Microsoft is giving its Xbox customers an early Christmas gift on Nov. 19: The Redmond, Wash.-based software giant is offering Xbox 360 owners a chance to upgrade their dashboard with a conversion called the New Xbox Experience (NXE), an upgrade it is dubbing the “ultimate social-entertainment experience” with “something for everyone.”
NXE gives users a new experience with a load of different features, including the creation of avatars and the ability to choose from 10,000 movies and TV shows from Netflix, some of which will be available in high definition.
A Peek in the Box
Members of the press and analysts who have had a chance to preview NXE say the look is snazzy, the experience is superfast, and it shares similarities to Nintendo’s Wii.
Once users download NXE, they will have a chance to create their own avatar, adding as many features as they like — a process that can take anywhere from a few seconds to 10 minutes, depending on how many features are added. Once facial features are added and avatars dressed, they can be used throughout Xbox 360 in games such as SceneIt and in Friends lists.
All users need to do is watch the update download like a typical system update. A status bar will be give consumers an idea of how long the process will take. Once the update is complete, the console will reload to the Xbox welcome page.
Microsoft will not say how long the download will take, but did say Xbox owners should expect a larger download than other dashboard updates, so it will take more time. All users need is 128MB of memory available, but the company also suggests having a hard drive for the best experience.
Of course, Microsoft is willing to sell a 20GB hard drive to those needing an upgrade. The price for…