Microsoft updated the Xbox 360 Dashboard in November of last year, but they’re already slated to make another update to the system. It doesn’t look like this will be graphical, though- Major Nelson says that the next NXE update will make the Dashboard much faster.

Nelson also makes a point of saying that a lot of very cool features will be coming with the update, presumably the Twitter and Facebook applications announced at E3. We don’t have many other details about the update, other than the fact that it’s coming this year.

(via Gizmodo)

Major Nelson, who is currently chilling out and live-blogging in Japan at the Tokyo Game Show, just confirmed that the New Xbox Experience will officially launch on November 19th.  Additionally, he went over some of the new features, such as taking a picture of your Mii Avatar to use as your GamerPic, as well as the ability to surf the Marketplace on the web and buy stuff to be downloaded to your 360 later.

If it weren’t for the stupid new interface, I would be much more excited about this update.  Lots of good features but at the cost of looking totally “casual”.  The gods shall damn thee, Microsoft…

Source: Major Nelson

Major Nelson let loose on his latest podcast that the upcoming Dashboard update for the Xbox 360 will be entirely optional.  Well, you’ll most likely still have to download it, but you can continue to use the old blades system and even forgo the new Miis Avatars and stick with your Gamerpic.  Oh, and you can do it all in game.

Here are the words straight from the Major’s mouth:

“The Dashboard as you know it today, in other words the ‘blades’; Games, Live, Media and System, We’ve taken those blades and moved them to the Guide. Every single function that you can do today in the Dashboard you are going to be able to do in the New Xbox Experience in the Guide.

When you press the Guide button on the Xbox 360 controller, the new Guide will come up and you’re going to be able to do everything in there. You’re going to be able to contextually browse Marketplace, did you know that? So when you have Gears of War 2 of Halo 3 in there you’re going to be able to go straight to that section. And if you don’t like the avatars, they’re not required. You can use your Gamer Pictures.”

Yay!  Microsoft is doing one of the things that I actually like about them: they’re giving me options.  Now they just need to release a Blu-Ray player, and everyone will be happy.

Source: Play.tm