Xbox Live Avatars are used to represent a digital you, fully animated with a range of emotions, expressions, and dance moves that you may never dare to pull off in public. Avatars also followed you to your phone back when Windows Phone 7 made its debut, and there’s still some fun in making mini you stumble and trip by violently shaking your phone, until it gets fed up and either flips the screen or cracks it!
Avatars were a large part of the Xbox 360 but for one reason or another have not remained so on Microsoft’s Xbox One, where they are reserved only for the creation of Gamerpics. They weren’t really accepted by gamers when first introduced as part of Microsoft’s New Xbox Experience update in 2008. As Microsoft’s Albert Penello admitted to OXM at Gamescom, reception was “vitriol”. However, following their removal from the Xbox Dashboard, a significant number of gamers requested their return.
Penello and his team are aware of the demand and may do more with Avatars in the Xbox One when the time is right. “It’s on the list of things that we weren’t aware were quite as popular with people, and stuff that we’re looking into doing integration with,” he said. “As a matter of fact, I think we are doing some stuff with the avatars, the ability to export your avatar pics and things, so it’s also on the list. We’re aware.”
Microsoft is expected to release another significant update for the Xbox One later this month that’s brings along a host on new features and improvements which you can read more about here. If you miss your Avatar’s funky moves, be sure to let Microsoft know about it on their Facebook, Twitter, and everywhere Xbox. Microsoft is a feedback-driven company, so if you don’t leave feedback, they’ll release another Windows 8. Don’t let that happen!
Image Credit: Xbox (YouTube)
