Even more details on the update (Including some answers to your DivX questions)

The team that worked on the latest dashboard update has posted some details on the upcoming video enhancements that will arrive next week. If you are into video, this post is well worth the read.

This post has a much more detailed list of the changes in the update, which is the same list you’ll find on Xbox.com

Final Fall Dashboard update details

Xbox.com has posted an article that outlines features that you can expect in the Dashboard update which will hit next week. As was reported last week, this free update will be available on December 4th.

Here are some of the highlight from the article:

• Xbox Originals – With this new service, announced on Nov. 13, consumers can download-to-own full original Xbox games that were previously only available at retail. The digital shelves will always be stocked with classic titles, such as “Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex” “Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge,” “Halo,” “Fable,” “Fuzion Frenzy,” “Psychonauts,” and more as the catalogue grows over time, at 1200 Microsoft Points per game.
• Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits – On Xbox LIVE Arcade, the Arcade Hits program kicks off where some of the best selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games will become available at permanently reduced prices, making it easier than ever for everyone to build a library of downloadable games! The first games to become Arcade Hits will be “Bankshot Billiards 2” and “Lumines LIVE,” which will be available for 800 Microsoft Points each, and “Marble Blast Ultra,” “Small Arms” and “Zuma Deluxe,” which will be available for 400 Microsoft Points each. With free trial downloads for every game and over 100 games to choose from, Xbox LIVE Arcade offers something for every member of the family.
• Inside Xbox – A new direct feed brings current news straight from Xbox.com into the Xbox LIVE Dashboard providing members an easy, predictable entry point where they can discover what's new in game releases, events, and Xbox LIVE Marketplace offers. (It will also feature brief weekly segments from myself, TriXie, Games Editor Denny Atkin, and SoozyQ.)
• Enhanced online profile – Members interested in sharing a few more details about themselves will have the option to go beyond their motto and further personalize their profile with an expanded bio.  The extended bios will be visible to “Friends Only” or the entire Xbox LIVE community. 
• Expanded Friends List access – A quick and easy way for gamers to expand their personal community on Xbox LIVE, members will be able to see the Friends Lists of other Xbox LIVE members, boosting their social networking experience on the service.
• Enhanced Parental Controls – Family Timer, a strong and flexible new addition to the Xbox 360 Family Settings, enables parents to set the amount of time their Xbox 360 can be used on a per-day or per-week basis by their children or other members of the household.
• New video features – The convenience of full-screen movie previews and enhanced video codec support further expand the options when it comes to the Xbox 360 entertainment experience.
  Easy-to-use navigation features – With several noteworthy changes in the Xbox LIVE Dashboard, from the new Game Store button to the Video Store button to enhanced visuals and descriptions in the video library, Xbox LIVE members can find what they want, when they want it. 
  

Edit: If you just want a plain old list of update…hit this page on Xbox.com

Child Account Graduation and Changing Live ID Association

In addition to the list of new dashboard features that were announced today, there are a few more that were not included in the press release that I think may be of interest to some longtime blog readers. After the update, there will be two new choices in the account management section of the dashboard:
 
The ability to change the Windows LIVE ID associated with and Xbox LIVE account.
The description pretty much says it all, but choosing this option changes the Windows Live ID associated with your Xbox LIVE account. It will also transfer all your Microsoft points to the new Windows Live ID as well. Here are some screen shots that show what this looks like in the dash.

Promote your Xbox LIVE child account to an adult account.
If you were not yet 18 when you signed up for Xbox LIVE, your account was designated a child account. Child accounts are tied to a parent's Windows Live ID to control Family Settings, and some features of Xbox LIVE are restricted. After you turn 18, (how about "Now, if you're over 18, or when you turn 18") you can promote your child account to an adult account. If you signed up for Xbox LIVE with a child account and have since turned 18, after the update you'll see a new option at the very top of the Account Management section of the dashboard. The 'Promote Child Account" will allow you to promote an Xbox LIVE account that is a child account to an adult account. This promotion removes the Family Settings and Xbox LIVE restrictions. To promote your account, you must agree again to the Xbox LIVE Terms of Use and marketing opt-ins. If a parent's credit card was on your account, you must also enter a new one to replace it. (Yes, you can use pre-paid Debit cards as well.)

Here are some screen shots that show what this looks like in the dash.

Another new feature that may be of interest to some: this update will also allow Under-18 Xbox LIVE members to now use Messenger on Xbox 360.

Edit: Clarified that Debit cards are needed to replace a parental Credit Card.

