Microsoft details new XBL themes, friends

All signs are pointing to a November rollout for Microsoft's Xbox Live dashboard overhaul. The redesign, officially known as the New Xbox Experience, will bring with it a host of changes to Microsoft's already well-liked online hub, including an avatar-based community system, integration with Netflix's on-demand movie download service, and the ability to install games to the console's hard drive, among other features.

One topic the hardware maker has been quiet about is how dashboard themes and friends lists will factor into the redesigned online hub. Today, Microsoft's Sara Nicholson parted the curtain a bit further on these features via the publisher's Gamerscoreblog, offering a host of screenshots and a few details on what gamers can expect from their themes and how they'll interact with friends.

No longer just static images, Nicholson noted that themes will be dynamic, meaning that they will both change as users cycle through pages and be "subtly animated." Nicholson then gave an example of the "signature theme," which pictures bubbles that move, shrink, and grow in the background. The themes will also factor into the friends lists, with buddies' avatars being pictured alongside images unique to each theme.

As for the other friends list features, Nicholson said that avatars will "rally" when players host Live parties. Friends' statuses can also be ascertained by their current actions. If a friend is playing a game, his or her avatar will beckon to the player to join in. If the friend is offline, that person's avatar will be "snoozing."

Previously noted by Microsoft, themes purchased for Xbox Live's current dashboard will still be usable with the upcoming update. According to Nicholson, "They'll look even better over the new UI."