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It’s August 11 folks and that means the Xbox Live New Xbox Experience summer update is now up and running for everyone to download. I’m actually downloading it right now as I’m typing this, so I’ll be able to enjoy all the new perks like Games on Demand, the Avatar Marketplace, new updates to Netflix and more in just a few moments. Oh, I think it just finished downloading. Time to check it out, holla!

Microsoft, modest as ever, are now comparing the launch of the much-awaited New Xbox Experience (NXE), or “firmware update”, with the conversion to colour television. “In 1954, the introduction of colour TV heralded the dawn of a new era in entertainment,” Microsoft said. “On Nov. 19, more than 50 years after that dramatic shift, a new era in home entertainment begins with the New Xbox Experience as millions of Xbox 360™ consoles will transform instantly through the power of software,” they continued, adding “A bold new future begins now.”

We all know Microsoft need to pimp out their new product, especially as they’re trying to steal Nintendo’s market away with thier innovative new avatars, but comparing a firmware update to the advent of colour television is taking it a little too far. The reasoning Microsoft give? “High definition entertainment [will be] delivered in an instant, the best games [will] share the stage with the best movies, and every experience [will be] shared with friends and families, in the same room or around the world.” Well, colour television was all grainy and not even in proper 1080p! How could that possibly be revolutionary in the entertainment world?

Oh and the reason for the Stingray image? It was the first British show to be filmed entirely in colour (sadly not in true HD).

Source: Destructoid via our good friends at Negative Gamer.

I guess it just depends on whether you’re a pessimist or an optimistic pessimist. Speaking with CVG, Microsoft’s Jerry Johnson said “Half the things we wanted to do [in NXE] we cut out of the service.” Although consumers may not have to wait an exorbitant amount of time to see them come to fruition. Read more…

Remember last year, soon after the release of Call of Duty 4, when all the good little boys and girls that got Xbox 360s for Christmas proceeded to destroy Xbox Live? I do, as I’m sure a lot of you do as well, and I know for damn sure that Dan Landis does. When he reported on it last year, the article became a hot topic on Ripten for a good long while.

Well, this year is looking pretty scary with multiplayer heavy hitters Gears of War 2, Call of Duty: World at War, and Left 4 Dead on the horizon, not to mention the New Xbox Experience. All of these hit within the next three weeks. However, Microsoft claims that this year, they’ll be prepared. Read more…

For those lucky enough to get early access to the New Xbox Experience (I envy you), you better not think about sharing it with your friends. They won’t like not being able to play on Xbox LIVE, since the New Xbox Experience will only work with the gamertags of those Microsoft sent it to. Read more…

Stephen Totilo over at the MTV Multiplayer blog decided to spend a portion of his Halloween holiday by treating himself to the “New Xbox Experience”.

Microsoft claims that the NXE will have your Xbox 360 games loading faster than ever before, so Stephen popped in a few titles, hit record, and published the split screen results. Read more…

Sony Computer Entertainment’s Shuhei Yoshida made an appearance at this year’s Tokyo Game Show as one would expect he would. He was there generally representing Sony, but checking out the competition as well.

What’s interesting about Yoshida is instead of bashing on his company’s competitors, he prefers to compliment them instead. Read more…

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

Come Monday, September 29th, Xbox LIVE is shutting down for a full 24 hours. Starting promptly at midnight, everything related to the LIVE service, including a lot of the features on Xbox.com, will be unavailable as Microsoft prepares you for “the cool new stuff coming your way in the new Xbox experience”. Read more…