consoles than us, what can we do?!!"

    "Well they do have those cool little Mii guys."

    "Yeah! Good point! That'll sell consoles! Let's get the guys on the case!"

  • JHuxley #16 4 years ago

    @Widge

    Speak for yourself. Someone tries to do something halfway original with games (Heavy Rain) and you're hating on it pretty much straight away.

    A cynical marketing ploy to attract the casual market? Well, that's just fine apparently :|

  • Widge #17 4 years ago

    Me hating on Heavy Rain? I'm looking forward to it!

    I did make a few jest-y comments which I suppose could be misread.
    Edited by 1 at 21/08/08 @ 11:55

  • Rirekon #18 4 years ago

    Love the Avatar "Lucklaster" in middleground of that first screenshot, nice anagram of lackluster ;-)

  • JHuxley #19 4 years ago

    @Widge

    OK, fair enough, I must have misinterpreted your comments about Heavy Rain. My bad.

    Move along, nothing to see here :p

  • sizusizu #20 4 years ago

    Pointless.

    Microsoft grasping at straws in an attempt to grab some Casual Pie. The Avatars look awful, and have no place on a console built upon core gaming genres such as rpg, and fps. Its like they don't know which demographic to go for.

    At least it can be said that Nintendo, and to an extent Sony with home are doing something "original" off their own backs. Microsoft show zero originality with these avatars. God they are bad.

    Rare - I remember when you were good.

  • Xerx3s #21 4 years ago

    The new interface is welcome but I don't care for this. Funny how they don't mention that you can choose for gamerpics any more in the process.

  • agparrot #22 4 years ago

    Do the My-Little-Douchebags scale down to fit on the screen on that 'Community' page. I mean most nights there are probably only 10 - 15 or so people active on my friends list, but sometimes it can be as high as 30+, and might start to spill out of the sides of my television.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #23 4 years ago

    "At least it can be said that Nintendo, and to an extent Sony with home are doing something "original" off their own backs. Microsoft show zero originality with these avatars. God they are bad."

    I think people are forgetting how these characters are going to tie in the dashboard games like 1 vs 100. Now, that might turn out to be pants, but the whole idea of Xbox Primetime - scheduled events happening which you can take part in daily - is quite novel, and IMO that IS something that could attract the so-called casual demographic.

    Granted, Avatars themselves aren't new, and maybe aesthetically they're not to everyone's taste (I like 'em, personally), but I don't think what MS are doing with the new dash features is any less original than Home, which is essentially Second Life with some rather funky media/game integration.
    Edited by 1 at 21/08/08 @ 12:12

  • degville #24 4 years ago

    tbh if you must have avatars they need to be fairly abstract like miis or very realistic like sonys home ones these middle ground microsoft efforts just look freaky and dare i say it very american "clean living frat boy like"

  • Darkedge #25 4 years ago

    @absolutezero
    Wrong and err wrong. The first image shows those avatars using gamerpics which arn't just a picture of the avatar - Gamerpics are NOT going if you don't want them to. Yes you have to create an Avatar but if you don't play games that use it you don't need to deal with it at all.
    Secondly, current themes will become section backdrops so actually they will look better, already do in screenshots I've seen that are around.

    It's I think a nice idea without the pointlessness of home - you can use it as much or as little as you want really. None moaned about having to have a Mii and they are so limited really, this has more options and is just as ignorable.

  • degville #26 4 years ago

    "Rare - I remember when you were good"
    I'm afraid this was when I use to see your Lamborghini Jalpa when walking to schooll, and your parents (relatives?) sold copies of your games in their sweet shop....

  • the_dudefather #27 4 years ago

    ooooooo look at all the moaning Micheals around here

  • Yossarian #28 4 years ago

    From the comments in this thread you'd think Microsoft and Rare had gravely offended you with this optional free content.

  • berelain #29 4 years ago

    I like 'em.

    I always liked Miis, and my biggest complaint with them was how they aren't tied into games well enough or into user profiles. The Avatars look like they'll do what I wanted the Wiis to do, with the added bonus of having actual arms.

  • DUFFKING #30 4 years ago

    This reminds me of when Epic released a free map or something for UT2003 out of the blue and it wasn't very good.

