Thought of the Day: Gaming brings you:
Palantas' Impressions of the Xbove Live Update

I've been pretty busy lately, so I didn't do much reading on the new update.  I'd heard various things, but I had not exhaustively researched it by running a quick Wiki search like I learned how to do in college.  So here goes my play-by-play of all the new and wonderful things I encountered after signing into Xbox Live yesterday...

It took two to three minutes to download on my good connection.  Not bad.  I didn't get a whacky video like with the NXE udpate.  (Yeah, sad.)  When my dashboard loaded, it added that "Welcome" tab from the NXE, which I quickly banished again.  I watched a video with some woman named Tina Wood, who informed me that I could get an RC Warthog.  Neat.

The first thing I checked out was the new Avatar Marketplace.  You can get clothes from some brandnames like Adidas, and some others I didn't recognize.  Nothing really caught my interest; I don't imagine they'll be adding any Brooks Brothers for your Avatar anytime soon.  Basic clothing, like a T-shirt, cost 80 G (G = international monetary symbol for Xbox Gamerpoint).  More expensive clothing cost 160 G.  That seems a little expensive to me.  To outfit my little guy in the new, emo-looking clothing they have, I'd have to spend at least five bucks.  That's kinda on the high side, I think, considering I can get a game for that much.

You can also get clothing and accessories from games, these games...

Splinter Cell: I checked out this one first...and was disappointed.  It's nothing but T-shirts and ballcaps that say "Splinter Cell" on them.  What a bunch of BS.  Sam Fisher never wears anything like that.

Star Wars Clone Wars: Now this makes sense, since Avatars look like they're on this show anyway.  Here, you can get some real stuff, like clonetrooper armor, priced at 400.  The helmet comes separately at 160 G, though, so the total price for a clonetrooper outfit is 560.  There's also a 400 G lightsaber.

Halo ODST: There's a red beret, but I can't get it because I'm not in an Airborne unit right now (Army joke).  Oddly you can get a ring for 40 G.  Yeah, a ring, like what goes on your finger.  How the hell is anyone ever going to notice that?  (Maybe if they ever have Lord of the Rings attire, you can get the One Ring and turn your Avatar invisible.)  There's also the afore-mentioned RC Warthog, for 320.  My little guy looked so happy playing with it, much happier than I ever am in real life, except when drinking.  Finally, you can get UNSC Marine armor for 400, which includes the helmet.  Definitely a better deal than the clonetrooper armor.

Halo 3: T-shirts and other BS.  Disappointing.

Gears 2: COG armor for 320, with a helmet at 160, so it's inbetween clonetrooper and UNSC armor in price.  I wouldn't get the helmet, though, since people with helmets always die in Gears.  There was also some Locust armor, which made my Avatar look like one of the scantily-clad, bondage-inspired girls from Quake III:

No joke.  Definitely do not recommend the Locust armor.  Oddly, the Gears section also had "Crimson Omen Skate Shoes" for 160.  160??  How the hell are skate shoes going to cost the same as a futuristic combat helmet?

Fable 2: All clothes and ballcaps, including a "highwayman's outfit."  Okay...  Why can I have a lightsaber but not a longsword?  Speaking of that, the lightsaber's been the only weapon so far.  Why no Lancer?  Why no battlerifle?

Bioshock 2: A Big Daddy doll for 240.  Looks like a voodoo doll.  My Avatar's going to stick pins in him if he comes across a Big Daddy.  Which, my Avatar might if they ever put out a Big Daddy suit.  Right now, you can get the helmet without the suit, which makes you look like a titanic toolbag.

All right, this is getting pretty long.  I'm going to finish my feature review tomorrow, and then write some commentary on it the next day.  Have fun paying out the ass for T-shirts and dressing up your Avatar.