14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is trying to make Xbox Live Avatars more interesting to the average user of its home gaming console. It has recently showed off a Marketplace that will offer new clothing options for the digital creations and it seems that a sort of Achievement system for them is also set to be implemented at some point.
And not settling for only introducing new options, the software giant plans to leverage the power of some of its biggest franchises to make Avatars more attractive. It will apparently begin by offering players a chance to deck their digital image in the COG Armor, which is worn by Marcus Fenix in the Gears of War shooters.
The news, which must be exciting for the fans of the series, was delivered at a Comic Con panel concerned with the various issues of the Gearverse. Epic Games, the creator of Gears of War, has not said when the COG Armor will be available via the Xbox 360 Marketplace or how much it will cost.
At the panel, Epic representatives talked about the possibility of also offering Locust-themed gear for Avatars and fans seemed to be interested in the idea. If the two sets of costumes from the two combatant sides are added to Avatars, then it’s only a matter of time until Microsoft and Epic also introduce a stripped down team based shooter using Avatars as playable characters and pits Locust troops against Gears.
With Avatars being awfully similar to the Nintendo-created Mii but getting a lot of new options and with Project Natal, the Microsoft-developed motion tracking device, coming sometime in 2010, it seems that the software giant is making a concerted move to attract those players who have until know only understood gaming from Nintendo's perspective. The latest NPD numbers confirm the fact that sales of the Xbox 360 are increasing year over year, while those of the Nintendo Wii are declining.