Spring Update - Details Leaked?

Mr E

OK, so its summer now, but Eurogamer have a list of changes that will make up the Spring Update on your XBox. Some of the more interesting (or useful) items are highlighted....

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=140428

Xbox LIVE

* Option to delay sign-in to Xbox LIVE upon booting console (to allow user to set Online Status).
* Option to promote Child Account from Family Settings.
* Disallow Child Accounts (over 18) to override Family Settings by launching Privacy Settings through a title.
* Option in Family Settings for Child Accounts to enable child-oriented/non-mature advertisements.
* Introduce a group chat (4) for Private Chat and conferences through Video Chat.
* Support to indicate media being watched to gamercard status (video content from Marketplace only).
* Extend height for Bio field in Personal Profile, easier navigation through text.
* More fields present in Personal Profile - recent achievements, interests, games, movies, links, custom section.
* Compact Personal Profile for new fields (navigating to field will open it up).
* Mandatory option to delete duplicate titles from gamercard (excludes Games for Windows - LIVE). User disconnected from Xbox LIVE when booting any title until action complete.
* Option to remove payment information from gamertag.
* New payment methods for international users.
* Download History on Account Management better organized - games, genre, type, download date, miscellaneous.
* Long descriptions of items on Marketplace can be scrolled using right stick.
* Better organization of free content on Marketplace.
* Option to 'ping' when testing connection.
* Allow re-connection to Xbox LIVE if Ethernet cable is re-inserted whilst powered on.
* New strip colors available to developers, staff gamercards.
* New corner icon available to ambassadors.
* Re-introduce Messages button for Inside Xbox updates only.
* Option to store up to 10 messages permanently on server (excludes invites, status messages).
* Increase character limit for text messages between friends only.
* Option to disable invites from non-friends or all players.
* Option to disable invites from titles not on gamercard (excludes demos).
* Option to have smaller items moved up in Active Downloads.
* Automatically re-connect to Xbox LIVE if disconnected unexpectedly (set intervals).
* Option to download gamer picture (if available) from a gamercard being viewed.
* Display random tips to replace static text on Xbox LIVE and Games blades.
* New button on Marketplace for optional dashboard features - uses Storage Device memory.
* Option to donate Microsoft Points to anybody with a Windows Live ID.
* Option to purchase Membership for charities (includes benefits).
* Integrate file-sharing for selected titles on Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows - LIVE.
* Disable notifications to friends of user repeatedly signing into service (set period).
* Option to see 'snippet' of text message in notification.
* Windows Live Mail integration - includes support for Xbox LIVE Vision.
* Web feeds integration - text, images, audio. Includes support for specific item codes on Marketplace.
* Option to display gamer picture or standard picture as display picture in Windows Live Messenger.
* Support for headset, Xbox LIVE Vision in Windows Live Messenger.
* Support for limited 'winks' that display on dashboard interface. Option to disable 'winks' and 'nudges' added.
* Notifications separate from Windows Live Messenger to Xbox 360 notifications.
* Disable multiple languages from being used in any Xbox LIVE editable fields.

Games

* Option to delete titles from gamercard with 0 gamerscore and 0 achievements (excludes some titles that will be re-added to launch another title).
* Organize My Games at the Games Library section better (includes disc-based titles) - sort by genre, platform (Games for Windows - LIVE), percentage completion.
* Support to display friends leaderboards for disc-based titles.
* Show dates of an achievement unlocked when comparing.
* Preload Games Library upon dashboard bootup for faster access.
* Game updates now shown as items in Memory, increased amount of updates on Storage Device.
* Option to delete game updates, removed 'cheat code' as no longer needed.
* Support for more titles to display banner when accessing guide in-game.
* Option to re-introduce awarded gamer pictures from titles that do not have their own re-introduce feature (requires saved game).
* Disable gamer pictures from being awarded from trials.
* Support for titles to store installation data on Storage Device for faster loading.
* Synchronization to achievements offline/online that were deleted and then re-added from developers.

Media

* Option to hold LT and RT for rewinding/fast-forwarding video content.
* Option to delete individual music tracks from storage device.
* Option to rip music CD at different quality.
* Copy non-protected files (pictures, music, videos) from USB storage devices, CDs and computers to proprietary storage devices.
* Support for menu, top-menu features on video content downloaded from Marketplace.
* Section added for audio delivered through feeds (podcasts). Option to stream, download to Storage Device.
* Support added for video titles/description to gamercard status.

