Tue, Oct 28, 2008 | 10:19 GMT
Avatar Store coming next spring, says MS
Robin Burrowes, the Europe, Middle East and African product manager for Xbox Live, has confirmed to Videogamer.com that an Avatar Store will be launching next spring.
“The plan of record will be to launch a more extensive Avatar Store from spring time onwards next year, and that store in theory would have branded content in there, game publisher IP stuff in there as well,” said Burrowes.
In terms of what to expect he said:
“Yes, more animations, more customise capabilities in terms of emotions and features but then also as well wardrobe enhancements over the course of time, so fashion brands hopefully launching new ranges through Avatars being one route. Obviously the whole world of Spore, football, etc, lends itself to this environment. Games themselves where you can customise your Avatar like the character from a game as well, these are all possibilities that Avatars will explore over the course of 2009 and beyond, definitely.”
Pricing is “under discussion right now,” apparently.
Full thing through the link.
By Mike Bowden
17 comments
#1
Blerk
28/10/08, 10:20 am
Wait, they didn’t just accidentally confirm Spore for the 360 there, did they?
#2
patlike
28/10/08, 10:22 am
I think he was talking about the customisation “space” in general, but yeah: I’ll check
#3
Shatner
28/10/08, 10:30 am
Avatar STORE?
/checks calendar
We’re no where near April. He must be serious. Good grief.
Remember: 360 = cheapest console!!!!!
#4
patlike
28/10/08, 10:33 am
Yeah. I for one am shocked and appalled at Microsoft using micropayments as a business model on Xbox Live.
#5
Blerk
28/10/08, 10:46 am
Did anyone really think they weren’t going to try and flog virtual shit to people with more money than sense? Really?
#6
Shatner
28/10/08, 10:48 am
I’ll pay for something worthwhile irrespective of its method of delivery. But virtual dressup is the sort of pap Ubisoft are shilling on the DS and slapping a “z” on the end of.
Besides, everyone’s just going to go for the Master Chief gwafix anyway aren’t they?
It’ll be a million times better when it’s done in HOME.
#7
Blerk
28/10/08, 10:54 am
Yes. You’ll be able to pay for your virtual threads with real money there instead of Microsoft Beans.
It’s a model that obviously works in certain circumstances. How much cash have EA made out of Sims expansions, for example?
#8
JPickford
28/10/08, 11:05 am
These things leave a bit of bad taste. People (most of us I imagine) who chose not to pay for extra frippery are left feeling like they’ve got a second class product\environment. Hopefully it’ll go the way of Horse Armour.
#9
Psychotext
28/10/08, 11:09 am
Same old story for this sort of crap really… if you don’t like it, don’t buy it.
I’m amazed that everyone seems to state they hate avatars and don’t want to use them followed shortly by being annoyed that they’re going to be making premium avatar stuff.
#10
Shatner
28/10/08, 11:12 am
Avatars are ok. In Tiger Woods I made a character that looked like me to a disturbing degree. It put my friends off their game a treat!
#11
fj
28/10/08, 12:04 pm
Horse Armour is a due comeback.
#12
airdom
28/10/08, 1:46 pm
@ Psychotext
thank you! finally someone that understands! i’m not saying ill buy extra stuff, but one way or another, there will be a viable market for this, so you gotta live with it.
love it or not, M$ will make money with this, just as $ony will make assloads of money with you guys in Home.
Point is, you already know $ony is gonna do it with Home, why bitch if M$ is gonna do it with their avatars?
Just Saying.
#13
Shatner
28/10/08, 2:42 pm
Using $ instead of S is cruise control for anti-capitalist cool.
#14
mortiferus
28/10/08, 2:49 pm
Well with the s(t)inking value of the dollar can you blame them? Perhaps by the next major update of the XBE they’ll be using Ameros.
#15
airdom
28/10/08, 2:56 pm
Using $ is because theyre all in it for the big bucks anyways.
thank god ms points arent more expensive now. i dunno, i like the points system.
**got a question for you ps3 owners**
when you buy anything on the psn, you pay for example 9.99$ for a game, but i’ve seen on a friend ps3 that there were taxes added to that 9.99$, is it the case for everything?
#16
mightyhokie
28/10/08, 3:15 pm
only way i pay for these things is if they let me pay with gamer points.
#17
airdom
28/10/08, 4:08 pm
well is it 9.99+tx?