    Everyone acted as though they'd just been raped.

  • #31 4 years ago

    thank goodness this is optional. Still least its free.

  • TheJuriel #32 4 years ago

    Still lame and ugly. How lovely that you HAVE to pick one...

  • coojam #33 4 years ago

    we've travelled 90 minutes north of London

    Why is that of any relevance whatsoever? Frikking south-eastern biased media.

  • NegativeZero #34 4 years ago

    I've said it before but unless you can replace my Idolmaster Yayoi gamerpic with the exact 3D equivalent, then this whole concept can fuck right off and go die in a hole somewhere.

  • agparrot #35 4 years ago

    I also think the whole Avatars thing is going to be quite a lot of fun, whether it is laughing at the Avatars created by your friends, or having gangs of your friends all dressed up the same, perhaps whilst playing the same game, or just being motivated to 'achievement' style clothing rewards in future games.

    Who wouldn't want to try and unlock a nice Agent 47 suit-and-tie?

  • kangarootoo #36 4 years ago

    ""When you create a new profile or sign in with an existing profile on the new dashboard, you're presented with the ability to make an Avatar," says Chris Sutherland, pad in hand, and if you can't be bothered, three clicks is all it takes to pick a random model and forget about it"

    So I HAVE to have one?

    If so, do I get a refund on the gamertag pics that I bought (I know it was only about 80p or something, but its the principal of the thing)?

  • johnnybrn #37 4 years ago

    Can I turn my Avatar into a weirdo or an alien etc. They look to bland and boring for my likes

  • rudedudejude #38 4 years ago

    Look face it, you all love wearing your Henleys clothes, and you're going to stick them on your avatar at first chance in giant letters.

  • smernicki #39 4 years ago

    "This reminds me of when Epic released a free map or something for UT2003 out of the blue and it wasn't very good.

    Everyone acted as though they'd just been raped. "

    this wins my vote for post of the day

  • BobsUncle #40 4 years ago

    Can I dress mine up in a GRAW outfit? Complete with guns.

    I'm not really that bothered with these, I'll probably play around a bit but it would be cool if devs were allowed to include new clothes with games, a bit like unlocking gamerpics. So after finishing GoW2 you get the Marcus Fenix gear. Or Sam Fisher. Riiiiight...

  • BobsUncle #41 4 years ago

    @Mem

    DON'T SHOUT!

  • Moonprince #42 4 years ago

    wtf is this shit! Pathetic!

  • oreillymj #43 4 years ago

    "We have the ability to develop multiple things at once."

    "We have the ability to develop things that look exactly like Nintendo's implementation." /fixed

  • BobsUncle #44 4 years ago

    Chill out people. It's a free update for christ's sake, it's not like they've just face-fucked your mum.

    You don't like it then just avoid it, it's not difficult.

  • Chaote-Imagicka #45 4 years ago

    and if you've got something you want to wear for a particular game, you can do that.

    Anyone who would actually do that needs to be put down for the good of humanity. Thank fuck for the just pressing a button three times and being done with it, only even vaguely positive thing I've seen about it.

    Also if this makes the console start up time any worse than it already currently is I'm going to switch all multiplatform title purchases to the PS3.

  • Camorrista #46 4 years ago

    "tricked our apartment"?

  • glaeken #47 4 years ago

    This is all Nintendo's fault. Bloody casual gamers market !!!!

  • moggsy #48 4 years ago

    Can't see many people changing clothes depending on the game they're going to play. I suspect this is the sort of thing which once you have your avatar you stick with it. Like Mii's then.

  • DUFFKING #49 4 years ago

    OH NOES I HAVE TO SPEND 3 SECONDS MAKING SOMETHING THAT I CAN JUST TURN OFF WHAT WILL I DO

    ;)
    Edited by 1 at 21/08/08 @ 13:32

  • DDevil #50 4 years ago

    I'm going to be all over these Avatars on release. First thing I do when I get a sports or wrestling game is to make a little version of me, same with Miis. And I'm likely to change outfits for different games :-D

  • johnnybrn #51 4 years ago

    True, they dont force you to have an avatar but like Home on the PS3 I would prefer Microsoft and Sony to put more time and development into making great GAMES!

    I want games games games!