Dashboard/Miscellaneous

* Option to navigate quickly out of several menus back to respective blade home (applies to Games, Media, System).
* New blade trim styles added.
* Introduce expanded Inside Xbox as a portal to news, weather, entertainment, help and community features.
* New sounds for various functions (notifications, blades, navigation).
* Calibration options for display/sound.
* Calibration options for motion sensor devices.
* New effects for Xbox LIVE Vision and dashboard background.
* Disable changing of Theme when on Memory to prevent 'hanging'.
* Preload recent, limited items upon dashboard bootup on Memory.
* Faster loading of Themes section on guide.
* Option to see what items will not work offline due to DRM license changing from Memory.
* Option to automatically associate new DRM to items downloaded for free.
* Indicate 'charging' status on guide when Play & Charge kit is connected.
* Option to change text colors on guide to better contrast some backgrounds.
* Language improvements.
* Word censor updated for fields.
* Privacy Settings/Family Settings updated for new features.
* Voice, picture messages can be read at Xbox.com (Gold accounts).

Hellrazer

* Copy non-protected files (pictures, music, videos) from USB storage devices, CDs and computers to proprietary storage devices.

Does this mean I could in theory copy all my avis mp3s etc to the hard drive and play them from that?
That would really be the best update ever and would make the 360 more like the original xbox--saves having the external drive beside the 360 every time I want to watch a ripped DVD/downloaded movie(all done legally of course )

mgsrocks

And STILL no word about being able to change your region after signing up, im stuck with my xbox thinking im in america so cant use marketplace.

Copying things to the hard drive sounds great though, the 120GB i have is mostly empty

Riesen_Meal

mgsrocks wrote: »

And STILL no word about being able to change your region after signing up, im stuck with my xbox thinking im in america so cant use marketplace.

Copying things to the hard drive sounds great though, the 120GB i have is mostly empty

Surely if you change your email address you signed up withs preferences to Ireland you can get onto Live?

Or is yours a yankee box?

mgsrocks

Fieldog wrote: »

Surely if you change your email address you signed up withs preferences to Ireland you can get onto Live?

Or is yours a yankee box?

Bought here in Dublin. Tried a new email address and nothing, its links with the original hotmail address you use.

It only happened because a few year ago you would get more space if you entered your details as an americam address. Well, maybe next year they'll fix it!

Shamo

Liking the idea of copying files from external devices onto the 360 HDD, saves streaming the movies.

Was hoping for mkv support but wishful thinking!

Riesen_Meal

Id say if you rang ms, they can sort it, they (kinda) sorted out my DRM issues from my old box to my new one....

I had an american gamertag, but I reverted it back to Europe through Hotmails internal preferences, havent had to do that in bout 2 yrs though!

the corpo

aye, mkv support would have been fantastic, but more importantly, they need to fix the problems resulting from migrating user data from console to another, chiefly having to sign in everytime you want to watch divx content or play live games etc

Hellrazer

the corpo wrote: »

chiefly having to sign in everytime you want to watch divx content or play live games etc

I had this problem last week--Just setup a brand new live silver account on the new console,download the media update and then you can use it in any profile youre signed in with-you can even delete the new silver one and it will still work with yer old profiles.
Apparently you can only download the update once per profile and once per console so thats why it asks you to log in everytime to watch a divx--the new silver account allows this to be bypassed.

New profile+new console=no need to sign in to watch divx`s anymore.

Straight form the horses mouth so to speak--I rang Microsoft with this problem and they gave me the above advice--works 100% now.

ciano1

Few good ones

* Option to disable invites from titles not on gamercard (excludes demos).
* Option to have smaller items moved up in Active Downloads.
* Support for headset, Xbox LIVE Vision in Windows Live Messenger.
* Support for titles to store installation data on Storage Device for faster loading.
* Copy non-protected files (pictures, music, videos) from USB storage devices, CDs and computers to proprietary storage devices.
* Introduce expanded Inside Xbox as a portal to news, weather, entertainment, help and community features.

Wonder when it will be realeased

Shamo

Hellrazer wrote: »

I had this problem last week--Just setup a brand new live silver account on the new console,download the media update and then you can use it in any profile youre signed in with-you can even delete the new silver one and it will still work with yer old profiles........

This happened one night when I had brought the 360 off to another place without Internet. Was all setup with loads of movies on a usb key but it asked for me to sign in to live everytime. Talk about pissed off!

Going to setup a silver account and test it later. Was trying to figure out what was going on!

grimm2005

mgsrocks wrote: »

And STILL no word about being able to change your region after signing up, im stuck with my xbox thinking im in america so cant use marketplace.

Copying things to the hard drive sounds great though, the 120GB i have is mostly empty

i had this problem when i got my xbox (few weeks ago). i just set up a new email address, linked my gamertag to the new address, changed my live passport settings for my original address to ireland and made a new gamertag to link to my original address which it then recognised as ireland.

Of course if you've been playing for a while you'll lose all your achievements and save games. Its stupid that you can't copy save games into another account. PGR3 was my only game of 6 which let me do it

Terminator

Will be great if you can copy stuff to the hard drive.