Edit: This is now available on Xbox.com.  There's an option on My Xbox > Manage Profile page called Promote Account.  LIVE users can upgrade from their child status that way.  Just like on the console, they need to supply a credit card to replace their current one.

Marketplace Roundup for November 28, 2007

Theme

Title: DIG DUG

Title: Bomberman LIVE

Title: Pac-Man C.E.

Trailer

Title: Beowulf

In Game Content

Title: Speedball 2

Title: EXIT

Gamer Picture

Video

Title: Major League Gaming

Arcade: Atari Asteroids/Asteroids Deluxe

November '07 Back Compat Update

The Holiday comes a little early this year, as the BC team has just issued out another update. The latest backwards compatibility update is now available over Xbox Live (or will be very soon.) This free update brings the complete list of original Xbox games that you can play on your Xbox 360 to over 300. Remember, your original Xbox games will look better than ever on Xbox 360 running in 720p and 1080i with anti-aliasing.  You can also play cross-platform between Xbox 360 and the original Xbox over Xbox Live.

Nvember 2007 Back Compat titles added:
2006 Fifa World Cup Germany
25 to Life
AMF Bowling 2004
Apex
Arena Football
Armed and Dangerous
Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance
Batman Rise of Sin Tzu
Bionicle
Blade II
Blinx: The Timesweeper
Blitz The League
Blood Omen 2
Blowout
Breakdown
Burnout 2: Point of Impact
Cabelas Dangerous Hunts 2
Championship Manager 2006
Colin Mcrae Rally 2005
Crime Life: Gang Wars
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2
Dungeons& Dragons Heroes
ESPN College Hoops 2k5
ESPN NFL 2k5
Fantastic 4
FIFA 06 Soccer
Fight Night: Round 3
Final Fight: Streetwise
Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
Freedom Fighters
Freestyle Street Soccer
Future Tactics: The Uprising
Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee
Godzilla Save the Earth
Goldeneye Rogue Agent
Greg Hastings Tournament Paintball Max'd
High Heat MLB 2004
Hunter: The Reckoning
Indiana Jones And The Emperors Tomb
MLB Slugfest Loaded
MVP Baseball 2003
MVP Baseball 2004
Nascar Thunder 2002
Nascar Thunder 2003
NBA 2k3
NBA Ballers
NBA Inside Drive 2002
NBA Street V3
NCAA College Basketball 2k3
NCAA March Madness 2005
NCAA March Madness 2006
NFL 2k2
NFL 2k3
NHL 2005
NHL 2K3
NHL Hitz Pro
Nightcaster: Defeat The Darkness
NTRA Breeders Cup: World Thoroughbred Championships
Playboy The Mansion
RLH Hunt or be Hunted
Robin Hood: Defender of the Crown
Rocky
Rugby 2006
Shattered Union
Shrek Super Party
Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter
Starsky & Hutch
Syberia II
Techmo Classic Arcade
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Test Drive
The Bard's Tale
The Chronicles of Narnia The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
The Guy Game
The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age
Thousand Land
Thrillville
Tom and Jerry in War of the Whiskers
Turok: Evolution
Van Helsing
WarPath
Worms 3D
Zathura

I am working on a PDF file of the BC list for download, with my goal to get that posted later today. In the meantime, just sign into Xbox LIVE and drop any of the games on this list and you should get a prompt for the update. If you don’t get a prompt, try again later today as the update is just being rolled out. An updated ISO file for you to download is also available on Xbox.com

Edit: The PDF file is now available here [Download the November 2007 Back Compat list in PDF format] (10 Pages/60k)

LIVE Activity for week of 11/19

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (UU’s)
1 Halo 3
2 Call of Duty 4
3 Assassin's Creed
4 Guitar Hero III
5 Gears of War
6 Mass Effect
7 Madden NFL 08
8 MX vs. ATV: Untamed DEMO
9 Guitar Hero II
10 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas

Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions)
1 Undertow
2 Screwjumper!
3 Shrek-n-Roll
4 Switchball
5 Word Puzzle
6 Battlestar Galactica
7 3D Ultra™ Minigolf Adventures
8 Bomberman LIVE
9 Bankshot Billiards 2
10 Alien Hominid HD
The arcade list is based on full versions purchased.

Original Xbox Top Live Games
1 Halo 2
2 Battlefield 2: MC
3 Counter-Strike
4 Madden NFL 08
5 Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
6 Call of Duty 3
7 Rainbow Six 3
8 Madden NFL 07
9 Ghost Recon 2
10 Rainbow Six 3 BA

These lists are based on global unique users connected to Xbox Live or in the case of Arcade, full versions purchased this week.