    And I already have facebook and myspace so this is uneccesary thank you

  • Xerx3s #52 4 years ago

    "At least it can be said that Nintendo, and to an extent Sony with home are doing something "original" off their own backs. Microsoft show zero originality with these avatars. God they are bad. "

    Ah, it is funny when sony or nintendo copy something it is considered originality but when ms copies something, people moan about the lack of it.

  • dazrichards #53 4 years ago

    As much as I like designing my characters in games such as Oblivion, The Sims, Tiger Woods and Top Spin I have no desire to create an avatar of myself in public

  • Bangaioh #54 4 years ago

    You really have too much time on your hands to bother moaning about these avatars... just wait and see, try them and then express an opinion instead of wasting lungs months before on a couple of pics.
    I'm not too excited about the avatars either but I think the new dash is much better than the old one and I'm looking forward to 1 vs. 100... very interested in this kind of experiment.
    Edited by 1 at 21/08/08 @ 13:49

  • Agent_Orange #55 4 years ago

    Isn't the 360 supposed to be a more "mature" console?

  • Collymilad #56 4 years ago

    "Also if this makes the console start up time any worse than it already currently is I'm going to switch all multiplatform title purchases to the PS3."

    Sorry, what? Lol. PS3 is like a bloody PC starting up.

    And there is nothing whatsoever original about Home, they've basically made a lame version of a game called second life, ever heard of it?

    People are so quick to attack MS yet they conveniently ignore rip-offs that other people do.
    Edited by 1 at 21/08/08 @ 13:55

  • dazrichards #57 4 years ago

    I've never liked the 360 dashboard. Find it too gaudy so I liking this new version. Wont bother with the avatars much though - I actually am not concerned with things like gamerscore etc anyway

  • crazyhorse174 #58 4 years ago

    "Also if this makes the console start up time any worse than it already currently is I'm going to switch all multiplatform title purchases to the PS3."

    Sorry, what? Lol. PS3 is like a bloody PC starting up.

    I was wondering what the hell he was talking about there...my 360 takes what, 3-4 seconds to start up. Hardly a long time...

  • Widge #59 4 years ago

    yes, like a pc that starts immediately and goes to an XMB

  • agparrot #60 4 years ago

    Yeah, I can't wait to have EG Burnout Team Livery.

    Probably something inspired by Kris Akabusi.

  • kangarootoo #61 4 years ago

    @DUFFKING

    "This reminds me of when Epic released a free map or something for UT2003 out of the blue and it wasn't very good.

    Everyone acted as though they'd just been raped."

    This isn't quite the same. If they had released the map in polace of the existing maps, so everybody had to use the new map and had no choice in the matter, now that comparison would stand.


    "You don't like it then just avoid it, it's not difficult"

    Can someone clarify this once and for all, before I just end up looking like a dick (oops, too late).

    Is this optional? Can I opt out? Can I not have avatars on my screen everytime I look at a friend's profile page, and can I avoid having an avatar of my own. Avatars eh, can I not have on? I don't want an avatar, I'm sure they are very nice anbd clean up after themselves, but I don't want one. The Dash was much in need of an overhaul, and this new version looks great... except for the avatars, which I don't like. Can I not have one, please? No avatars for me, is this possible?

    If someone can answer that question, I will give them a big cyber thumbs up (with both thumbs). Can't say fairer than that.

  • agparrot #62 4 years ago

    No kanga, you can't opt out.

    You can choose to use the Guide Button to produce the new look guide-button menu, which by all accounts has all the functionality of the existing dash.

    You cannot, as I understand it, completely avoid the new dash.

    Your little douchebag, by the looks of it, is capable of having a speech bubble with your existing gamerpics in them.

  • stevencole7 #63 4 years ago

    GAY!!!

  • mazzl #64 4 years ago

    i like the idea of a daylie game show on live :)
    also like the idea of the avaters. also good for ingame

  • andywilkie35 #65 4 years ago

    i dont see what the problem is, there's too many people here acting like someone's kicked their door down and pissed on their kids on christmas day

  • nixxrite #66 4 years ago

    Right that's it! I'm cancelling my live subscription and never doing a dashboard update again...that'll learn them. And another thing, if it gets any slower I'll be getting my swingball out on the lawn and playing that instead. ;)

  • Madafunkola #67 4 years ago

    @ agparrot
    What was your "My Little Douchebag" song again?

