Leveling Down

Your newly created Avatar shows up on your profile at Xbox.com

For those of you that didn’t know, the New Xbox Experience is now live and will automatically download to your 360 the next time you turn it on. The major features of the update are:

1. New Dashboard Interface
2. Avatars and Avatar integration in upcoming Live Arcade games
3. Xbox LIVE Party – up to eight friends in a voice chatroom that can also join games together
4. Netflix instant streaming in HD
5. Fully install any game on the HDD to speed up loading
6. Delete any games with 0 Gamerscore on your profile

I downloaded it this morning before I left for work and gave it a quick look. After a quick installation, there’s a cool dramatic opening that makes you feel like you’re about to experience something great. Before you get into the new Dashboard you are forced to create an Avatar, which I hastily did in 5 minutes. Not as much detail in terms of facial design compared to the Mii’s on the Wii (you can’t move facial features around on the face), but it’s ok. Thankfully, you have an option of either keeping your Gamerpic or using your Avatar as your new Gamerpic. I stuck with my current Gamerpic.

After I created my Avatar I just sort of browsed through the new Dashboard and noticed that it seems like there’s just a lot more advertising. It’s like Microsoft made everything more compact in order to throw more ads onto the screen! To be honest I was underwhelmed with the update considering I was pretty excited before it released. I guess the biggest thing will be the Xbox LIVE party feature, which I will still have to test out. I’m still skeptical though that the party feature will get you and all of your friends on one team. Only one way to find out though I suppose!

New Xbox Experience [Xbox.com]

If you’re like me and realizing that your Gold subscription is going to end in a few months, you may need to get another one (you can go to Xbox.com and check your account information for when your Gold subscription expires). Newegg is offer both options for good prices with free shipping (and no tax for NY residents!). Amazon is also matching the 13 month price.

XBox Live 13 Month Card: [$38.99 Newegg] [$38.99 Amazon]

Xbox Live 12 Month Card bundle: [$59.99 Newegg]
Bundle includes chatpad, new headset compatible with regular controller and chatpad, and Project Gotham Racing 4

I guess what it comes down to is whether you think $20 more dollars is worth it for a chatpad, headset, and the Project Gotham Racing 4 game. I have a chatpad myself and it’s pretty useful when I want to type long messages to people and the pad + headset bundle already retails for $29.99 itself. In fact, I am considering buying the bundle even though I already have a chatpad…

Valid today only (Wed, 11/19). Buy any 2 games from this list and receive $25 off a future video game purchase. Buy any 3 games from this list and receive $50 off a future video game purchase. Each title must be unique, so you can’t buy a copy for yourself and a friend, for example.

Xbox 360
Grand Theft Auto IV [$37.99]
Fallout 3 [$59.99]
Fable II [$59.99]
Far Cry 2 [$59.99]
Gears of War 2 [$59.99]

Playstation 3
Grand Theft Auto IV [$53.99]
Little Big Planet [$59.99]
Fallout 3 [$59.99]
Far Cry 2 [$59.99]
Resistance 2 [$59.99]

Nintendo Wii
Super Smash Bros. Brawl [$39.99]
Animal Crossing: City Folk [$49.99]
Wario Land: Shake It! [$49.99]
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed [$49.99]
Wii Music [$49.99]

PC
Fallout 3 [$49.99]
Spore [$439.99]
Call of Duty: World at War [$49.99]
Far Cry 2 [$49.99]
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning [$46.99]

Why did they not have Call of Duty: World at War for 360 on this list?! Dang it I would have gotten that, Gears of War 2, and Fallout 3 with this deal. I guess I’ll probably skip out then and wait until a better deal comes along.

Amazon.com’s Video Games Countdown to Black Friday [Amazon.com]