Following in the footsteps of my previous post about the Mango Music + Videos hub changes, and the previous post about new Xbox LIVE games for Windows Phone, Microsoft has posted some high resolution images of the Games hub as well. (I don’t believe there’s any new info here per se, but this is the best look we’ve gotten so far at the improved Games hub.)
Long story short, the Games hub is being cleaned up and will feature more native capabilities in Mango, and thus less of a reliance on the HTML-based Xbox LIVE Extras app. These new capabilities include:
- See your played games and unlocked/locked Achievements
- Compare Achievements with other Xbox LIVE members
- Search your list of friends to see who is online and what they are doing
- See your Xbox LIVE messages and Send/Accept/Reject friend requests
Here’s a shot:
Unfortunately, Xbox LIVE Extras will still be required in Mango. In fact, it’s getting some additional functionality of its own: the new Avatar Marketplace. Here you customize your Xbox LIVE avatar with “a wide range of props and clothing right on your phone.” Ugh.
You do need to be logged in to XBOX LIVE Extras but it was noted that it would be built in and not an extra step in the process… right?
Probably worth noting that you don’t have to wait for Mango for the new Avatar Marketplace, it’s been added in the latest update to XBox Live Extras ;)
Paul you should also note that the changes to the Mango version of the games hub also closely resembles the changes coming to the new dashboard for the Xbox 360. No coincidence I’m sure.
Not to mention that the upcoming games hub in mango resembles that one that will ship to Xboxes mid-fall. Beautiful!
I hate xbox live extras. Not the features but the fact it has to be an “extra”…it’s like a separate world of things which shouldn’t be separate. To make matters worse, getting in them is slow..and the performance once you’re there is slower still. whoever’s idea this is, should be sent back to a training course on the definition of the word “integrated”. Do we have office extras? no. Do we have facebook extras…uh no, who though “hey guys, we need xbox extras!” and who in the room agreed with them…. These extras should be prime time features, first class citizens and market that strenght in a way the consumer gets it. The break of the UX to tack this sort of thing very much ensures it goes ignored by the consumer. and that’s sad for it is the one thing android/apple can’t ever do: xbox integration done right.
It sort of feels like a late addition, something that was added almost solely because they couldn’t change the actual Games hub that late in the schedule.
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