Xbox Live's Major Nelson : dashboard

Xbox 360 Dash update is now available

Major Nelson — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:03:00 GMT

I am happy to announce that the latest dashboard update has now been officially released and is in process of being rolled out across the LIVE service. For many of you, the next time you sign in to Xbox LIVE, you will be prompted to receive the update. A couple of things to keep in mind over the next few hours as the update is deployed:

You’ll be prompted to accept the update when you sign into Xbox Live sometime in the next few hours. You will only receive the prompt for the update upon sign in. You won’t get it in middle of a game.
Regardless of what you have heard, it's not geographically based. No one area of the world will get it before another.
If you log out and then back in again, this won’t force the update…it will only anger people on your friends list who will see you sign in, then out, then in, then out …
Be patient, everyone will eventually receive the update

This article on Xbox.com outlines the major features.

Once you download the update and have had some time to play around with the new features, which one is your favorite?

Reminder: Update your Friends of Friends setting

Major Nelson — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 08:43:00 GMT

Tomorrow’s dashboard update will bring the ‘Friends of Friends’ feature to your Xbox 360’s friends list. This is a friendly reminder that if want to change the default settings of ‘Everyone’ (where anyone can see who is on your Xbox LIVE Friends list) then please take this time to visit Xbox.com to change the setting. If you want to keep the default, then you can just sit back and relax and wait for the update to hit tomorrow morning. After the update, you can change this setting as needed in your console or on Xbox.com.

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

Major Nelson — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:16:04 GMT

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

Major Nelson — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:01:00 GMT

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

Major Nelson — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:01:00 GMT

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.

Red vs. Blue Episodes 1-5

Major Nelson — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:30:00 GMT

Name: Episode 01 - Why Are We Here?
Price: 80 points
Availability: All Xbox Live regions
Dash Details: The first episode of Red vs. Blue introduces the main characters, and poses the all-important question, why are we here?
Size: 77.7 MB (Approx.)

Name: Episode 02 - Red Gets a Delivery
Price: 80 points
Availability: All Xbox Live regions
Dash Details: The Reds get a new piece of equipment, and Grif has a problem with its name.
Size: 109.2 MB (Approx.)

Name: Episode 03 - The Rookies
Price: 80 points
Availability: All Xbox Live regions
Dash Details: The Red and Blue armies get new recruits.
Size: 94.5 MB (Approx.)

Name: Episode 04 - Head Noob in Charge
Price: 80 points
Availability: All Xbox Live regions
Dash Details: Caboose is given the job of "guarding the flag". Donut goes to the store.
Size: 136.3 MB (Approx.)

Name: Episode 05 - The Package is in the Open
Price: 80 points
Availability: All Xbox Live regions
Dash Details: Donut returns from the store with a surprise.
Size: 118.1 MB (Approx.)

Edit: e clears up some confusion about the availability of this content.

LOST PLANET Multiplayer Maps #2

Major Nelson — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 09:03:41 GMT

Name: LOST PLANET Multiplayer Maps #2!
Price: 400 Points
Availability: All Xbox Live regions
Dash Details: Two additional multiplayer maps are now available for LOST PLANET! The second batch includes "Hive Complex" and "Trial Point."
Size: 161.7 MB (approx.)

Wired Magazine on Blogging

Major Nelson — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 04:38:00 GMT

When you get your March 2007 copy of Wired Magazine, give the cover story a read. It’s how blogging is changing the face of business. The entire reason why I started this blog (and my blogcasts) almost three years ago was to have a conversation about gaming and Xbox.

What do you think of blogging? What companies do you wish would ‘join the conversation’ ?

Also, check out the separate story (in the same issue) about our friends over Channel 9, (and don’t miss my guest appearance in there as well as the rather dramatic ending.)

Don’t care for the analogue nature that is print? Wired has it all online.

How to use the water balloon picture as your dash background

Major Nelson — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 18:31:00 GMT

I just loaded one of the water ballon pictures as my Xbox 360 dashboard background, and it looks pretty good, so I thought I'd go through the steps of you can to do it:

All you need to do is download the hi rez version of this photo, then put it on a USB memory stick. Pop it into your Xbox 360, and sign in with your profile. Once you sign in, go to the Media Blade, then to Pictures. Go to Portable Device (this is your USB memory stick) scroll to find the photo (you'll see a thumbnail) and when you have the photo highlighted, press X. That will make the photo your background on all blades as seen below. (You can not make a different image for each blade, only developers can do that with themes.)

Click the below image to see a full size version of what your dash will look like.

Note: I took this screen grab on my dev kit, so that is why 'Major Nelson' is a silver account and has no gamerscore.