Microsoft officials confirms new upcoming Xbox Live Dashboard and its features

Andrew Jenkins, Microsoft’ Games and Live senior product manager, has confirmed the details about the new Xbox Live Dash update. He first stated that the system update will be made available simultaneously for all Xbox Live users to download, and there is also the option to get the update via any Xbox 360 games produced after the new Dashboard is implemented. Check out the features list below:

New 3D Interface - This is the most significant part of the upgrade. Jenkins said that the new layout is very three dimensional, with lots of visual elements which are supposed to be very appealing to the user. Also, he said the system is very easy to use, which should make navigation much simpler.

Hard Drive Game Installation - It is now possible to install an entire game to your Xbox 360, but you would still need to have the disc inserted into the drive for piracy protection purposes. However this is a good feature because the game can now access data directly from the hard drive rather than having to constantly read from the disc drive, making loading times much faster.

Very Customizable Avatars - Avatars can now be easily customized to suit your personality. With the choice of a wide range of human facial features and other apparels (hats, lipstick, bags, clothing, etc.) This gives you the option to fine tune your avatar to match your personal lifestyle, or maybe to create a totally different alter-ego.

Status Icons over Avatars - Users can now tell what each member in the online community is doing. Depending on the activity a person is participating in (e.g. watching a movie, playing games, chatting), little icons show up above their avatars, each representing a particular activity. A user would be able to look at these icons, tell what the other is doing, and possibly join the experience.

There are rumors going along with this announcement that the system is set for release some time in November 2008. Users of Rock Band 2 were told to “Check out the New XBox Experience coming in November!”, so maybe this gives us a decent clue as to when it will be launched.