  • Chaote-Imagicka #68 4 years ago

    I was wondering what the hell he was talking about there...my 360 takes what, 3-4 seconds to start up. Hardly a long time...

    Could just be my console (it's a near launch one) or my internet connection (although I doubt that because I pretty much never have any other problems) but when the ethernet cable is in I generally have to watch the little circle loading screen for 30 seconds or more. Without the live connection with it's accompanying adverts etc yes, it's about 4 seconds before I can start using the console.

  • kangarootoo #69 4 years ago

    @agparrot

    Thank you.

    /thumbs up, both thumbs

    /shoots agparrot for being the messenger bearing bad news

    See THAT is my point. I am all for choice, but here there is no choice. Its a minor thing and I'm sure I shall recover my composure (and dignity, once I stop ranting), but its a matter of principal.

  • Vice.Destroyer #70 4 years ago

    I generally have to watch the little circle loading screen for 30 seconds or more.

    Wow. Get that looked at. That is definitely not normal.
    Edited by 2 at 21/08/08 @ 15:37

  • agparrot #71 4 years ago

    @ agparrot
    What was your "My Little Douchebag" song again?

    haha Madafunkola,

    I will dig it up from whichever other comments thread I put it in - I can tell it is going to need the verses modified as more info about My Little Douchebags are released.

    edit: (this is clearly work in progress)

    My Little Douchebag
    He has his glad rags
    Look at him waving
    or is he just craving...

    ...a fix of some teamplay
    some internet 8-way?
    My little douchebag,
    won't ever be too sad

    with his friends in the new dash
    some people think it's gash
    but I'll download some clothes and
    dress him in robes fit for

    my little douchebag
    la la la la la la laaaa.
    Edited by 2 at 21/08/08 @ 15:41

  • Retroid #72 4 years ago

    /Deeply unconvinced

  • Xerx3s #73 4 years ago

    Like I said before, the only thing that will make me like this is when they enable me to have the lancer from GoW and run around the screen, chainsawing the other avatars. That would be brilliant. They could make it into a mini game. :D

  • asphaltcowboy #74 4 years ago

    @kangarootoo: but you do have a choice - if you don't like aspects of the new dash, just hit the guide button, that has ALL the old (and new) functionality, but styled in a mini-'old dash' way. Personally, I'm really looking forward to all the new features of the dash (party mode, primetime looks interesting, the new layout). The Avatars, well they don't offend me like they seem to offend lots of other people... all in all, I'm very excited about it's release!

  • kangarootoo #75 4 years ago

    I'm being somewhat dramatic about it all really. I think the new dash design is ace, and I really wouldn't sacrifice it just to avoid the avatars. Its just a choice thing, and its the principal that bugs me more than the actual avatars themselves.

    I'll get used to it I suppose. I had just got kind of fond of my XBL gamertag piccy, and I can't see an animated cartoon stickman being as good.

    Maybe I'll print a little gamertag pic and stick it to my telly over the top of where the avatar will be shown.

    Good to hear about the extra guide button functionality though (I think can't really picture it in my head from your description). Got any links that go into more detail?
    Edited by 1 at 21/08/08 @ 16:45

  • davc4 #76 4 years ago

    i will probably play with this for about 5 mins then just make do with whatever i have got left, If they start making appearances in online games and you can have heavy customisation such that you can look like a complete ejit in front of your friends then all the better and may make me play with them for maybe 10 mins total.

  • Xerx3s #77 4 years ago

    Unless they gimme my Doom gamerpic, I will unlikely switch any time soon.

  • asphaltcowboy #78 4 years ago

    EDIT: Here you go kanga, it's in the last few minutes of this video
    Edited by 1 at 21/08/08 @ 17:20

  • agparrot #79 4 years ago

    *laughs at all the hypocritical 360 fanboys who sneered at Miis when the Wii came out*

    This would be a much better comment with links, and we could all have a good laugh at it.

  • soviet_ #80 4 years ago

    It's free so whatever, looks alright

  • yagisencho #81 4 years ago

    "It's not going to be a T-shirt with a Banjo logo on it or anything like that."

