XBox 360 firmware update next week!
 

Apparently the plan is to update the 360 firmware twice a year, with the first update being next week. It can be downloaded through Live, with the possibility for it to be on discs later. It applies itself directly to the 360's flash memory, so you don't need the HDD or a memory unit to download this update. Among the things it does are (things that I personally feel needed changing are bolded):

Marketplace/Download Enhancements

• One of the things they're adding is a new Media and Entertainment section, which contains sections such as:
  • New Releases
  • All Media and Entertainment
  • Movie Trailers and Short Films
  • Television, Music, Sports and More
  • Gaming Community Videos
  • Game Tips and Support Videos
  • Optional iPod Support.
• Game trailers and movie trailers are being separated into their own separate categories.
• Gamerpictures and themes are being separated into separate pages.
• Game demos will be searchable by genre and various other criteria.
• BACKGROUND DOWNLOADING. The update will FINALLY allow you to download things from the Marketplace without having to stare at that godforsaken download screen. You'll be able to queue up 6 downloads at a time, with the downloads automatically stopping when you start to play a game online, and according to Microsoft, this doesn't slow down the system at all.
• When downloading things like trailers, demos, and arcade games, you're now able to head straight to the demo/trailer/whatever when you hit the Guide button while the message that says "Download complete" is showing, instead of being shunted to the menu screen and having to press 50,000 buttons.

Media Enhancements

• Preserve folders on your memory cards when you transfer them to the 360, and slight changes to the slideshow functionality.
• DVD Bookmarking. This allows the 360 to remember where you left off on a DVD and start back up at that same spot when you boot the DVD up again.
• When browsing through your music, the system will remember where you were last.
• Booting a new game or going back to the dashboard will no longer stop your custom soundtrack and require you to boot it up again.
• Downloaded videos can now be fast forwarded, rewound, and such.

Interface/General XBox Live Enhancements

• You can now choose to have the system always boot to the dashboard, even when a game is inserted in the drive.
• When your system is idle for 15 minutes, you are now listed on the friends list as "idle".
• Some things relating to the camera have been added, even though the camera doesn't come out until September.
  • Video chat
  • Apparently you'll be able to take a picture of yourself and use it as your gamerpicture.
• The ability to set two separate gamerpictures, one for people on your friends list and one for everyone else, is being added.

And just for emphasis, here's my favorite part of this whole update:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/09...s/2ab771a6.jpg

There's no release date as of yet, but it's apparently at some time next week. It takes around a minute according to Microsoft to download and to install.

I just have one comment:

WHERE'S GROUP VOICE CHAT?

Definitely looking forward to this. Microsoft will just keep adding to this great service. In the future, you will think it can't get better and then BANG they will release something else.

There may have been a reason for only two people in a chatroom. It had something to do with people cheating in multiplayer games or something. This was not what Microsoft said, but something I heard. I can't remember the specifics.

I like this a LOT. I prefer to go to the dashboard before the game loads.

Yeah, I'm also happy with the boot to dash option. Any other game console it's unnecessary, but with all the shit to do in the 360 dash it's just better not to auto-play anything.

Me three.

All of those updates sounds great. I like how they're making folders on the Market place. I hate wandering through a mysterious jumble of things before finding that exact thing I'm looking for.
/props

Sounds like a nice update, that whole background downloading thing was probably the most common complaint I heard about Xbox Live. I didn't expect as many other updates though, they must've been keeping this project under wraps for a while now. Now if they can make a few updates to their backwards compatability, that would be icing on the cake.

What happens if you update the firmware and something interupts it though (power failure, reading error, etc.)? Is there a way to recover it from that, or are you basically screwed like you would be on a PC?

They haven't said anything about that, but I did read that they'll eventually have it pre-loaded on game discs, so I'm assuming when you buy newer games (or even newer pressings of games) once they start doing that, you'll automatically get the update downloaded.

Well, if Solis's concerns take place, the 360 would be bricked and you wouldn't be able to update the thing any other way, so later games having the update would be kinda pointless in his case. I dunno though. Maybe there is a countermeasure or some kind to prevent accidents like that.

On a side note though, having the update on later discs would be a good way to prevent piracy and other modifications. Worked for the PSP to some extent.

I'm stoked about most of the features in this but I don't like the fact that you can't turn off the DVD bookmarking feature. DVD bookmarking is a plague and annoying as hell. >=(

The same thing was true to a certain extent on original xbox. The Dashboard software went through about 5 revisions. It didn't update the firmware, though. You were never told that it had happened, I don't think. It was one way for MS to beat the pirates, because most of the softmods stopped working on later dashboards.

Any updates on this? I have not logged onto Xbox Live yet.

No update on this just yet, I've been wondering that myself.

Fuck you MS and your never making a fucking release date. AIAOOAISDFJ.

This is depressing a tad bit, because all the new and interesting stuff hasn't been making it on time or isn't even scheduled for another month. Practically no new full fledged games and the good arcade stuff and feature updates being pushed back, it's making me us the 360 for very little outside of voice chat.

Damn summer gaming doldrums. ;_;

Has anyone else not been able to connect since last night?

I was just connected as I was watching an episode of Stargate and sent BZ a message, so it's up and running for me. It's also running for Ani and Tube, since I saw them online as well.

Probably your internet again.

Does anyone know if, once the update is released, new 360 consoles will come with it pre-installed? Look slike I won't be able to afford one until at least september (£600 car repair bill fucked me over a bit) and I don't want to spend the first day of ownership downloading stuff...

It wouldn't take a day to download all the updates. Maybe like 10 minutes.

Double Post:
P.S.

It's "Xbox" not "XBox".

Took me literally 2 minutes, probably add a minute or 2 when he new update comes out.

That's not technically answering my question but I'll at least rest easy now knowing when I get a 360 I'll be up and running in no more than 4 minutes.

Sorry in regards to it being pre installed, yes Microsoft should do, but of course I'd give it a month after the release of the update to make sure all exisiting old firmware 360's have gone through the market and for the shops to get the new firmware one's in stock. It doesn't take long for it to update once you have downloaded the firmware, it went smoothly without any crashes or errors, hopefully that will be the same for the upcomming update.

Although in saying all of that when I got my 360 3 days ago I did have to download an XBox update while my friend didn't which was probably because the store where I bought mine from probably had the older firmware one's in stock. But by September the 360's should have the new firmware I'd be somewhat surprised if they didn't.

All in all setting up my 360 took 5 minutes, the only problem was Zone Alarm and Xbox Live not playing nicely together which took an additional 15 minutes to fix after a call to Microsoft for what ports to open to get an open 'NAT' as I'd get disconnected from most games.

Also may I suggest Shin you buy your Xbox from GAME as they have a premium plus 2 games for £320 which means you get both games for around £25 each instead of £40. The problem is that they don't let you choose which games and there are like 6 combinations but you can always trade in one of the 2 games and get the premium plus one game for £295, plus who knows by September you may even see a price drop.

I'd probably go to GAME anyway. My reward card keeps wearing out from overuse and I think they owe me a tenner or so at the moment.

Now all I have to do is find £300 from somewhere... ;_;

So....yeah. Still nothin'. Has anyone heard any sort of update on this thing's release or is everyone still as confused as I am.

Damn this is getting aggrivating.

Yup, looks like it comes out tomorrow: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/press/2006...ingrelease.htm

It contains over 125 features and tweaks: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/press/2006...e-features.htm

Not bad at all, looks like a pretty solid upgrade.

Ok then, that's a concrete date. Let's hope they stick to it this time. Thanks for the link.