This past week, Xbox Live users were introduced to a new Dashboard via a mandatory System Update. Along with a few cosmetic changes that sync with the sleek new design of the Kinect, this update also introduces a pair of crucial features to users, including communities and the introduction of ESPN’s online services. How does it fare? Well, first off, the dashboard isn’t entirely without hitches. There were times we couldn’t locate some of our features, particularly the Xbox Live Indie Games that we had previously downloaded. This has since been remedied, but we can’t imagine how much of a pain this is for would-be sellers of such games as Shoot 1UP and others. Hopefully Microsoft will open a new channel on the main menu just for them. Aside from that, the new look of the dashboard is very sleek. Rather than going with the routine black and green systems, it now has a lighter white and green font, with easy-to-select menu options and plenty of new options, including Communities. Here, you can link up with your Twitter and Facebook, check on your friends’ list with the push of a button, and, once you download the update, engage in Kinect Video Chat, where you can talk to friends in real-time with the device. We tried this out and, despite our fashion choice (athletic shirt and shorts), we were impressed by how well it worked.
What you’ll notice most of all, though, are the new ESPN services. Now, just so we’re clear, this is not an exact recreation of the ESPN 24-hour channel you see on cable, as some services, such as NHL and NFL, are missing at the moment. However, it’s the next best thing, a virtual recreation of ESPN3.com, complete with exclusive programming, an interactive lobby where you can chat with otter sporting folks and answer real-time polls, and a wide selection of sports, including basketball, baseball, and other obscure activities, such as cricket (yay!) and international soccer. It all runs in beautiful high-definition, and despite a few glitches at first, we were able to load up our programs with no problem. Having access to other ESPN programming, such as SportsCenter snippets and other popular shows, is superb. And all you need to take advantage of it is a Gold member account and one of ESPN3’s partner cable services piping your internet in. A small price to pay for a whole lot of sports goodness, we believe. In all, while some may not agree with the “fanciness” of this new Dashboard update, it’s not bad at all. The menus are a little easier to see, the Communities feature makes it easier to keep in touch with your friends, and ESPN could be the next big thing for the channel, outside of Last.fm and Zune (which still function very well through the Dashboard). Do yourself a favor and get to downloading. We’ll see you in the lobby and talk up a mean game of cricket.
