The Xbox 360 is a very popular console, largely due to the fact that it was the first next-gen piece of hardware to hit the game market, but also because it is a platform very easy to develop games for, as quite a lot of videogame creators said. And its popularity is further increasing around this period, as Microsoft, the producer, has made quite a few price cuts and it offers a wide array of bundles, in an effort to make the Xbox 360 the most attractive console this holiday season.

But besides the low price and all those packs, the Redmond-based giant does have a pretty big ace up its sleeve, and that is the New Xbox Experience, or NXE. This major update to the interface of the console is set to offer users a much friendlier environment, as well as new features that enhance the whole gaming and entertainment experience.

The update, which will be launched today, has enjoyed quite a lot of publicity, with Microsoft pulling out all the stops in order to make people notice this new user interface and find out about all the new features that would be employed in it. From the ad-hoc party mode, which enables you to create a virtual party on your TV and invite up to seven friends so that you can share photos or try new activities, to the new Avatar system, which will help you identify more with the console, everything has been marketed to the customers.

"The future of home entertainment is Xbox 360 – it's on demand, it's high definition, it's always social, it's all in one place," said Don Mattrick, senior vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "With the New Xbox Experience we will reach the next generation of Xbox owners, 25 million and beyond. We are at a watershed moment, backed by the largest entertainment brands, with an incredible line up of entertainment unmatched in any industry."

Quite bold words, but the Microsoft representative is entitled to such statements, as the NXE promises to bring a whole lot of new features; all we can do now is hope that the company will deliver on all of the promises it made regarding it.