Kotaku

this update killed my xbox live! after it downloaded, i can't connect.... when i run a network test, it fails at the xbox live spot.

I'm not too sure of where they have left to go, Live is pretty damn tight as it is, but whatever comes, I'm sure it will be great.

A shame idiots have proven time and again, along with the clusterfuck handing out prizes is that gamerscore will never be more then what it is, a pretty number.

That's an area for which I appreciate Sony - they give us new firmware including all sorts of extras, additions, improvements as and when they finish it. Then again, one might argue that Sony has so much to improve regarding their (network/online) interface, that this is mandatory ;P

@Candlejack:Sony has a lot more legwork to do then Microsoft, but then Microsoft's been at it longer.

Live at 360 launch however felt more complete then what Sony's got now IMHO, so that goes to show that the leg up Microsoft has is something they need to keep working on.

By "future growth of the service" do you mean more ways to charge me for junk I don't want or need?

@Heihachi.vs.Kazuya: Do you mean "Offer you DLC that you are never ever forced to buy and you can safely ignore?" If so, then yes, that will be in the cards, yes.

It'll probably be after GTA4 releases don't you think? I wouldn't want to risk it before then.

browser plx

@enewtabie: I was thinking that, perhaps anticipating a Call of Duty like multiplayer gathering, and wanting to avoid the problems we had before.

Christ, if I could get just one wish it would be for MS to tell us what their firmware updates are doing to *our* hardware.

@TearsandScreams:

I think the downtime is preparing for GTA4 next week..As for the spring update,I would wait a few weeks after GTA4 to make sure a update doesnt start screwing things up and that you have all of those GTA4 customers on board first.

Clan support plz.

@Fistynuts:You never will, because in the ECLA, it states Microsoft retains the right to do whatever they wish to their system. Why, are you worried one of these firmware upgrades might nuke all the pirated software and movies you have off of your HD or brick it? Only people I see worrying about firmware updates typically are pirates soo..

they implanted the self destruct module and its going to set off at any minute

Group voice chat would be nice. Truthfully, other than that I don't really see what needs to be upgraded. The UI in place is very good, but anything can be improved upon.

@Foxstar Sixtail: dlc? More like the ads and the insider link (or whatever its called) whose sole purpose is to promote even more junk I don't care for.

add better media support .mkv, .ogm, etc. Update the communication features. group voice communications and more streamline video communications.

I don't need more bullshit on the main page trying to get me to buy junk I wouldn't want for free. I don't think stuff like that needs a whole 'update'.

Not much fanfare for the update this time around. I hope we get some cool stuff, but I'm not holding my breath.

It's going to 1-up the PS3's Kitten-producing mode with a Catgirl-Producing mode, and with more options.

You heard it here first.

@Heihachi.vs.Kazuya: That's not what the update is, they can update advertisements and insider without a system update. It happens every time you connect. Stop being such a troll.

Directv Blade FTW. Plus, windows live call added to the msnmsgr, a choice of who I want to see show up on my online pop-ups, increase friend size to 500, keyword search in the xblm, keyboard/mouse support, 16:9 support, Live anywhere lol, more msn features, more media support, web browser like FireFox, option for ads on/off, be able to change which achieves you want ppl to see and add more achieve boxes, IM like friends lists separate into different categories like recently added, offline, phone contacts, and IM friend. Thanks that's all. Did I miss something?

I hope they make the Dashboard faster. It takes about a minute for my XBLA titles show up. Something like that is really unforgivable. On another note, how about a way to defrag the hard drive, anybody?

Might be two months before we see the update. They've got til mid-June, as they pretty much go by the actual seasons versus our perceived "Spring" - like the fall one was in December if I recall.

I think we can expect changes the the marketplace tab and for them to make navigation even more confusing and redundant than they made it in their last major update.

I still have to concentrate to remember where my demos and arcade games are.

It's been said, but the more you say it perhaps the more they'll listen:

Clan Support and Group Private Chat Please.

kthanxbye

@Foxstar Sixtail: Only people I see worrying about other people worrying about firmware updates are typically console apologists, fanboys and trolls soo...

Wondering what M$ is doing to your console automatically makes you a pirate?

Good to know...

Updates should be less marketing and more actual features. The only good thing about the last update was divx and even that is useless if you take into consideration the limitations put in place by the use of proprietary protocols.

@retard: Yes I guess not being a blind fanboy makes me a troll.

@TheTime: 16:9 support? Come on... really?

group video chat would be sweet.

@DoomedSeraph: Yep, the only two things I feel Xbox Live needs, particularly the group private chat.

