Xbox360: What HAS changed

Alright, so I was eagerly anticipating the newest large scale upgrade to the Xbox 360 LIVE system. The last upgrade was intense, as it pretty much changed the entire online platform. This upgrade was minimal at best (as was expected, it wasn't supposed to be anything super great). I wrote a blog a few months back after the E3 convention, listing the ways I would improve the Xbox 360 (I also sent it to Xbox). A majority of improvements were made, however not the way they should have been. Here are my thoughts on the latest "improvements".

I'm going to start with the RATINGS SYSTEM. I have been asking for this for about a year. I wanted a legit ratings system, where players can rate a game using a simple 5 star system, quickly from the Xbox Live platform. Xbox FINALLY decided to include this, so now I can see what others rate games. The thing about gaming is, if it has a good rating, chances are its a pretty fucking good game. It might not be your style of game, but it's probably still well worth the rental or purchase. Kudos for Microsoft integrating this extremely simple but helpful tool into the LIVE platform. It looks great and works great.

Next, they have added a feature that allows you to WATCH MOVIES ONLINE WITH YOUR XBOX LIVE FRIENDS. If you don't have an Xbox, let me explain. Xbox allows you to purchase and download pretty much any movie you can get from Blockbuster. It also is integrated with Netflix and allows you to stream movies instantly (like 6 bajillion movies) if you have a monthly membership. This concept allows you to get on your headset with a friend who could live in China and watch a movie together, being able to speak/laugh through the headset to one another. I think this is a cool concept, however, I haven't tested it and probably never will. Does the other friend have to purchase the movie? I have no idea. It's an extra feature that has no point, but i'm sure it will be used by a few people.

Next up is GAMES ON DEMAND. Now, let me throw this at you.....you go out and purchase a $400 gaming system. A gaming system that has the most insanely practical online platform ever seen before anywhere in anything. Now, doesn't it seem obvious that with all the other downloadable content (movies, music, add-ons, xbox original games) that you would be able to PURCHASE and DOWNLOAD a NEW game for the Xbox 360 console???? Yes, it is obvious, but it was not available. For some reason, Microsoft and Xbox didn't think this was a good idea. They are stupid. They lost out on a whole fuck ton of revenue from people (me) who would have purchased the full games online (Halo 3, Saints Row 2, GTA, COD WOW, Fable II, etc.). Instead, these people either 1) Did in fact go out and buy the game at the store. 2) Rented the game 3) Borrowed it from a friend. Either way, they lost money. There are only 24 "newer" games available on the new OnDemand Games section, and the only two that are worth anything are Assasins Creed and BioShock. The rest are old. I am sure this will eventually be larger, so i'm not going to trash it. I'm thrilled that you can purchase the full game, however its not exactly a steal of a deal. For example, Assasins Creed is available on OnDemand for $29.99. You can drive to your local Gamestop right now and purchase a used version of the game for $19.99. I'm curious to see how this pans out....not exactly the "Online Game Rentals" system that im STILL hoping for...but it's a step in the right direction.

Now to the important stuff, CHANGING WHAT YOUR AVATAR LOOKS LIKE! Now unlike the Wii, the avatars on the Xbox are pretty awesome. You can change a lot of stuff on them to reflect your style or inner rockstar or whatever you want. It's the most ridiculous and pointless gaming concept ever created, but people love it, I LOVE IT. In my previous blog, I asked for more options. There was already a wide range of clothes, accessories, shoes, hair styles, etc. All I wanted was to be able to customize the colors, etc. So, Xbox decides to go fucking nuts and create a AVATAR MARKETPLACE. I thought "Sweet! More Clothes!".....then I quickly changed my tune after clicking on the Marketplace and realizing that all of the items cost REAL MONEY. REAL MONEY. ACTUAL FUCKING MONEY THAT YOU WORK FOR. Before putting my fist through my Xbox, I decided to browse the collection to further piss myself off and boy did it.

Here's a few screenshots:

Rad Halo shirt I found in the Xbox Avatar Marketplace. Only 160 fucking Xbox points, which equals....about $2.00.

Woo Hoo Sweet Guitar! I can add this for my Xbox Live friends to see, for another 160 points! Con.

Any Die Hard Splinter Cell fans out there? 400 points (or $5.00) can get you this sweet outfit! Fuck off....

Overall the upgrade was pretty lame and didn't actually change anything that I use. I will NEVER pay for Avatar clothes and accessories, nor will I purchase a full 360 game for $10 more than I can get it at Gamestop. I also will never watch a movie with a friend online because well....when you watch movies you aren't suppose to talk, so what the fuck is the point? I will however use the rating system. Better luck next time Xbox.

~Jamie~

GamerTag: slightlystpd420

jamie@theexperience.fm

www.theexperience.fm

twitter: @jamieexp