Prior to Windows Phone, the Avatar creation tool was relegated to an Xbox console or website. Originally, Avatar creation was a privilege reserved for owners of Xbox consoles, who also purchased a Xbox Live account. Since then, the Xbox team has lessened the restrictions on avatar creation. First porting the tools into an app on Windows Phone back in 2010. Eventually, the creation tools were expanded to other mobile platforms including iOS and Android. With today’s news, creating a Xbox Live avatar becomes a familiar experience, but on PC’s.
If you are on the WIndows 10 Preview, you can get a look at tha app right now http://t.co/m58arSjk3U
— Larry Hryb (@majornelson) April 20, 2015
In the Windows Store (Beta) in the Windows 10 Technical Preview, Xbox users can download the Avatars app and get started on tweaking and fine tuning their avatars appearance. This development is yet another sign of Microsoft ushering in a wave of unbundling to offer more timely support. With the Avatar creation tools unbundled from Xbox app, developers should now, in theory, push features at a much faster clip. This is also another sign that Windows (PC) and Xbox gaming is being more focused on than in prior Windows development. Additionally, it does seem like shopping for content such as skin and clothing packs is now handled via the browser rather than it being in-app.
There is no official word as to why the tools have been pulled out of the Xbox App and put into a separate experience. Perhaps we’ll see some more development of this story from Microsoft’s developer conference Build next week or at a later date like E3. In the meantime, those of you on Windows 10 Preview, head on over to the Store and give the new app a download. Let us know of your experience and what you think the separate Avatar app means for the future of the Store, Xbox, and Microsoft.
