It's finally here. As of 8:30pm Adelaide time (2am Pacific), the New Xbox Experience has officially started rolling out to gamers around the world. As I'm sure you can imagine, this is no small task, and it's expected to take quite a while.

For an idea of scale - while there are some 15 million Xbox LIVE accounts, Microsoft are bracing themselves for another milestone: 25 million Xbox 360 consoles sold. They're expecting to reach this target by the end of this month, which will mean that it has taken just three years for the next-gen box to eclipse the total lifetime number of original Xbox consoles sold worldwide.

Microsoft are promising us a "new era of entertainment", which includes a bold new future for the Xbox 360 - a future where experiences are shared with friends and families, whether they be in the next room, in the next suburb, or on the other side of the planet.


Images from the New Xbox Experience introduction at E3 2008
Andrew Jenkins, Xbox 360 Product Marketing Manager for games and LIVE

“Xbox 360 is getting a whole new look. From today Xbox owners are able to download a new user interface for their consoles, effectively updating their Xbox through Xbox LIVE. Xbox 360 now boasts a more user-friendly look and allows users to create online parties, chat with friends, share pictures, create avatars of themselves and much more.”

...so what is the New Xbox Experience?

The update will give Xbox 360 owners an all-new, highly-interactive world at their fingertips, all ready to share with gamers around the planet via Xbox LIVE.

· Xbox LIVE Party: Allows you to create a virtual party on your TV with up to seven friends. With Xbox LIVE Party, finding and interacting with friends via voice chat while you play games, as well as sharing photos in real time and entertaining friends all over the world has never been easier.

· Personality plus: Create a customisable virtual representation of yourself (avatar) and literally jump into the world of Xbox LIVE. Your avatar is your game-face and represents your personality — whether you are a LIVE Party host, playing a game of “Scene It? Box Office Smash” or chatting with a friend.

· Your Personal Games Room: Revive gaming classics like PAC-MAN Championship Edition and Galaga Legions alongside games that literally put your avatars in the action like Bomberman LIVE, Hardwood Hearts and UNO, exclusively for download from Xbox LIVE Arcade. Xbox LIVE members will also be able to access all of Xbox LIVE Marketplace, including Xbox LIVE Arcade, and even queue content to download straight from Xbox.com.

More from E3
To find out more about what's in store, it's a good idea to take a step back, to this year's E3. Firstly, the new idea was unveiled as part of Microsoft's Media Briefing - but the real details were revealed in an open letter, from Xbox LIVE GM Marc Whitten. Since then, bits and pieces have been leaked and snuck out to the public, but I think there's still going to be a bunch of pleasantly-surprised gamers when the update finishes downloading.

Are you an Xbox 360 gamer? Have you managed to get the New Xbox Experience yet? What do you think? What are you most looking forward to trying out? ...let us know!