Hi Everybody!
Microsoft just announced at the E3 2008 briefing a completely new interface for the Xbox 360 coming this fall with an all new avatar system similar to that on the Wii. The new Xbox 360 interface looks clean and user-friendly. Paired with being able to kick off the avatar community with about 12 million users will give Microsoft an edge. What is interesting is also the style break of the first shooter hard core games Microsoft just showed with the very cute looking avatars. 
Avatars will allow 360 owners to create their own virtual self, complete with an assortment of hairstyles, clothes (including pants, shirts, and hats), and accessories. While Nintendo’s Wii had Mii avatars at launch, and Sony’s Home avatars have been announced coming to the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360 avatars seem to be a balance between the stylised look of Miis, and the more realistically proportioned Home avatars. The currently signed-in account’s avatar is displayed next to their gamertag and achievement points in the My Xbox channel. The fully customizable avatars, designed by Rare, can be imported into other games to be used as playable characters. New channels include the My Xbox channel, which includes games, photos and video. The friend list will now be manifested as “Community,” which uses the avatars to designate whether or not a friend is signed on.
The new features will place an emphasis on community with IM, video chat, and photo sharing, along with a brand new 3D slide interface for the main Dashboard screen. The Avatars will be integrated into your GamerCard, but you can also create a “Live party” and invite your friends, with as many as 8 of your three dimensional homies hanging out at once — though you’re not hanging out in an actual 3D environment.
The interface looks somewhat similar to Vista Media Center in its basic structure, but with more emphasis on visuals. Also, a new “party” mode will allow an 8 person chat to be carried out regardless of where you are within the Xbox Live community. This party can also move as a group through different games in XBLA and their new Primetime feature, which has multiplayer-oriented party games like 1 vs. 100 and UNO. The update is expected to come in the fall.
