[360] New Xbox Experience?

[samuelk]

Has anyone been given early access to the NXE update that's coming on Tuesday?

I just got an e-mail last night saying that I should have the update available by 5pm EST today. Apparently, Microsoft sent out 10,000 more invites.

Anybody else have any experience with this yet? I've heard that the install takes only a couple of minutes, but I'm wondering if there's anything to be wary about.

[Dg3Nr8]

no. I signed up but apparently wasnt cool enough to get in on any of the three rounds. :(

[Creole Ned]

If it goes live (!) on schedule you'll have five days to be cool before the rest of us (especially Dg). I've read that the update is fairly small in terms of actual disk space so it shouldn't take long to install at all. So far everything seems to be positive re: feedback, although there is some debate over the aesthetics (to me it looks like it's designed for 12 year olds, a demographic I don't quite fit into anymore).

The real bad news is that the install-to-HD feature for games apparently doesn't work with Crackdown. :(

[samuelk]

The real bad news is that the install-to-HD feature for games apparently doesn't work with Crackdown. :(

And it apparently makes some games slower! Awesome!

I think this quote from Jerry "Tycho" Holkins is very accurate:

You may be interested to know that the entire [NXE] upgrade process took only three minutes - I've got pretty decent cable, so that probably helped with the initial phase, but it's still pretty startling to have only a couple minutes elapse and then emerge with what feels like new equipment. I would compare this sharply with the Playstation 3 process, which is substantially more fiddly and time consuming, requires inputs from controllers the system has just turned off, are delivered far too frequently, and so forth. Just as the Red Ring establishes that Microsoft is a software company, things like this establish that Sony's expertise lies in hardware.

[Creole Ned]

I'd probably live with a game being a bit slower if it meant I didn't have to listen to the World's Loudest DVD Drive® in action. Also, pop in your Crackdown disc after the update and see if it gives a specific error or whatnot. I read about the incompatibility on Qt3 but there were no details. I want details! (assuming it doesn't make things asplode.)

[Dg3Nr8]

I've been fighting the urge to get one of the larger hard drives for my 360 since the announcement about installing games was made public. Yesterday I was linked to a deal that finally made me cave:

refurbished 120 GB drive (http://www.icraveit.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=10001495-22)

used the 20% off coupon code XBOXMADNESS and USPS priority shipping for a grand total of $88.67. The only bad thing to me is that it doesn't look like it will come with the transfer cable. I've got a friend mailing me his though so hopefully they show about about the same time.

[samuelk]

I'd probably live with a game being a bit slower if it meant I didn't have to listen to the World's Loudest DVD Drive® in action. Also, pop in your Crackdown disc after the update and see if it gives a specific error or whatnot. I read about the incompatibility on Qt3 but there were no details. I want details! (assuming it doesn't make things asplode.)

I don't have Crackdown anymore. :(

[Creole Ned]

:o

/scratches Sam off the list of people available to finish Crackdown in co-op with

[samuelk]

Yeah, I sold Crackdown and bought Mass Effect....which I also don't have anymore, because I lent it to a coworker friend, whose 360 -- along with all of his games, and my copy of Mass Effect -- were stolen when someone broke into his house. :(

[Creole Ned]

/scratches Sam off the "guy to go to for good luck" list

Did you at least get to finish ME first?

[samuelk]

/scratches Sam off the "guy to go to for good luck" list

Did you at least get to finish ME first?

Yes. I don't usually lend out games until I finish them. I'm selfish that way.

[samuelk]

Well, I downloaded the NXE this evening, and after spending a few hours playing around with it, I can say that it's a definite improvement. Overall, the NXE is faster and more responsive than the old 360 dashboard.

I'm currently installing Gears of War 2 to my hard drive, which takes about 10 minutes.

Netflix HD streaming works really well, although there's really no way to tell if a movie/tv show is available in HD until you start streaming it, so that's annoying.

HD playback is quite nice, and videos queue up in about 15 seconds once the system determines your bandwidth/playback quality.

NXE avatars are kind of a Wii/Mii ripoff, but they're much more detailed and customizable.

I just finished installing GoW2 to the hard drive, and for the most part, there's no really huge decrease in load times. Although it is nice to play without hearing the 360's jet engine disc drive running.

[Circuit]

So does installing a game to the HDD prevent the disc from having to spin up after the initial load? I wouldn't care so much about improving load times as I would preventing the super loud DVD drive from spinning all the time.

[samuelk]

So does installing a game to the HDD prevent the disc from having to spin up after the initial load? I wouldn't care so much about improving load times as I would preventing the super loud DVD drive from spinning all the time.

Yeah, that's pretty much it. The disc spins up when you launch the game (to verify that you actually own it), and then it goes quiet.

Another interesting thing is that the old dashboard is sort of preserved in a sort of "mini dashboard" that opens when you hit the silver Xbox button on the controller.

In fact, you can pretty much do everything on the mini-dashboard that you can from the NXE interface, so if you don't like the NXE, you can just hit the Xbox button as soon as the console starts, and navigate everywhere from the mini-dash.