Rock Band Content

The following Rock Band content is now available on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace:

Content: "Queen ***"*
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: United States
Dash Text: [ESRB: T (Teen) MILD LYRICS,MILD SUGGESTIVE THEMES] Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track. *"Queen ***" is a cover version of a song made famous by David Bowie. PLEASE NOTE: Many Rock Band song game tracks are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. These song game tracks are exactly the same (unless expressly noted as a special version or remix). Be aware that it is possible to download the same song game track twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For music credits, visit www.RockBand.com. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Content: "Moonage Daydream"
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: United States
Dash Text: [ESRB: T (Teen) MILD LYRICS,MILD SUGGESTIVE THEMES] Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track: "Moonage Daydream"--David Bowie. PLEASE NOTE: Many Rock Band song game tracks are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. These song game tracks are exactly the same (unless expressly noted as a special version or remix). Be aware that it is possible to download the same song game track twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For music credits, visit www.RockBand.com. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Content: "Heroes"*
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: United States
Dash Text: [ESRB: T (Teen) MILD LYRICS,MILD SUGGESTIVE THEMES] Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game track. *"Heroes" is a cover version of a song made famous by David Bowie. PLEASE NOTE: Many Rock Band song game tracks are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. These song game tracks are exactly the same (unless expressly noted as a special version or remix). Be aware that it is possible to download the same song game track twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For music credits, visit www.RockBand.com. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

This week on Arcade: Asteroids (x2)

Fall Dash update coming next week (Dec. 4th.)

It was just confirmed that the Fall Dashboard update will be released next Tuesday, December 4th. One of the new features that will be part of the release is ‘Friends of Friends.’ With this new features, you’ll be able to browse the friends list of anyone on your Xbox LIVE friends list and send anyone on your friends list a friends request. We’re also adding a ‘Friends List’ setting in the Dashboard* and on Xbox.com to allow you to control who can see your friends list. 

-Everyone (only available to members 18 and older)
-Friends only (available to members 13 and older)
-Blocked (available to all members, and automatic for anyone under the age of 13)

It’s important to mention that when the dashboard update is released, the new default setting will be Everyone (assuming you are of age). For those members that not want to share their friend list, we’ve added a page on Xbox.com that is available today where you can modify this setting as you see fit. If you want to keep your friends list private, you can sign into Xbox.com now at www.xbox.com/fof and change the setting to Blocked (if you so desire.) This gives you a full week to decide which setting you would like for this new feature.

If you want to fully embrace the new feature, you don’t need to thing except wait for the update next week.

[Read the press release on Xbox.com]

*This setting will appear in the dash next week with the update.

Edit: No this is not the only feature for the fall update. There are more, but this is all that is being released at this time (along with the previously announced Xbox Originals) I also clarified that you have to be over 18 to have this set to everyone when it launches next week.

Edit: Regarding those who have child accounts but who are now over 18..we are very aware of this and we are working on the technology to properly 'graduate' your account (the official term.) We'll have details on this very soon ;)

Also, you can change this setting as often as you’d like. It’s not a one time switch…not sure why people think that.

Show #257 The one after the (U.S.) Thanksgiving

This week’s show: 
This is more of a mini-show, as I don’t do any of the my normal weekly features.
I will return to my regular show format next week.

Get the blogcast
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3) Listen in iTunes? Submit a review
[RSS] Add the Major Nelson Blogcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically (MP3).
[MP3] Download the show (MP3)

Format:
00:40:32, 11.8 MB, MP3

Show #257 (WMA) The one after the (U.S.) Thanksgiving

This week’s show: 
This is more of a mini-show, as I don’t do any of the my normal weekly features.
I will return to my regular show format next week.


Get the blogcast
[RSS] Add the Major Nelson Blogcast feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically (WMA).
[WMA] Download the show (WMA)

Format:
00:40:32, 12.2 MB, WMA

Marketplace Roundup for November 23, 2007

Trailer

Gamer Picture

Video

Title: Kane & Lynch: Dead Men

Demo: The Orange Box: HL2 Episode Two

Guitar Hero III: Halo Theme Mjolnir Mix (Free)

Marketplace Roundup for November 21, 2007

Theme

Title: Blacksite

Title: Golden Compass

Trailer

Title: Mass Effect

Title: Blacksite

In Game Content

Title: Thrillville: OTR

Title: ACE COMBAT 6

Title: Beautiful Katamari

Title: Naruto Rise Of A Ninja

Gamer Picture

Title: Blacksite

Title: Golden Compass