Latest Xbox Live dashboard update goes...live

From ign.com

A comprehensive Xbox Live Dashboard update rolled out yesterday for the remainder of Live users. The update, which started going live last week, keeps relatively the same look and feel of the previous Dashboard but gives users more option and more ways to customize their Xbox Live experience.

The first thing I noticed after the update applied was that there are significantly more panels per page than before, a look similar to the new Windows 8 style. Despite the additional content, the layout remains crisp and clear and easily navigable. Don’t worry about the flow of the pages either, everything still moves quickly despite the additional panels per page.

All of the features previously available are still there, just with more options on how to sort and search content. You can now “pin” items to your Home page, letting you quickly call up frequently used games, videos or apps (like Netflix or YouTube) instead of needing to search for them. My first attempt at pinning something was a fail though – I tried to pin the latest Bioshock Infinite trailer, “Beast of America” to my Home page but wound up pinning the download link instead.

All your video and game apps are still available, except the Zune Video/Music player is now Xbox Video. In Xbox Video, you can rent or purchase movies and TV shows – even new releases. Movie rental prices are usually around 360 MS points for SD and 480 for HD, not a bad price for recently released movies. The most impressive part of the new Xbox Video section is the TV shows, which features current seasons of popular shows like “The Walking Dead” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Though, Season Pass prices for these TV shows can be a little steep (I noted that Season Pass for “The Walking Dead” cost 3370 MS points) but does offer access to the previous seasons as well. But, if you don’t have cable (but have high-speed internet) and just have to see “The Walking Dead,” Xbox Video is pretty good option. (And, honestly, you do want to see this season of “Walking Dead” – it’s easily the best yet.)

Other additions are an Internet Explorer app as well as a Sports page. I didn’t check out either of these additions, however I’d have to imagine that the Sports page is similar to the previously available ESPN content and Internet Explorer is, well, Internet Explorer.

It seems Microsoft has put a considerable amount of work into making your Xbox 360 and Xbox Live more of a complete entertainment center and not “just” a video game console. Some might be a bit overwhelmed with the new layout but the additional content and ease of use makes up for any uneasiness you might have about the new update.

Oh, one last thing. There is a sale happening on Xbox Live right now called “Spooktacular Shocktober” with discounts on all sorts of horror-themed games and DLC. The reason I bring this up is because the survival-horror classic, “Resident Evil 4” is available for download for just $10 right now. If you’ve never played “RE4,” you’ll never have a better chance at experiencing the game that start the “RE” series trending toward more fast-paced action and outlandish storylines. As “RE4” is easily one of the best, if not the best “RE” game of all time, it’s definitely worth $10 of your money.