Also, not that it's really important, but gone is the familiar sweeping Xbox logo that animates when you boot up the 360. It has been replaced with a more "melty" logo. And when you first install the NXE update, you're treated to a very weird NXE intro movie. Given how quickly the NXE update downloaded, I'm not sure how they managed to also download a high-def video that lasts 30 seconds or so. For some reason, there's an entire panel in the NXE devoted to replaying the intro video. IT'S JUST THAT GOOD.

The NXE update eliminates one of the advantages I think the PS3 had over the 360, and that was the responsiveness of it's interface. The PS3's cross media bar was nice and slick, and I think the NXE is a step in the same direction.

[Circuit]

The PS3's media bar thing is nice because it's simple and efficient. Which begs the question, "what the hell happened with the PSN store?".

[Creole Ned]

The install-to-HD feature is easily the one I'm most looking forward to. My 360 is connected to my monitor (via HDMI) and sits on the same desk, so it's pretty close. Playing a game from DVD is like watching jets take off at the airport. From on the runway.

[Iceman]

In response to previous posts.

Your drive is too loud? Yeah I agree this is a problem when I'm first loading a game or turning on the console, but once the game starts it's drowned out by the speakers. If you're complaining about the noise of the jet engine, just turn up your speakers/sub.

The cross media bar is slick? I've had a PSP, and I currently have an HD Sony TV and think that the Cross-Bar is among the most clunky designed interfaces I've used.
My cell phone has a better interface than this.
How does it know what I'm try to take a picture? It just does, and always displays the camera function... How does it always know what word I'm trying to type? Magic! (Except for the words "duck" and "shiv")

Honestly, I'm disapointed that Sony has elected to stick with it. It seems like they just decided to list every possible function side by side, and let us decide what list we belong on. I really think the menus should be more dynamic on Sony products... It should depend on what keys you pressed, and on what screen. You're in the middle of a movie or game and you pressed the "menu" button? You probably want to adjust color or motion enhancer settings...
Why the hell do I want just as easy access to setting a sleep timer, or wakeup alarm as I do to the motion enhancer, or display size/profile?

Other than that. I've got no comment on the new live experience as I too am not cool enough to download it yet.

[Creole Ned]

My speakers are a pair of headphones and my Xbox sits about two feet away from me. I'm not going deaf to compensate for Microsoft's lousy hardware. :P

[Patton]

I am very excited about this.

Looking forward to the NetFlix integration.

[Dg3Nr8]

NXE is available now if you're interested in grabbing it right away. It disturbed my Fallout 3 playing. >:(

[Dg3Nr8]

well, it looks like its only available for the people who had signed up for the beta but werent selected during the actual beta.

http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/beerrun/avatar-body.png

[Creole Ned]

So very wrong.

[Dg3Nr8]

So very wrong.

the beehive is so very right!

[samuelk]

It should be available for everyone tomorrow, I think.

[Patton]

I wants it today.

I knew I should have signed up.

Really looking forward to the Fable 2 improvements from copying the disc.

[jackrabbit]

The avatars look like the weird wooden stop-motion puppets in the Christmas Specials of yore.

And by that I mean they look really fucking creepy.

[Tai]

Thunderbirds.... HOOOOOO!

[Creole Ned]

The avatars look like the weird wooden stop-motion puppets in the Christmas Specials of yore.

And by that I mean they look really fucking creepy.
Yes. This. They look creepy and strangely effete.

[Circuit]

I'm sure I'll be paying as much attention to them as I do the current user pics. Hopefully they don't jump around my screen every time a friend comes online.

[Creole Ned]

In real life I stand up straight.

http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/Creole%20Ned/avatar-body.png

[Circuit]

I couldn't figure out a way to make a dude that didn't look effeminate, so I just cobbled together some awesome.

http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/Stuperhero/avatar-body.png

[Patton]

http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/PattonMC/avatar-body.png

The NetFlix integration is absolutely amazing.

I really dig the new interface.

Looking forward to putting in some more time with Fable 2.

Well, I was.

[jackrabbit]

I need to speak to my tailor about pants that fit, and to my personal trainer about this girl body.

http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/warbunny/avatar-body.png

[Tai]

I'm scared to turn mine on now. I don't suppose they have any long haired country boy avatars?

[jackrabbit]

they do.

[samuelk]

I'm a plain ol' vanilla white boy.

http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/SamuelK1973/avatar-body.png

And I do own clothes almost exactly like those.

[Circuit]

There's probably no chance of them ever putting extra avatar clothes and accessories for MS points I bet.

[Creole Ned]

I took it as a challenge to make the avatar look as much like me as possible. I mean, there's no irony in a gay Ned, so what the hell?

But I'll probably do a make-over and turn it into a vampire zombie solider or something.

Also, the new interface is roughly a billion times faster. Definitely liking that.

[Patton]

My avatar looks like me since I shaved my head. And I do have clothes like that.

I'm not nearly that menacing, though.

[jackrabbit]

Patton's avatar looks like "Chuck Brown: Barista Years." that was on TBS last fall.

[Iceman]

http://avatar.xboxlive.com/avatar/QBiceman/avatar-body.png