Microsoft is hyping NXE – the new dashboard update for the Xbox 360 which launched today – up to be as important as the launch of colour TV. Ha. But ridiculous hype aside the NXE is actually rather nifty and a definite improvement on the original blades (although these can still be accessed). Whether it will make the console more mainstream-friendly is debatable – it could be Xbox 720 before that happens – but the 360 certainly feels more approachable than before.
The key additions are Wii-style avatars, the ability to install games on the hardrive – which, hurrah, reduces noise and load times – and interoperability with the Xbox Live Marketplace on PC. The party system, which allows up to eight people to chat and remain in chat whatever game is played is also welcome. Of course, with avatars (Wii) – plus the forthcoming karaoke game Lips (Singstar) - you could argue that the 360 has just stolen the best ideas of its competitors. And you'd be right. But for me the key thing is navigation – NXE makes it much easier to find stuff on the 360. What do you think then? NXE worthy of the hype? Or is just an annoyance to be bypassed on the way to Gears 2?
