Yesterday you could start downloading the new Xbox Live dashboard update.

We had to update three different Xboxes and the process was smooth across all accounts, taking only a couple minutes. I noticed a lot of lag and problems actually using the service yesterday, but the download part went smoothly.

The first thing I thought when seeing the menu in the new dashboard menu was that it was a bit like the PS3 blade menu. I’m not sure the whole hover over dropdown menu thing is all that great a UI to copy emulate, but now it’s available on both the PS3 and Xbox 360.

I’ve always disliked how when you move down on the controller to cycle through choices in the dashboard it’s too easy to move left or right and thus reset the menu. They should fix that.

Now onto the best news relating to this update: the Black Sabbath Rock Band song pack is now available under the Game Content menu.

440 Microsoft Points to jam on “Sweet Leaf” “War Pigs” and “N.I.B.” This adds to “Paranoid” which comes with the Rock Band game. This is the second song pack we’ve purchased for Rock Band. We also purchased the Police pack (three songs) and one standalone song: “Juke Box Hero” by Foreigner. Harmonix that makes Rock Band promised to release new songs every week and so far has stayed with that cycle.

Xbox games as downloads
Among the biggest news in the dashboard update is that some original Xbox games can now be purchased for 1,200 Microsoft Points as downloads under a new category called Xbox Originals. More are planned to be coming soon with seven games available as of yesterday: Crimson Skies, Fable, Fuzion Frenzy, Halo, Indigo Prophecy, Crash Bandicoot Wrath of Cortext and Psychonauts.

This reminds me of what the Wii is doing with the Virtual Console and the PS3 with the PS1 titles. It’s kind of a sad way to try and double dip for games you might already own. We already have two Xbox systems, I’m not sure how many Xbox games we’ll be buying as downloads, especially if these games aren’t enhanced in any significant way over the original titles. I’d buy NBA Jam either the original arcade game if it was made available or the Xbox.

Other new dashboard features
Xbox.com has a complete list of new features which include some increased parental features like a game timer. Although our teens are getting a bit old for these type features, parents will be in favor of having the ability to lock down the machine so it can only be played X number of hours per day or per week.

Also full screen movie previews and “enhanced video codec” are nice additions. We’ve rented several movies through Xbox Live and from what I’ve read the service is doing better than many movie rental services online. Would be nice to see them offer higher quality HD movies at no additional cost. We’ve never paid more for the HD movies they currently offer, they are already fairly spendy comparatively.

Xbox Live has two major free updates a year, one in the Spring and another in the Fall. Overall, this update adds a few nice things, but nothing that puts them any further ahead of the pack. Xbox Live is still the best online gaming service and could finally see some serious competition next year when Sony releases their 3D HOME interface. If Sony does a good job with HOME, we might see Microsoft move, but they are in the pole position.

And then there’s the Wii which is still selling a ton of new systems but has the worst online experience of the three players to date. I don’t get where they are coming from at all.

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