During the Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft made its highly anticipated announcement about its interface redesigning project which will take the Xbox Live service to the next level.
The update is called "New Xbox Experience" and is scheduled for a simultaneous launch in 26 countries on November 19 in 19 different languages.
Xbox Live’s Marketplace has also been redesigned and will provide users more detailed descriptions, screenshots and also easier access to information about titles.
The new experience offered by Microsoft starts with the addition of a new avatar system, enabling users to choose their preferred photo from a large selection, all differently dressed, with unique hairstyles and several skin colors. There might also be a possibility to use the chosen avatars in games and also to be awarded new accessories for the avatars depending on the accomplishments recorded in the Xbox Achievements system, but it hasn’t been confirmed so far.
The blade interface was removed and replaced with one that uses full windows all across the screen. Another significant change is its Parties feature, which will allow groups of friends to communicate through chat or text messages. The service will allow users to see what their friends’ profiles and also are playing even if they will not be actively involved in the same game. A quick start mechanism will be available to allow users a faster access to almost everything the system has to offer. If users will be a hurry they will be able to skip the new larger Xbox Live experience.
John Schappert, Microsoft corporate vice president of interactive entertainment LIVE, software and services business, explained that the company’s focus is set on the Japanese market and even though they had some rough moments, they are currently exactly where they should be, and are looking forward to the future. "We're in a great position and we're very proud of that," he said referring to the growing partnerships with Japanese game developers, who showed a lot of interest in the company’s product.
In order to ensure a good start to its new campaign, Microsoft decided on offering its console at a significantly lower price, making it the cheapest next-generation console in Japan. The Xbox 360 Arcade is now available for 19,800 yen ($198), making it nearly 30 percent cheaper than the previous price of 27,800 yen ($278). Its competitors, Nintendo and Sony, offer their devices for larger amounts, with the Wii selling for 25,000 yen ($250) and the PlayStation 3 model retailing for about 40,000 yen ($400).
The update should help Microsoft boost its sales but its officials cannot rely on the update alone for the kind of success that they want. They should also consider a significant renewal of their games offer, as gamers tend to choose the platform that provides the biggest variation. Of course, quality should also be considered and the development process should be carefully planned and followed through.