When the New Xbox Experience was announced earlier this year, one of the first things that came to my mind was how Microsoft would be monitizing the Avatars. I caught some flack for the article and people in various forums called me stupid for assuming Microsoft was going to rape our wallets to dress up our Avatars. Guess what? They will be.
An Avatar Store will be coming next spring to your local Xbox 360. You’ll be able to buy all kinds of new clothing and accessories to spruce up your digital self. Want that new Burberry bag or Sean Jean t-shirt? It’s going to cost you. Ultimately, I think many people will opt to not purchase anything and you’re going to see plenty of avatars all wearing the same clothes.
To everyone that said I was a “dumb fanboy” for thinking Microsoft would charge for this stuff, let’s see what you have to say now.
All of the awesome changes promised to us at E3 this year will finally hit home on November 19th. This should include the ability to stream Netflix to your Xbox 360, and hopefully in HD. Avatars will also be a welcomed addition among other surprises. This will be available in 26 countries and in 11 languages.
Avatars were announced today, even though everyone pretty much knew they were coming. You’ll be out to customize your look online with clothes and accessories after you make it look like yourself as best as possible. But just how much is this going to cost?
We already know how much things cost for gamer pictures and themes and we know Sony will be selling wardrobe additions in Home, so it’s only logicial that Avatar customization won’t be completely free.
Like other things, it’s impossible to get in touch with Microsoft PR today, so we can’t confirm anything. My bet is they haven’t set pricing yet. We’ll keep you posted.
I think Microsoft might be firing Intellisponse. They leaked more stuff yesterday that was probably saved for E3. I’m not sure Microsoft has anything left in the tank after all of this. Anyway, supposedly to combat Mii’s and your digital self in Home, Microsoft is creating Avatars.
This looks fairly legit, but again, Microsoft won’t comment on rumors. E3 is only a month away, so we won’t have to wait long for sure. Do you want Avatars for your Xbox 360 anyway? It seems like Microsoft is playing copy-cat with all of these leaks. From the Newton controller to Lips to Avatars, I guess Microsoft doesn’t want the competition to have anything they don’t.
One of the great things about the PS3 is the ability to download and create custom themes and wallpapers to personalize your console for no cost. Sony has a bank of avatars to choose from for free as well (Gamer Pictures to you Xbox 360 users out there). Not having to pay for these is terrific and I hope it always stays that way. However, the lack of additions to the avatar selection is upsetting.
When the PS3 launched, there were quite a few avatars to choose from in Account Management, varying from old school 8-bit icons to Kratos and Ratchet. With the system in its infancy, the selection worked well for everyone. But over the course of the past year and half since launch, Sony has only added 10-15 additional avatars to choose from. Given the high level of customization available with other areas of the PS3, I would expect a similar level of choice devoted to your avatar, especially since it’s what everyone sees online.
I can only hope that the rumored social networking features being introduced and the upcoming firmware allow further customization and choice. Home will allow you to create a digital self, but it will not change the 2D picture you use as identification in games and lobbies while playing online with friends. With PS Eye integration and the ability to browse the internet and network with your computer, it would seem very feasible that one could set any picture they choose, within reason, as their online representation.
Requests to Sony were not returned by press time, so we can neither confirm or deny if and when new additions will be made to the online avatars.
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