    Well, crud. I wanted a Kazooie shirt!

  • Les #82 4 years ago

    Too little, too late. Nobody cares for the 360 and this will change nothing about that fact. Funny how MS keeps saying they're not in direct competition with the Wii but do nothing but rip it off... But it is impressive that they've been able to pull it off before Sony launches home, if we'll ever see that this gen...

  • Les #83 4 years ago

    "Ah, it is funny when sony or nintendo copy something it is considered originality but when ms copies something, people moan about the lack of it."

    No, but that's the typical reaction of an MS fanboy: It's in the eye of the beholder... And let's be fair, nothing of value was ever created in-house by MS. They rip off (badly) or buy out. It's hard to shake that business culture.

  • YourMessageHere #84 4 years ago

    So wait, if having a total visual overhaul forced on you is not grounds for loud complaint if you happen not to like it, under what circumstances is it OK to express your displeasure? Just because something is free doesn't mean you can't complain about it if you have a problem with it.

    Also, what is with this whole "avatars that inevitably look like Fisher-Price toys from 1978" trend? Am I the only person who wants an avatar creation system that is capable of being as caricaturish or as photorealistic as possible?

  • Xerx3s #85 4 years ago

    "This would be a much better comment with links, and we could all have a good laugh at it. "

    Not to mention that most people think it's p00 (you must be reading different comments as I haven't read one positive one).

  • Xerx3s #86 4 years ago

    "No, but that's the typical reaction of an MS fanboy: It's in the eye of the beholder... And let's be fair, nothing of value was ever created in-house by MS. They rip off (badly) or buy out. It's hard to shake that business culture."

    And that's a typical comment from a nintendo fanboy, so far up their own arse that they can't see how much bs their are cramming our of their mouth. Not that anything less was to be expected from you.

    "Nobody cares for the 360"

    Obviously you care enough to post your petty hate posts. Not that anyone will care for it as the rest of us will be playing all those awesome games on that machine nobody cares for.
    Edited by 1 at 21/08/08 @ 22:30

  • Les #87 4 years ago

    "Not that anyone will care for it as the rest of us will be playing all those awesome games on that machine nobody cares for"

    The rest of you is but a rather vocal but nonetheless very small group. And rather over-represented at EG forums, which isn't surprising as the EG staff consists entirely of hardcore pixel lovers.

    But you made me laugh by calling me a Nintendo fanboy and as I' not in to good a mood tonight, that's appreciated. :)

  • DjFlex52 #88 4 years ago

    The rest of you is but a rather vocal but nonetheless very small group. And rather over-represented at EG forums, which isn't surprising as the EG staff consists entirely of hardcore pixel lovers.
    But you made me laugh by calling me a Nintendo fanboy and as I' not in to good a mood tonight, that's appreciated. :)

    @Les

    huh???...over 20 million console owners is a very small group?
    aww Les, you're still a condescending, constipated twit.
    BTW, when have you ever been in a good mood?

  • Xerx3s #89 4 years ago

    "The rest of you is but a rather vocal but nonetheless very small group. And rather over-represented at EG forums, which isn't surprising as the EG staff consists entirely of hardcore pixel lovers. "

    Irony.


    "But you made me laugh by calling me a Nintendo fanboy and as I' not in to good a mood tonight, that's appreciated. :) "

    I know what I am but you clearly have delusions about what you are, which is rather sad.

  • Chaote-Imagicka #90 4 years ago

    Wow. Get that looked at. That is definitely not normal.

    Wilco and obviously I retract that part of my objection. I assumed it was normal as it's been like that since the last time the dashboard updated.

    Some people need to learn what *fun* is.

    Fun is not having to make an avatar I don't want to have. Miis are entirely avoidable and in the context of of playing wii sports with nephews/nieces I kind of like them (hell I even updated mine when I grew a beard and again when I put on some weight). This avatar wank isn't optional and since the only game younger people play on my 360 (Viva Pinata) doesn't use them is also utterly irrelevant to how I want to use my console.

  • RazorObsession #91 4 years ago

    Good to see the rare boys are spending their days casually recreating Hitler in Miitoo form. nothing more important to be getting on with?

