Xbox Addict

Xbox 360 Spring Update

Xbox 360 dashboard updates aren’t quite the big event they used to be. The first details on the upcoming spring update have surfaced and it will not add the sort of major features we’ve seen in past updates. It will, however, be out before the end of the month and adds what’s sure to be a useful new payment method for some users.
 An alleged Microsoft employee has forwarded two images to Joystiq detailing the update’s features, only one of which will be noticeable to users. Support for the new disc format (referred to as XGD3) that’s been beta tested over the last month will be one of the two major features. The image confirms what the format reportedly adds: additional storage space and new safeguards against piracy. The new format will begin being used "in future game titles releasing later in 2011." The update will also allow users to use PayPal as a payment method on the Xbox Live Marketplace while also expanding PayPal "to new international markets."
 
These changes will be pushed out in six waves between May 19 and May 30. The reason for this method is "to ensure a high quality deployment." Previous updates were pushed out to all users at the same time.
 
A separate image shows that Avatar Kinect, the visual chatroom announced at CES which uses Avatars that mimic facial expressions captured through Kinect, will be released on May 27.
 
Xbox 360 just saw the addition of Hulu Plus late last month following the introduction of limited Kinect controls for Netflix.