Breathe ......... Breathe

Microsoft released a major update to the Xbox dashboard.  There is a lot of misdirected gamer rage floating around the internet.  We are going to take this opportunity to clear some things up.

The update was originally scheduled to be released in the early morning hours on Tuesday.  After some unexpected delays, the download wasn't available until Tuesday night between 9 and 10 PM depending on where you live.  We all quickly found out why they don't release major software updates in the evening.  During the peak hours of Xbox usage, the download was accessed by so many people that it clogged up LIVE.  But rest easy, an hour or so later, most people were able to connect and successfully complete the download.  Those that weren't, could certainly do so this morning.

Some people (myself included) downloaded the update successfully, but were unable to sign in to LIVE or certain aspects of LIVE like Netflix or Zune.  Most of these problems have been resolved and continue to improve throughout the day.  There are still hiccups here and there, but the Xbox team is working on it.

And lastly, the aestetics of the dashboard have changed.  Times like this are an unfriendly reminder that people freak out when something familiar changes.  Remember the dozen times that Facebook has changed?  Every time the layout was played with, people totally lost their minds and went on profanity laced rants only to soon forget what the previous layout even looked like.  I expect that this is a similar situation for the Xbox dashboard.  I personally like the new look.  There is no more scrolling up and down to see your categories, almost all of them are visible from the main screen.  Plus, you can now control everything using the Kinect.

Here's a picture of the "old" dashboard.  In a month you'll have forgotten what this even looked like.

As for comments about "fixing things that aren't broken", remember that this is all going to be much bigger.  In the very near future, Xbox will have the ability to stream television and cable programming in addition to several other advances.  Microsoft made the decision to roll out these changes in steps; instead of one monster download/update, it is split up.  They are setting the foundation for even bigger changes next in line.  In my opinion, this seems like a great idea.  I would be lying if I said my Xbox didn't struggle a little as the update was installing.  I can only guess the damage that might have been done if they performed every change at once.

The lesson here is to relax.  The kinks in the network will be fixed and people will grow to love the new dashboard just like they did the last time it changed.  If you need more up to the minute information, I highly recommend that you follow Major Nelson on Twitter, @majornelson.  And while you are over there, hit up @achievos.

And an added highlight for one Achievos out there: We have a winner for our Fruit Ninja giveaway.  ModernDruid (Alex K.) you have won a full download of Fruit Ninja for Xbox Live Arcade!  Please email us at achievos @ gmail.com to receive your code.  Thank you everyone for your comments.  Stay tuned for another giveaway coming soon.

Kevin WK: Jus' Riffin About Saints Row: The Third

If you had told me last year that I would have access to amazing games like Skyrim, Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3, and Uncharted 3, yet only play Saints Row: The Third (SR3), I would have laughed and taken you off my friends list.  Well, I would've had to eat those words, because that is now my reality. 

I have never laughed so hard and felt as addicted to a sandbox game as I have with SR3.  I start to watch the city and how it reacts to everything, from random people getting pulled over by the police to Professor Genki, (a man in a cat suit with his own TV show), going on a random killing spree.  I could spend all day posing for pictures with people, performing wrestling moves on old women, and calling in airstrikes to a gang of Mexican wrestlers.

Even though this is a sequel, you don’t need to play the first two to get into the story; they refresh you from the beginning.  The Third Street Saints have gained a reputation as the best in Stillwater.  They have now taken the nation by storm with a great marketing staff and stores that sell their logos and likeness.  They are gangsta celebrities; when not taking over the streets, they are signing autographs or doing product placement in Japanese commercials.  They are both loved and hated the world over as other gangs get jealous and want a piece of the pie.  You can guess where that goes next. 

The first thing you do is bring your custom character to life.  There are actually a ton of different options; gender, hair, and clothes are at your disposal.  You can even change your characters voice.  I started with a Zombie voice that just yelled and mumbled, which was great until I realized I would like to know what he is saying.  Seriously, even the subtitles just say “mumbles” when he talks.  Once you have your character, you can upload them to the community and others can download your creation as well.

In case you somehow forgot what Kevin looks like in his boxers

The gameplay of Saints Row is very similar to GTA in the form of a living, breathing world.  When walking down the street, people will recognize you.  NPCs may even want you to pose for pictures, and what better way than giving a DDT to a helpless old woman.

The missions in SR3 are plentiful and include everything from survival missions to escort missions.  Even insurance fraud scenarios that were in the previous releases made it into this latest installment, and they are still super fun to play.  You can buy property and make money off of the businesses by the hour as well as get discounts for being the big boss.  You go on missions for all kinds of different characters like Ex-FBI agents, pro wrestlers, and a pimp with an autotuned voice (my personal favorite).  His intro to the game is one of the most outrageous moments I have ever had in a video game experience, yet so fitting to this game.  Warning: as the screen shot below indicates, this video is not safe for work or those easily (or even moderately) offended.  Language, sex, guns ..... you get the idea.

If you write this off as another Grand Theft Auto cash-in, I challenge you to give this game a try.  It will be more than worth your time.  If anything, GTA should take a cue from The Third Street Saints.

_______________________________________________

In the very remote chance that you have never read our blog before, Kevin WK has been a fixture here at Achievos, both in text and video form.  Below is his latest YouTube contribution. And don't forget that we are in the middle of a contest ! Comment on the blog or on the blog's Facebook page between now and Dec 5th for your chance to win the full game download of Fruit Ninja for FREE !  In the meantime, bask in Kevin's naked, hairy glory.