Remember Microsoft’s Avatars, those wobbly caricatures that danced around the Xbox 360’s dashboard? They have been sidelined ever since the release of the Xbox One, but that doesn’t mean the company has given up on them.
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2009/05/the-untold-story-of-the-xbox-360-avatars/” thumb=”https://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/kotaku/2009/05/1_04.jpg” title=”The Untold Story Of The Xbox 360 Avatars” excerpt=”When it launched in 2005, the Xbox 360 was, certain issues aside, a successful product. But it was also drab. Lifeless. Until, in 2008, along came the avatars.”]
They’re being overhauled in spring, given not just a new look, but a load of new features as well, from the ability to ride vehicles to colour wheels that let you customise your hair and wardrobe.
It’s weird, but I miss these guys. Mine looked more like me than my Mii ever did, and their presence helped make the Xbox 360 a little less serious. I know they’re technically still around and accessible, hence the update, but I’d love it if they could be brought more to the forefront of the Xbox One’s UI.
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15 responses to “The Xbox Has Brand New Avatars”
Someone once changed my avatar into a disco pimp, and that’s been my profile pic ever since.
I’ve tried changing my avatar, my profile, but that stupid picture is now my life.
Those are some very niche customisation options. I get the impression they’re gearing up for a Windows push.
And people with liberal arts degrees.
All for this – so long as it doesn’t slow down the already glacial UI. I know it’s now a massive improvement over when the thing launched but it’s still not caught up to the last 360 dash in my own humble opinion.
I’d rag on the store again too which still seems so ponderous/badly laid out, but having recently started to use my PS more I kinda feel that the MS store grass is actually greener right now.
The web store is the real battleground here. Sony webstore is fantastic. Console store is terrible (that search – shudder).
MS have web and console stores that are functional, but don’t tickle my bits as much as they should. Hopefully the much-touted store improvements cut through the whole Microsoft ecosystem and not just Win10.
Yeah agree on the webstore – if a colleague hadn’t pointed me at it I think I’d have had a breakdown buying games through the console by now.
Should actually give Nintendo reserved praise for their Switch store while we’re on the subject – now it saves card details it’s really snappy, the caveat being that there are only about 50 things on there so it may well go the way of the others in time.
I hope one day we get a game where we get to play as our avatars.
There are some XBOX Live Arcade games where you play as your avatar. Kingdom for Keflings and Kinect Sports are the only ones that come to mind right now. It’d be great if you could get your avatar translated into like Gears of War style to play as it in multiplayer.
Or even like a 2D side scroller or Co-Op game.
I used to call them Wiixbo’s when they first came out.
That was a crazy time in the platform wars.
Eww. They look like a toymakers focus-test results for capturing the Nikelodeon and Dreamworks crossover fanbase on an afternoon children’s cartoon serials budget.
And this just reminds me how disappointed I am that Nintendo hasn’t updated Miis since they launched on the Wii.
I’m gonna use this article as a platform to air my disdain for that awful “shaved side of head” haircut. It’s terrible!
Haha, different strokes. I dig it!
I don’t own a current-gen XBox, but if I did I’d be looking forward to the return of these guys. I think everybody likes a bit of digital self-representation.
I’ll be happy as long as I can still use my Siamese Cat accessory