A browser is a waste of time IMO (although it is kind of funny when you realise every nex-gen console except the 360 has a browser - DS, PSP, PS3, Wii..) and the media functions are perfect (I stream my xvid/divx media from a PC to the 360.. very awesome stuff). Private group chat would be lovely, that's all I can say.

@Heihachi.vs.Kazuya: The last update was one of the biggest updates they actually made. The fact that you even got the one aspect you noticed wrong by calling it proprietary shows how clueless you were to the rest of it. I do enjoy a good bitching so I wont get in your way but I do have a suggestion. If you spend less time looking at ads and bitching because you seem to be obsessed with them like no other, you're going to miss many awesome features this time around like you did in the fall. Hey, there's always PSN and WiiConnect24. You aren't without options here so relax.

If it helps you cope then put out a strange list like TheTime. He may be as confused as you about somethings, but in his own way, at least he's trying to suggest improvements to better the service.

@okenny :): The xbox360 does use a proprietary form of the uPnP protocol (if you used anything other than windows you would know that). I almost pointed this out but thought I'd wait and see if some fanboy would jump in not knowing what they were talking about. thanks for the amusement.

@Foxstar Sixtail:

*snicker*

First off, you can't play pirated games off the Xbox360's HDD. Yet.

Secondly, they added codec support for all sorts of formats. You think they'll remove support just for pirated movies? How do you think they are going to discriminate between legitimate videos and rips?

Get off your high horse.

@okenny :):

It's time for a bloodletting- the SDF folks seem to be here in full glory. I've never seen so much misinformation about the Xbox and consistent downplaying of Xbox Live.

On topic, I'm looking forward to seeing it. Live is great now but I have a few qualms about some of the small things.

@kojirodensetsu: WTF does that mean? As far as I can make out Clan support is a friends list AND WE HAVE THAT.

Can someone explain what Clan Support means?

@Heihachi.vs.Kazuya: I hate to normally go here but What the fuck are you talking about? Codecs or Networking? Coming of a video codec bitch-fest and then talking about proprietary protocol, how the hell is someone supposed to know you've switched gears... you are a troll man.

I think the grou private chat is an intentional holdout on Microsoft's part, because they fear it will kill in-game chat. For example, in Halo or COD4, if you have 6 people in private chat and you matchmake with them, you're screwed. Can't hear them. Can't talk to them. Can't coordinate anything. To me that's the fear.

I applied the update this morning and it bricked my console. It installed fine, but when it went to restart, RRoD! I am so angry right now especially with the Double XP weekend in Halo 3 being solely new maps and ranked!

I commented on the subject at hand stating my opinion and out of nowhere am being told to use psn and wiiconnect.

I'm not a Psychology major but if that doesn't reek of blind fanboy-ism I have no idea what does.

God help anyone that notes anything that doesn't portray every aspect of the xbox360 in the best of light. That's it for me ill let you guys have at it.

@lionkitten: I'm wondering if people are wanting this functionality for more of a social aspect. Like the way PS-HOME is to have apartments as a way to facilitate group chats.

I'm guessing a person would drop out of the group chat once they join a game or something like that. I really like the idea of group video chat though and think that would work in the same right where you drop out if you go off to do something else.

There's lots of opportunities here for MS to build on what I believe to be a very robust infrastructure they have in LIVE. I'm really excited to see what they'll do next.

Or it could be code tweaks in anticipation of GTA IV mangling Xbox Live

FixDRMplzkthnx

@peztrip: I'm seriously hoping they deal with this issue soon if they expect me to purchase another downloadable content ever again.

@okenny: The last update brought divx but to stream divx you need a UPNP server. The xbox360 uses a proprietary version of this otherwise 'open' protocol forcing the end user to use windows media player 11 or mce or a upnp server modified explicitly for use with the xbox360.

I know its easier to just call me a fanboy- but if you can not understand that then you are beyond help.

@okenny :): I don't agree. I'm seeing way more people in private chat during games than I ever saw previously. People don't drop back in, especially in Halo lately. It kinda sucks, especially for objective gametypes where you need to coordinate stuff.

Uh... Netflix? eah I know its a long shot but there have been rumblings.

@Heihachi.vs.Kazuya: This is the last post I'll make to you specifically but hopefully it will appease your tormented soul. There are many Extender software out there (besides Zune and WMP) that works on other platforms besides XP and Vista. The following one is probably the most popular on the Mac (there are others, Rivets for example):

[gizmodo.com]

I think Linux has some SourceForge projects going on too.

For the record, I hate calling people trolls but you clearly came looking for a fight. I wont fight with you friend. Find someone else.

