Xbox 360 gets an image makeover to compete with the Wii. Image: Microsoft
By Yi-Wyn Yen
The Xbox 360 is getting a major software update designed to transform it into a multimedia machine.
Starting Wednesday, all Xbox 360 owners will be required to update their gaming consoles so that they can watch movies in high-definition, stream TV shows and movies from Netflix (NFLX) and navigate categories like games, photos, and videos through a simplified dashboard populated with cutesy avatars.
Microsoft (MSFT) is counting on the Xbox makeover to not only drive console sales during a grim holiday-spending season but to broaden its appeal to casual gamers. In a statement, Microsoft hailed the move as “a new dawn in home entertainment,” going so far as to compare the Xbox Experience to the dawn of color television.
The company has been trying for years to brand the Xbox as the digital entertainment hub for the living room. [...]
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