New 360 Dashboard: You don't have to use it

New 360 Dashboard: "You don't have to use it"

July 21st, 2008, 18:44 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games

If you don't like the look of the new Xbox 360 Dashboard unveiled at E3 last week, then "you don't actually have to use it," says Microsoft's Xbox Live director of programming Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb.

According to The Major, every single function available in current 360 backend will be included in the new, clean-looking Dash', which you can bypass completely if you choose.

"I know that there are some people that aren't going to like the happy, happy, shiny New Xbox Experience. For whatever reason it's not flipping their bit," Hryb said in his latest podcast.

"Here's my message to you: you don't actually have to use it. You can never go there, just leave your game disc in and pretty much do everything that you could before but on the Guide level - one button press away in every single game.

"The Dashboard as you know it today, in other words the 'blades'; Games, Live, Media and System," The Major explained, "We've taken those blades and moved them to the Guide. Every single function that you can do today in the Dashboard you are going to be able to do in the New Xbox Experience in the Guide.

"When you press the Guide button on the Xbox 360 controller, the new Guide will come up and you're going to be able to do everything in there. You're going to be able to contextually browse Marketplace, did you know that? So when you have Gears of War 2 of Halo 3 in there you're going to be able to go straight to that section."

Sounds excellent to us. Even more good news for New Xbox Experience haters comes in the form of Avatars, and how you don't have to use them. "If you don't like the avatars, they're not required. You can use your Gamer Pictures," said Hryb in the podcast. "Your existing and Gamer Pictures and Themes still work," adds co-host 'e'.

If developers choose though, adds the mysterious co-host, they can stick some cool rewards for Avatars in their games.

"I was talking to Todd Howard [Bethesda exec producer]," says The Major, "and he was like, 'hey, I want to talk about Avatars - do you think there's a little hazmat suit for Fallout 3 we could make?" At least they won't be charging for it... (we hope)

The New Xbox Experience will "definitely" be out this year, says Hryb. Watch our video of it in action here.

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