Don't see the option to FF or REW music files though which is a pity. It would be great to be able to listen to long podcasts and FF to specific point whilst gaming.

CyberWaste

On a side note, when is Ireland getting "Inside XBox"?

thefinalstage

I remember in the last update they were suppose to be doing something with ads so we could turn on ads to pay for our subscriptions. Is that still in the works?

ageary08

ciano1 wrote: »

Few good ones

* Support for titles to store installation data on Storage Device for faster loading.

Im not looking forward to this, while I dont like load times or the super noisy dvd drive, theres nothing more I hate in PC gaming that having to install games, uninstall games, manage my space and look at stupid progress bars.

That being said, if a game can be installed in the background while your playing it then I might just get over it. I just hope the next gen of consoles find some better storage media than optical drives.

unklerosco

* Introduce a group chat (4) for Private Chat and conferences through Video Chat.

At last....

bennyc

I wonder is it ever going to be possible to attach an NTFS Device

Fingleberries

thelastangryman wrote: »

I remember in the last update they were suppose to be doing something with ads so we could turn on ads to pay for our subscriptions. Is that still in the works?

Were the ads were to pay for subscriptions? I thought it was just another way to earn more $$ for Microsoft.

I just saw this on Kotaku (here)

When we contacted Microsoft to verify the authenticity of the list, we were told "We don’t comment on rumors or speculation, but what we can tell you is we’ve never seen this list before." Obviously, consider this rumor and/or speculation for now, especially in light of the official statement and the clearly unofficial sourcing of this information.

If we hear anything more concrete, anything straight from the source, we'll let you know.

It's a very detailed list if someone has made it up as a spoof.

If it's true the "Option to delete titles from gamercard with 0 gamerscore and 0 achievements" is a nice one ... all those crappy Arcade trials that you tried before the last update, finally banished from your gamer history.

Biro

bennyc wrote: »

I wonder is it ever going to be possible to attach an NTFS Device

That would be nice, especially since MS invented the file system! And me after reformatting my two external drives to NTFS from FAT32 just weeks before getting the Xbox.

Kiith

So, when is the 'spring' update being released? I cant get onto Eurogamer at the moment.

madrab

so i still cant play strangers wrath on my 360?

Mr E

Kiith wrote: »

So, when is the 'spring' update being released? I cant get onto Eurogamer at the moment.

Nothing confirmed from Microsoft (they've even denied this list is real). Rumours are early June.

Jim

I reckon they are denying it so vigorously because they probably want a big launch for their motion controller, the list kinda ruins it.

Kur4mA

If that is the real list, there's some pretty kickass shtuff on there.

Mr E

Jimeatsmenu wrote: »

I reckon they are denying it so vigorously because they probably want a big launch for their motion controller, the list kinda ruins it.

Yeah 'cause 6-Axis is sooooooooo successful.

kaimera

* Option to remove payment information from gamertag.
* New payment methods for international users.
* Allow re-connection to Xbox LIVE if Ethernet cable is re-inserted whilst powered on.
* Automatically re-connect to Xbox LIVE if disconnected unexpectedly (set intervals).
* Integrate file-sharing for selected titles on Xbox LIVE and Games for Windows - LIVE.
* Preload Games Library upon dashboard bootup for faster access.
* Support for titles to store installation data on Storage Device for faster loading.
* Copy non-protected files (pictures, music, videos) from USB storage devices, CDs and computers to proprietary storage devices.

1.Bout ****ing time they allowed ya to remove your cc details.
2.Might use paypal if it's introduced.
3 & 4. Tired of having to turn off the console and on again when my bb line drops
5. Was Forza2 not supposed to have file sharing with a pc to allow you to edit car liverys? I'm hoping this is what it means.

jester77

While I would like this list to be true, there are a few things in there that don't make sense. MS said that all games will always be playable on each version of the console, so bringing in the hard disk install would rule out the arcade consoles. And the points donation sounds like a recipe for disaster, could you imagine the amount of spam and crap you would have to listen to from moany kids begging for points or people organising games where they bet points on the outcome, something MS would be totally against.

Shamo

jester77 wrote: »

MS said that all games will always be playable on each version of the console, so bringing in the hard disk install would rule out the arcade consoles.

Well no because if it was implemented it would have to be optional, run from cd or install most/all of the content to the HDD.

niall mc

Looks like MS are not bringing out any updates this Spring.

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/22/microsoft-no-spring-dashboard-update-this-year/

Hopefully they are just saying this because they are p*ssed off that the list got released early and they wil bring it out to a big fanfare.
There are some pretty useful updates on that list, fingers crossed they update

Mr E

Yeah saw that too..... Ah well.

Nice to see that they're dropping all crap XBLA titles too... that list is getting very cluttered.