Zach Rich, Jorge Glez

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Edge Magazine on the new Avatar system

Avatars to get less facial depth to the editor compared Nintendo’s Miis

Unless you’ve been busy not paying attention to anything that has to do with what Microsoft has planned with the Fall Dashboard Update to the 360, you should know by now about all the wonders and amazement that’s just waiting for us within the coming months. EDGE Magazine recently came out with a 16 page article on the upcoming update, showcasing several features about the “New X-Box Experience”, including Primetime titles, Community Games, and the extremely site related Avatar system.

Edge featuring Rare's Avatars

On the topic of Avatars, EDGE mentions how it’s possible that eventually thousands of items could be available to customize your cute little virtual self, ranging from simple clothing items to skateboards, and guitars, with different animations to go along with them. According to the build of the system EDGE experienced, they noted less facial depth to the editor, compared to that of Nintendo’s Mii system, but makes up for it by the large selection of clothing available. Gamerpic-Happy gamers, who are afraid they’ve wasted their 80 MS Points on a now defunct item can also rest easy, according to the article, for now Gamerpics can be used as details on shirts.

The avatars feature 102 virtual “bones” to manipulate, and something Rare has dubbed “Kung-Fu Hands”: big and blocky, to look good when they’re holding something. Avatars will play a major role in the Primetime series of community games, and will be featured in the next installment of the Scene It? series on the 360. Except, as Rare recently confirmed, neither Banjo nor Piñata will make use of them.

Overall, the article doesn’t reveal much about the upcoming revamp that hasn’t already been known on the internets already. Then again, that’s the issue with print magazines since the internet went mainstream. That aside, many of the upcoming features to the revamp sound extremely promising. Players will be able to get their hands on Rare’s latest children when the New X-Box Experience launches on the 360 this fall.

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2 Comments

Thanks for the cover scan, but are there any scans of the inside?

Comment by AzBat360 — 28.Aug.08 @ 2:52 pm

Unfortunally, due to those wacky-dacky copyright laws that keep taking Doctor Who off of YouTube when I’m in the middle of a damn episode, we can’t post any scans of the actual article here.

Comment by Zach Rich — 31.Aug.08 @ 11:07 pm

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