Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, and while Sony may have gone motion-control with their PlayStation 3 (slightly), Microsoft's going all the way with a total (and mandatory) Xbox interface change-up later this Fall. Among the upgrades to the aesthetic is the questionably familiar use of Avatars, which might give a few out there a serious case of deja vu. Although no real word of their function is mentioned, Microsoft's Major Nelson gives us a peek to the little buggers creation in this short, but sweet walkthrough.
The creative side of me is torn apart with the Xbox Avatars: I'm a big advocate of user-generated content when its possible, but the rather transparent cloning of a competitors most unusual innovation drives me batty. Nintendo's Mii creator was a stroke of genius, designed from the ground-up to be at home on the console. Two years on, Microsoft's version strikes me (at best) a sign of the times and (at the lease) a bit 'me too' in more ways than one. I love you MS, but couldn't you have at least thought of giving them a big flashier name than just Avatars?
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