@peztrip: It's complete bullshit; I can't use the stuff I've paid for on my system unless I'm signed into live thanks to the RRoD and Microsoft doesn't seem to care. Redownloading the content doesn't work, and I've called them about the issue. They pretend they're going to fix it, just like they were going to remove my credit card from my account, which they still haven't done.

@okenny :): Yea sorry bout that, its wasn't 16:9 support it was something else, it just look familiar that someone in a thread ask for.

@Heihachi.vs.Kazuya: You should probably keep comments like that to yourself. It doesn't add anything to the conversation. Its not even constructive criticism.

Back on topic: these kinds of updates normally add some sort of support (for the Big Button controller, XBL Vision Cam, wireless headset, etc.), so its kinda weird to see that this one doesn't seem to do anything.

@Foxstar Sixtail:
sony was online with socom a year before the xbox got its online.

its just that sony never developed a real online network they.
i hope this update has group chat.

Mmm, I do hope that when the next dashboard update comes, we'll get support for MKV (Matroska) files as well as some form of soft-sub support, be it styled (ASS, SSA) or non-styled (SRT, etc).

But hasn't the spring update traditionally come in May?

@execrationist: If it were a Netflix update, that would make my life complete. My two obsessions combined in one.

I might never leave the couch again. Who's for delivery?

@Final: i think if you hold x or one of the buttons when you are starting up your xbox it clears the cache. that speeds it up a bit.

Somehow, I can see Group Chat as a problem for some games.

In many games (Call of Duty 4, for instance), players still in a round cannot hear dead players, to make the experience as realistic as possible. Else, stealth tactics would be severely limited. As long as it requires people to go in to 1-on-1 private chat or to use another method of communication altogether, it's enough of a bother that only few people will take the steps needed to go around that restriction.

With group private chat, everyone will be playing with their party in group chat, making the "dead players cannot feed information to others" "feature" irrelevant.

all i really want is the much rumored support for netflix watch it now.

iPlayer support for UK users would be awesome. I very much doubt that will come in the spring update though.

I just wish I knew exactly what this update was doing though.

No, no, no. I work for Microsoft and this update is just to help us prepare for our ad supported video model for Xbox Live and potentially Zune.

Video ad and ad supported services are the hot thing and we are trying to implement it on Live as soon as possible. Actually, we are hiring a product planner for this very thing. You work with Xbox New Media and Microsoft Digital Ad Solutions.*

Come work for us!

*Just kidding about working for Microsoft. I'm just guessing at the update purpose like everyone else. :)

This update also bricked my 360. As soon as I installed the update, there they were. 3 Flashing Red Lights.

@Foxstar Sixtail: I don't know, it seems that they have a lot of tidying up to do with the interfaces for various ancillary features. That is, unless you like drab black bordered 1980's windows and all plain nearly unreadable messenger text.

I'm glad they thought of adding such features I just wish they would think about the actual usability of them

Oh then there's that nasty inability to play 256kbps AAC files specifically from apple's non-drm iTunes music that every other AAC capable device can play fine... yeah, THAT's not malicious...

And finally, they could add some fun games, that'd be a great upgrade. Every console of this generation exists in my house, and the 360 is the only one I can't find interesting games for. I have Halo 3, BioShock, sold Mass Boring Effect, and any multiplatform games I prefer on the PS3 what with its crazy free online play...

Really the 360 is an interesting device, despite its terrible hardware design, it plays some rock chops when it comes to you know, graphics and stuff. There are some interesting games for it, but ultimately all it has going for it is a year of time (which you saw as very important with the PS2). But everyone learned from the last generation, this year isn't going to last them forever like it did the PS2. Let's get some innovation and style in here as well as some pro-consumer activity. I would suggest starting out with cheaper or *gasp* free Live online play for the XBLA casual games.

@cybereal:I don't know what to say other then not everything appeals to everyone but to say there's no fun games on the 360 is boardline troll bait, but with your tone, I honestly believe the 360 is just not for you, or your rather hung up on the $50 dollars a year for Live.

Am I the only person here who had their display shift to the left by nearly an inch as a result of the update? In both games and at the dashboard. Oddly enough, in the games there is a black bar, but on the dashboard, there's just... more dashboard.

@thelivingrobot: Doesn't it look like there is now space for another tab? A whole new tab?!?! The possibilities are endless! My wants for the next update are more complete support for different video files, the ability to keep a video you've downloaded forever until you watch it (why have a 2-week limit?) and a browser.

@Heihachi.vs.Kazuya:

then don't buy it!!!!