As promised, Microsoft updated the
Xbox 360 dashboard with a number of new and improved features. If you missed the earlier announcement, the update includes:
- Windows Live Messenger integration, so you can text your IM buddies from your 360 (assuming the e-mail you linked to Xbox Live matches your Messenger e-mail, at least for now)
- New Marketplace blade
- Faster Marketplace downloads, plus any queued downloads will continue in low-power mode when you turn off your console (after turning on this Shutdown setting)
- Achievement alerts now show names and point values
- Xbox Live Arcade has a Friends Playing Now section, new boast functionality and an Auto Download option for all trial and free games (not just new ones)
- MPEG-4 Part 2, H.264 and Windows Media protected video support
- Game name appears in console tray
- Marketplace video playback while the file is still downloading (video that I tried was 95% complete before this worked for me!), plus aspect ratios choices (Auto, Letterbox, Zoom, Stretch, Native), chapters and bookmarks
- Enhanced family settings that permit separate selections for video and voice chat
- Suggested deletions to help clear hard drive space if a download exceeds capacity
In other news, there are a few new Marketplace downloads:
- Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Throwback Pack with 7 remastered Ghost Recon multiplayer maps ($10)
- Double Dragon ($5)
- Another Red vs. Blue picture pack ($1)
UPDATE: Look for the
Forza Motorsport 2 demo tomorrow, sometime after 2 a.m. Eastern. Alas, there's no multi-player - but there will be one track and 24 cars to try out, with the racing wheel if you have one...
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