    Viva Pinata 2 better rock hard with bells on thats all I know.

    actually come to think of it, will your avatar be able to visit your garden? or fuck up someone elses over live?

  • skuzzbag #92 4 years ago

    I'd just like to add my "this looks shit" comment.

    This looks shit.

    I thought I was buying into a mature brand console. Not some kiddy widdy toss.

  • knocker #93 4 years ago

    "Your little douchebag, by the looks of it, is capable of having a speech bubble with your existing gamerpics in them."

    what a load of shit.

    I have a daft, immature and explicitly non-human gamertag - based for no reason whatsoever on cats.

    I chose an equally daft, immature gamer pic on the same theme. It worked in a daft, immature way. Having a little playmobile representation of a person breaks it. So - points wasted on gamerpics, more points to spend on changing my gamertag - just because someone wanted to "humanize" the thing.

    Don't like the style either ... too realistic to look like caricatures, not detailed enough to look realistic. Other than the clothing it looks like Mii V1.1 but that's subjective.

  • Lawlost #94 4 years ago

    Looking forward to the next dashboard, will decide about the ms miis when i get to see them. As to the clothes for them well i never liked dressing dollys even when i was a young child.....

  • Bremenacht #95 4 years ago

    '90 minutes north of London'

    Cor. What was it like?
    Did you see the northern lights, and polar bears?

  • WinterSnowblind #96 4 years ago

    @Chaote-Imagicka

    The avatars are 100% optional.

  • ronuds #97 4 years ago

    What's wrong with you people? It clearly says in the preview that 3 clicks and you never have to bother with an avatar again and yet you're acting like it's going to be a major part of the rest of your lives.

    Also, enough with the "wii-too" nonsense. Mii's aren't a new idea whatsoever, yet I don't hear Nintendo being knocked for it. And, yeah, Sony's giving us an avatar-type feature as well, so just get over it already. Ya know, 'cause Nintendo has never copied MS or Sony or anything because they're just so perfect and original. The Wii-mote was the 1st ever device to have motion tracking and the little blue led on the Wii's face was the 1st ever as well. It's a load of shit and we all know it. But I suppose if you want to continue making yourselves sound foolish, please continue.

    Personally, if they have decent enough outfits, I can see myself liking this. I'm sure my wife will need to have her own little avatar to show off.
    Edited by 1 at 22/08/08 @ 22:40

  • dryden555 #98 4 years ago

    love the 360 but could care less about personal avatars....

  • Lov3 #99 4 years ago

    You know, in school we learn that if you plagarise other peoples work you will fail. Theres a life lesson to be learned there i'd say.

  • subtlesnake #100 4 years ago

    "You know, in school we learn that if you plagarise other peoples work you will fail. Theres a life lesson to be learned there i'd say."

    It's pretty hard to make progress without building off the achievements of others, don't you think?

  • smelly #101 4 years ago

    bit of a pisser to people who've just bought the gemma atkinson skin though isnt it?

  • smelly #102 4 years ago

    @skuzzbag "I thought I was buying into a mature brand console. Not some kiddy widdy toss. "


    Oh do grow up you child

  • Krun #103 4 years ago

    So far they don't look very good at all. The whole thing seems a pointless and ugly addition. I'm not entirely sure why the xbox needed this, maybe I'll find out when I get the update. But I'm cynical that it will be anything but a gimmick.

    It may be free (as so many keep telling us), but that doesn't really help. If people had to pay for it I doubt many would have bothered. A better and easy to navigate dashboard is all that was needed. These bandwagon "avatars" sound like the result of a focus group and some marketing departments "big idea".

  • ronuds #104 4 years ago

    "You know, in school we learn that if you plagarise other peoples work you will fail. Theres a life lesson to be learned there i'd say."

    Nintendo fails too then.

    Please, somebody look up the history of avatars before believing that Nintendo was the very first to ever use them. Please make yourself look somewhat intelligent and do this for your own good.

  • ABXY #105 3 years ago

    If it works and makes a company money, copy it!!! and then hopefully improve on it!

    Avatars will one day replace real people, us humans will just control them from darkend rooms, drinking beer and smoking heavily.

    i'm not fussed with avatars, wont kill ya... variety of life and all that.
    Edited by 1 at 10/10/08 @ 12:40