GameGuide

1. Pimp Your Avatar
The most obvious addition, and one that you’ll have already seen: you can now fritter away Microsoft points on branded tat for your Avatar – both clothing and new handheld “props”. We’d be snobby about this, but we couldn’t resist the Bioshock diving helmet. If you’re cheap, there are also props unlocked by playing games like recent XBLA hit Splosion Man.

2. Discover Your Inadequacy
Select your profile and the first slide now gives you a helpful rundown of the Gamerscore you have, the number of Achievements you’ve unlocked, and the number of games where you’ve maxed out both. If this is distressingly empty, grab Doritos Dash of Destruction from Marketplace and spend half an hour maxing it out.  

3. Download Full Xbox 360 Games
The new Games on Demand section has a series of Xbox 360 games you can download manuals for all the games will be available for download from xbox.com.

4. Play Your Games Anywhere
Titles bought using Games on Demand can be played by anybody using the console you downloaded them to. But if you take your GamerTag to another console (on a memory card, for example) you’ll be able to play them there too – having downloaded them, of course..

5.Track Your Subscription
To use this feature, do nothing. Then, when your Xbox Live subscription is due to run out, it’ll tell you in the Dashboard rather than just disconnecting you.

6. Know Your Address
…and on that note, you’ll definitely get an email about it too. When you first signed up to Xbox Live, you created a Windows Live ID using an email address, like you’d use for Windows Live Messenger (or MSN Messenger, as it used to be called). If that’s expired from lack of use, you’ll be told when you sign in so you can pick another one.

7. Analyse Your Unlocks
When you’re playing a game, hit the Xbox buton on the joypad, flick left and select Achievements. Select the game and you’ll see a new layout that makes it easier to see what you’ve unlocked.

8. Disable Automatic Sign-in
This has always been possible, but not easy to find. Now it’s easy: just select your Avatar in My Xbox, choose Profile, and select Auto Sign-in.

9. Review And Rate
Every piece of game content on Xbox Live Marketplace now has a five star rating. Go to the Details page and chose the Rate button and separate the Dark Corners from the Horse Armours with some all-important community feedback.

10. Find The Best
Want to pick the classiest content on Marketplace? Select Browse All > Top Rated to see the games that the great unwashed like the most. Be warned, they can like some odd stuff.

11. Show Your Age
Your Gamer Card now has a number in the top right showing how many years you’ve been on Xbox Live. Calling somebody a noob has never been easier.

12. Go Indie
A small, yet significant change this one. Community Games is being rebranded Indie Games – and you can rate them, too.

13. Sort your friends
Find someone who’s playing the same game as you easily by tapping Y when looking at your Friends List on the Guide to sort it by Activity. You can also sort filters by Gamertag and Online Status.

14. Launch from Achievements
If you’re perusing your Achievements and are seized with the desire to get more from a game, just whack Y to launch it. Simple.

15. Download faster
Getting a download code is easy. Finding where to enter it, not so much. It’s still where it ever was (press the Xbox button on the controller, flick left twice to the Marketplace blade, select Redeem Code) but it’s easier to find from your profile. Select it from My Xbox and choose Manage Account > Redeem Code.

16. Make your voice heard
If you’re leaving a voice message, you’ll be told if there’s no sound detected – no more leaving blank messages because you forgot it was on mute.

17. Sort your saves
Saved Data in the Memory menu now carries a time stamp so you no longer accidentally delete the wrong game save from your system.

18. Reconnect instantly
If you’re in a party and the connection suddenly goes down (if your internet connection fails, or the game forces an update) you’ll be automatically added back to the party as soon as you’re back online.

19. Force your TV to work
Your Xbox should automatically detect your TV and adjust the settings accordingly. If it doesn’t, you can now force it on DVI and HDMI connections. Go to My Xbox > System Settings > Console Settings > Display > Display Discovery.

20. Get help fast
On Your Xbox, there’s a new menu option for Solutions that will give you some quick-fire tips for online and hardware issues. Its good starting point for any connection problems before phoning the help lines. [XBM]