Nova Dashboard: Headset Upgrade / Kinect Beta Test / Novas Screens! [+Vídeo][+Avatares em ação]

Site 1UP escreveu:

In a move that will be celebrated by those who enjoy Xbox Live's headset communication for their ability to scream expletives at their opponent in multiplayer FPS titles -- and possibly lamented by those opponents -- Xbox Live Studio's Jerry Johnston claimed in a session at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival that the company will be upgrading the quality of voice communication on the system.

As reported by Eurogamer, the company plans to "upgrade the codec and audio infrastructure" with the dashboard update that will come this fall with the launch of Kinect.

"The codec we used when we first launched was a low bit rate codec and we stuck with that," Johnson explained. "We launched and we said we required broadband. We required a 64k connection, which not many people think of as broadband any longer. But that was the minimum requirement to run the service at the time. It's time for us to move on. Especially if we want to think about broadening -- a crackly headset on the top of your head -- not what people think of when they talk about popular entertainment."

Site CVG escreveu:
Lucky Kinect beta testers with no regard whatsoever for Microsoft's non-disclosure agreement have gone ahead and leaked a bunch of shots of the new dashboard.

The major dashboard update is set to release alongside the motion-sensing camera bar in November and, as well as adding compatibility with the device, will also give the menus a little clean-up and the avatars a new more realistic edge.

In these shots (sent to Joystiq) you can clearly see a new avatar editing screen, and the new flatter menu panels.

Beta testers, who got their invited via email a couple of weeks ago, will apparently be let lose on Kinect Sports, Kinect Adventures and Kinect Joy Ride during the beta test period, so expect leaked shots and maybe even videos of those in action soon, too.

Naughty, naughty testers (thanks!).