The upcoming Xbox 360 Dashboard update slated for a Dec. 4th release is by no means a secret at this point. News of parental controls and details on the Xbox Originals have been floating around for a few weeks already. Nevertheless, Microsoft issued a formal explanation of all the features that will be contained in this new update. Hit the jump for the full list.
1. Xbox Originals – Download original Xbox games for a mere 1200 MS points and play them from your console just like XLA titles.
2. Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits – Much like greatest hits or platinum hits, Microsoft is reducing the price of the top selling XBLA titles once they hit a certain sales figure. The first titles to achieve this notation are Bankshot Billiards 2 and Lumines LIVE which are dropping to 800 MS points and Marble Blast Ultra, Small Arms, and Zuma Deluxe which drop to 400 MS points.
3. Inside Xbox – This is a new direct news feed from Xbox.com that delivers gaming news straight to your console.
4. Enhanced Online Profile – Microsoft is expanding the details you can share through an expanded bio that is only visible to your friends. They haven’t specified exactly what information you can share in this new profile.
5. Expanded Friends List Access – Microsoft is allowing you to see the friends list of other LIVE members. This is a play to make XBL seem like a social network.
6. Enhanced Parental Controls – Rolling out a Family Timer is a great move and is going to give parents control over how much time can be spent on a per-day or per-week basis. I know this will irritate some of you out there, but as a parent this is a godsend.
7. New Video Features – Enhanced video codec support and full-screen movie previews. I could care less about previews. No list of codecs is out just yet.
8. Navigation Changes – Microsoft changed things up with regards to the layout of your Dashboard. A new button will appear for the Game Store and the Video Store as well as enhanced visuals and descriptions for the video library. Overall, this is supposed to make navigating your Dashboard a little easier. Time will tell.
The 2007 Fall Dashboard update will go live at 2AM PST on Dec. 4th and is a free update for all 360 consoles.
