14 DAY TRIAL // On the one hand, those who love the concept of gaming consoles often say that the PC is a dying platform because piracy, the unauthorized copying of copyrighted material, is far too easy. On the other hand, more and more videogames which are heading to consoles are available pirated before they reach the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3. And now the vast tubes of the Internet are hosting leaked files which can be employed to make a regular Xbox 360 use the New Xbox Experience before the launch date of November 19.
The files have been available for several days and users have accessed them to make their machines look like in the screenshots you've seen released by Microsoft in the recent few months. The update which is coming in about two weeks will be free for all users of a Microsoft made gaming console so people must have figured that there's no problem if they get the upgrade earlier. Well, it seems that there is. Installation of the New Xbox Experience has the potential to make Xbox Live unusable until November 19, when the initial launch takes place. There are also rumors that Microsoft can track those who get the upgrade earlier and may ban them from using Xbox Live.
The New Xbox Experience is part of Microsoft’s strategy to make the console friendlier to casual gamers and those who use it for other activities than gaming. The blades system will be replaced and the new visual style will be more intuitive, while the interface will offer more information. There will also be Avatars, which are basically Miis for the Xbox 360, Xbox Parties and new trivia games coming in spring 2009 via Primetime. The fresh Xbox 360 interface will require some hard drive space and Microsoft has pledged to offer those who have Xbox 360 Arcade consoles solutions so that they are able to enjoy the new standard.