Microsoft officially announced a new Xbox Live update that will go live on Aug. 11, introducing an Avatar Marketplace and Games On Demand feature to Xbox 360 users.
The Avatar Marketplace allows Xbox Live gamers to customize their avatars with skins and other accessories, including sponsored logo from Halo and other popular Xbox 360 game titles.
The Games On Demand service will replace the Xbox Originals store, so Xbox Live Gold and Silver subscribers can purchase games ranging from Mass Effect and BioShock to Sonic the Hedgehog and Assassin's Creed. Gamers interested in downloading and printing any game's manual can do so directly from Xbox.com.
Netflix subscribers who use their console to stream content also have the ability to watch improved video streams, in addition to movies and TV episodes that are being watched simultaneously with other Xbox 360 Netflix users, according to Microsoft.
Unfortunately, there are several little features and perks announced by Microsoft during E3 that won't be available in a couple of weeks. 1080p video playback, Twitter, Facebook, and Last.fm integration, along with Zune video downloads will be saved for another Xbox Live update that is expected sometime this fall.
The Redmond-based company began soliciting testers for the Xbox Live update one day before it announced it would be released on August 11. More than 30 million Xbox 360 units have been sold across the world, with more than 20 million active Xbox Live subscribers, according to Microsoft.
Are you looking forward to the Aug. 11 Xbox Live update, or are you disappointed some important upgrades are being left out?
