Microsoft takes Xbox 360 in a new direction
WinInfo | at | by Mike
In a major strategy shift, Microsoft will focus less on the hard core gamers that have made its Xbox 360 a favorite with that crowd and will instead target a far more mainstream audience. The change is an implicit, if tardy, response to Nintendo's spectacularly popular Wii console, which lacks technical chops but has attracted hordes of casual gamers.
As part of the belated makeover, the Xbox 360's UI, which today consists of sterile "blades" dedicated to various gaming and entertainment experiences, will be replaced with a more personal UI based around player-modified on-screen characters called Avatars.