Microsoft said Monday that the introduction of Xbox Live avatars is a much fresher approach than the competition. The company confirmed the system of virtual characters at its E3 press conference. The avatars seemed to be a cross between the Nintendo Wii’s stylized Miis and the realistic avatars on Sony’s PlayStation Home, which Microsoft claimed is only for hardcore gamers.
“We’ve made Xbox Live more personal than ever before with these avatars – you can express your personality and style to reflect who you are, or who you want to be,” Microsoft’s John Schappert announced at E3.
According to Microsoft, with the new Xbox 360 experience, gamers can personalize their entertainment like never before. They can create their own avatar, designed exclusively by Rare, and jump into a party with friends from around the world.
“It used to be that you had to launch hardware to bring new experiences to users, what we’re going to prove is that software can actually change the experience overnight,” David Hufford, a senior director at Xbox, told The Financial Times.
Hufford claimed that Microsoft’s approach would have wider appeal than Sony’s much delayed PlayStation Home.
“Home is only for the hardcore frankly, we think we’re taking a much fresher approach, offering much more social experiences,” he said.
