Xbox 360 Dashboard Update Info!

It may have already happened by the time you read this, but as I write this, the next update to the Xbox 360's front-end hasn't yet gone into wide release. But Microsoft came by last week and updated a few of our systems, so I've had some time to mess around with the new version a little bit. Some of the features look like they'll remove a headache or two.

The biggest feature that I see requested time and time again for the 360 is the ability to download stuff in the background. Right now, the whole system is basically frozen while you download updates, demos, or Xbox Live Arcade games, because it just has to sit there and finish downloading. Now you'll be able to queue up six different things and let them go while you do something else with the system. Personally, I just used the download time to go check my e-mail on my PC or do a little house cleaning. I guess I'll never vacuum again. Thanks Xbox!

The biggest feature for me is one that'll probably help out anyone who plays a lot of Xbox Live Arcade games. A system startup option will let you force the system to boot to the dashboard every single time. Right now, if there's a game in the drive, it boots the game no matter what, forcing you to let it load a bit, then quit to the dashboard. If you have, say, Table Tennis in the drive but you really want to play some Uno, you know how this can be.


SF2: Hyper Fighting
Many of the other features are largely cosmetic and will help bring some more order to some of the longer content lists in the Xbox Live Marketplace. That's nice. The hooks for Xbox Live Vision, the camera that's due to land this September, are also in the system, taunting you with their grayed-out status. I plan to point mine out a window to finally avoid all of those "so, what's the weather like where you're at" sort of questions.

New this week on the 360 is Hitman: Blood Money from Eidos. In it, you ice fools, disguise yourself, and do all the sorts of things you'd hope a hitman would do. Read our review for more details. On the regular Xbox, there's a version of Hitman there, too, as well as Stacked, a poker game that's been in delay and development for a good long time.

Next week the 360 is bone dry (unless any Live Arcade releases hit) but the regular Xbox is rolling deep with MLB Slugfest, And 1 Streetball, Cars, and possibly the release of the constantly-delayed Painkiller: Hell Wars.

News-Source: http://www.gamespot.com