Microsoft will be making some changes to Xbox.com in the coming days in anticipation of the next Xbox 360 dashboard update. The familiar “My Xbox” section will be replaced by a forward-thinking “Social” area, complete with Metro UI styling.
Social builds on the current My Xbox by allowing you to see more detailed information regarding what your friends are doing. One new feature is called Beacons which lets you to mark games you wish to play with others on your friends list.
Your friends will see the Beacon and can decide if they also want to play the game, rather than you having to send multiple game invites or arrange playing together through traditional means. You can have up to three Beacons active at a time and you can optionally add a description to each one indicating things like what time you want to play or what game mode you are interested in.
Social will also display links to Xbox LIVE events, preview articles, new video and game releases, Gamer Spotlight and more. Quick links on the left of the Social screen show you things like how many friends are online and how many messages you have. Below your avatar are links to common tasks like redeeming codes and adding Microsoft Points.
Xbox.com users will also be able to search the Zune catalog and buy television shows and movies directly from the web browser.
A leaked internal email sent to PayPal employees in September revealed that Microsoft is planning to launch the new Xbox dashboard on November 15, marking the 10-year anniversary of the original Xbox launch in 2001.
